Northern Lights                    Therapy & Counseling

HYPNOTHERAPY

Stop Smoking/Lose Weight/Ease Anxiety/Control Pain/Enhance Self-Esteem /Enhance Sports Performance/Manage Addictions/and Much More With Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

What is Hypnosis and Why Should I Use It?

     Hypnosis is defined as an altered state of intense and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness and suggestibility. Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state of mind and most people slip into and out of hypnosis on a daily basis. During a hypnotic state a person's attention is so focused that anything going on around the person is temporarily blocked out or ignored. During hypnosis and when directed by a clinical hypnotherapist, a person may focus his or her attention on gaining awareness of hidden thoughts and/or beliefs which cause them issues, or they can accept suggestions to promote healing and changing of negative and destructive habits. The hypnotherapist helps to provide suggestions for change. 

 

     Hypnosis is very helpful for people wanting to make changes in habits, focus, or thinking, but who seem to be unable to make those changes, or struggle to do so, due to internal arguments against making the change.  The reason for struggles or internal arguments is generally that a person's mind is in opposition to itself. How does this happen? The subconscious mind is generally the feeling part of the mind and the conscious mind is the logical thinking part of the brain.  Often when the feeling part of the mind and the logical part of the mind have the same attitudes or opinions for change, they work together to help change occur.  Change in these instances tends to be fairly easy and just a matter of reminding ones self to stay on top of the change.  Change is often very difficult when the subconscious and the conscious parts of the mind do not agree on change.  When this happens, the logical conscious mind wants something because it is logical to want that.  The subconscious mind feels like it needs things not to change so that it can help a person feel happy in the moment.  The subconscious feeling part of the mind does not always make sense but if something has helped us to feel good in the past, and we have depended on it through time to help us feel good,  the subconscious will not give that something up easily.  It begins to argue, object, and creates a desire for what the conscious mind decided to change.  Struggle and unease result until we give the subconscious mind what it wants. Hypnosis can help the subconscious mind work with the conscious mind to make change easier by replacing limiting behaviors and beliefs with more acceptable solutions.

 

     Hypnosis was accepted by the American Medical Association as a valid and effective treatment method in 1954.  Hypnosis helps the subconscious mind, which operates beneath our conscious awareness and is the center of our habits and deeply held beliefs, become open to change or work with our conscious level of awareness, thoughts, and perceptions. Hypnosis is NOT mind control but it does promote a higher success rate when compared to many other different types of treatment for the same issues because of the change in the subconscious which occurs during hypnotic states. Many people reporting added benefits after hypnotic sessions such as increased self-esteem, improved sleep, and decreased stress. 

 

     I understand that there are a lot of questions about hypnosis and I do my best to answer them all on my Hypnosis FAQ page.

 

     It is important for you to choose the right hypnotherapist for you.  Be aware that the practice of hypnosis is unregulated in most states, including Idaho. I am not only a certified hypnotherapist, I am also also a certified therapist trained in counseling techniques and subject to very strict rules for ongoing training and ethics. I am not like those chain stores and everything I do is personalized for each client's specific needs.  I do not believe in a one size fits all approach. I offer hypnotherapy services for the following issues: