Hypnotherapy allows clients to access the infinite resource of their unconscious mind. In a deeply relaxed state, or "trance" the mind is more open to learning new ways of thinking and being, and eliminating self-defeating attitudes and behaviors.

Hypnotherapy will assist you in:

• Achieving and embracing your hopes and dreams
• Living free from compulsive behaviors
• Integrating and activating coaching sessions more deeply and rapidly
• Transforming "stuck" physical and emotional issues
• Experiencing increased relaxation
• Unleashing your human potential and thinking "outside the box"
• Increasing confidence and motivation
• Gaining greater access to your intuition and inner wisdom

“I made progress with an issue that had gone nowhere in three years, even with the efforts of acupuncture, homeopathy, physicians and traditional counseling. I am thrilled with the results and would highly recommend Sarah's work to anyone”
Female, 41, Landscape Designer

What is hypnosis and how does it work?

Hypnosis has been defined as an altered state of consciousness which is characterized by a quiet mind, enhanced suggestibility, a greater sense of awareness, and a heightened degree of flexibility in mental functioning. It is a state of mind where normal perceptions of time, space, and reality may change and one is able to experience memories, dreams, and concepts with the same clarity as one experiences phenomena in waking life. In a trance, subjects are seemingly able to set judgement aside and simply participate in their inner experience.

A trance is a natural state of being that we experience many times throughout the day. You go into trance anytime your focus becomes internally absorbed and you lose sight of what is going on around you; your awareness shifts from paying primary attention to your conscious mind to paying primary attention to your unconscious mind. An example of this is daydreaming. When you day-dream you see, hear, and feel things that are not really there, but nevertheless, you experience them internally as being quite real. This is what we call an unconscious process.

In reality, the distinction between conscious and unconscious mind is not nearly so clear cut. For even as we concentrate intently on what we are consciously aware of, unconscious processes communicate with us in the "back of our mind" and most of the time we simply just don't pay attention to them. This is largely because the unconscious mind speaks a very different language than does the conscious mind. The unconscious mind expresses itself using images, feelings, body sensations, intuition and symbols, such as what we experience when we dream. Most often, when you recall a dream you think to yourself, "this dream doesn't make any sense to me". What we are actually saying is "this dream doesn't make any sense to my conscious mind"; to the unconscious mind this dream language makes perfect sense and is attempting to communicate something significant to you.

In hypnotherapy, we believe that the way to make sense of this unconscious material is to communicate directly with the unconscious mind about it, using its language, and then to allow the unconscious mind to process this information and figure out how to deal with it. The trance state allows client greater access to the unconscious mind by allowing the conscious mind to momentarily step aside, so that the Hypnotherapist can speak more directly to the unconscious mind. Working with the trance state can play a very significant role in healing because the unconscious mind is inherently whole and healthy and can work things out when given the chance and resources to do so. Hypnosis provides the client with an opportunity to create a more intimate relationship with their unconscious mind and thus more effectively utilize the vast pool of resources available within.

Many physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral symptoms can be helped through the use of hypnosis. One way of perceiving the therapeutic role of hypnosis is to think of the unconscious mind as always trying to communicate healthy ways of being to the conscious mind. Unfortunately, most of the time, the conscious mind simply does not listen. So the unconscious mind speaks a little louder in an attempt to be heard. Sometimes the message can come in the form of emotional, mental, or physical pain; after all, pain is a good way of getting your attention. For example, let's say you've been under considerable stress lately. The unconscious mind attempts to communicate the discomfort of the internal experience of stress as a headache. If you listen to the message and find ways to manage your stress successfully, the headache goes away; if you ignore the intent of the message, the headache gets worse. In this way many dis-ease symptoms can be seen as unconscious messages calling for healthier changes to take place.

Another aspect to understanding how hypnosis works to relieve symptoms and habits is to consider that the conscious mind has limited resources and rigid parameters for figuring out how to cope with given circumstances. And so the conscious mind often gets stuck thinking only in certain patterns, even if the attempted solutions are not working well. The conscious mind does not seem to know how to transcend its own programming. Recall how many times you have known better, yet you just can't seem to stop yourself from engaging in some kind of thought, feeling, or behavior you know you don't want to be doing. This is where hypnotherapy could be helpful. Hypnosis is a way of therapeutically introducing input past the conscious mind and directly to the unconscious mind. It is then from the source of the unconscious mind that the change in the program is initiated and a healthier pattern can be catalyzed.

Hypnosis has been used as an important mode of healing by many different traditions for centuries. It is presently recognized by the American Medical Association as an effective treatment for pain control, tension reduction, and habit change. It is important for clients to realize that if you are receiving services from a certified Hypnotherapist, who is not a licensed Psychotherapist, that the scope of their practice strictly pertains to the use of hypnosis. If you are experiencing signs, symptoms or circumstances which indicate psychological or medical pathology your Hypnotherapist will refer you to a licensed professional for consultation and/or treatment.

go to top of page

What does a trance feel like?

Most of us are familiar with being in a hypnotic trance. You go into trance all the time: when you day-dream, read a book, drive down the road, get a massage, etc. Each person's experience of being in trance is unique and yet there are certainly some commonalties that can be described here. Trance is often experienced as being deeply relaxing. The client's breathing usually slows down considerably and their eyes become very heavy. One's focus tends to be drawn inward and often feelings of warmth, heaviness, tingling, or lightness are experienced. One may see images, recall dreams and memories, or experience a deep connection with their spirituality. When the trance is over, often clients report having new insights, a greater perspective on their concern, and/or greater peace of mind about things that have been troubling them. Sometimes clients can't remember much at all, they just know something is different.

Hypnosis can help you:

• Manage your stress more effectively
• Stop smoking & alleviate other compulsive habits
• Improve your body image & lose weight
• Overcome past traumas & fears
• Support the healing process of physical disease
• Relieve pain
• Cope with a medical intervention, such as surgery
• Improve relationship with self and others
• Make healthy lifestyle changes
• Maintain emotional balance & instill healthier attitudes
• Gain greater access to your intuition
• Illuminate life goals & values
• Enhance your creativity
• Increase your concentration abilities
• Facilitate the learning of a new skill
• Improve physical performance

go to top of page

Clearing Up Common Misconceptions about Hypnosis:

Is it true that I won't remember anything that happened while I was in trance?
What you remember following a hypnosis session will vary widely. Sometimes you will be able to recall almost everything that happened and other times the session will seem rather vague and you'll sense that something significant happened, you just won't know what it was. Our unconscious mind knows what is important for us to remember.

Is it true that while under hypnosis the practitioner will have a certain amount of control over me and that I might be asked to do things that would normally be against my will?
Always with hypnosis your unconscious mind or inner self is in charge. You will only do or say that which you, in the deepest parts of yourself, agree to. If something is asked of you in trance that you do not want to do, you will simply not do it and/or you will wake up from trance.

Is it true that hypnosis can effect instant cures?
It is generally believed that healing is a process that takes time. It is difficult to know how long the process will take before you feel significant relief from your presenting symptoms. Sometimes the process is very quick and a client will feel relief in the first or second session. Other times the presenting symptoms do not seem to change much but other important unconscious shifts seem to be taking place nonetheless. It is best to be willing to be open as to how the changes will comfortably take place.

Can hypnosis guarantee results?
Hypnotherapy is very similar to other forms of therapy in this respect. Results depend on the client as much, if not more, than they do on the practitioner and/or the technique employed. Each client presents his/her own uniqueness and potential to resolve particular problems. Some clients experience rapid resolution or an issue by using hypnosis, while others come to realize that what appeared to be a simple concern turns out to be a complex issue with many layers to it. It is safe to say that hypnosis can aid one in more fully accessing the unconscious mind and that this will, in and of itself be helpful, no matter what the problem is. It is difficult to say how and when the unconscious mind will address the issue such that it yields the specific result desire.

Text from What is Hypnosis and How Does it Work?, Author Unknown

go to top of page