The number of sessions needed for hypnotherapy or EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) can vary depending on your specific needs and goals. However, based on research and clinical experience, here’s a general guideline:

For most issues:

• 3-6 sessions are usually sufficient for most issues

• 6-12 sessions may be needed for more complex or long-standing issues

Specific cases:

• Smoking cessation: Often achievable in 3-4 sessions
• Weight loss: Around 4 sessions
• Anxiety and stress: 2-4 sessions

• PTSD: 4-10 sessions, with some complex cases requiring more

It’s important to note that everyone’s journey is unique. We’ll assess your progress regularly and adjust the number of sessions as needed. Most clients experience significant improvements within the first few sessions, while others may benefit from ongoing support. I am also available for longstanding support as a regular therapist.

Remember, healing is a process, and our goal is to provide you with the tools for lasting change in the shortest time possible

For the consult, just show up!the

I do request that you avoid intoxicants (recreational drugs, alcohol, and marijuana products) prior to our appointment.

It may seem like a strange request, but please come to the session hydrated, as it makes a difference if we decide to use EFT in the first session.

We will discuss any further requirements at the time that we meet.

I am not currently able to accept insurance at this time, but I have been able to bill HSA accounts.

Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic approach that utilizes hypnosis to facilitate personal growth, healing, and positive change. It is the application of hypnotic techniques for addressing a wide range of psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues. Hypnotherapy harnesses the power of the subconscious mind to promote lasting transformations in thoughts, feelings, and actions.

At its core, hypnotherapy involves guiding an individual into a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, often referred to as a trance. In this relaxed state, the conscious mind becomes less active, allowing easier access to the subconscious. This enables the hypnotherapist to work directly with the deeper aspects of the mind, where many of our beliefs, habits, and automatic responses reside.

Key Aspects of Hypnotherapy:

1. Relaxation and Focus: The hypnotic state induces deep relaxation while maintaining mental alertness, creating an ideal environment for therapeutic work.

2. Increased Suggestibility: In this state, individuals become more receptive to positive suggestions aligned with their goals and desires.

3. Accessing the Subconscious: Hypnotherapy allows exploration of hidden thoughts, feelings, and memories that may be influencing current behaviors or issues.

4. Collaborative Process: The client remains in control throughout the session, working in partnership with the therapist to achieve desired outcomes.

5. Versatility: Hypnotherapy can be applied to a wide range of issues, including anxiety, stress, phobias, pain management, addiction, and behavioral changes.

Hypnotherapy is recognized by many medical and psychological associations as a valid complementary treatment. It can be used as a standalone therapy or in conjunction with other therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), or alternative, integrative psychotherapies like Somatic Therapy, Energy Psychology, etc..

The effectiveness of hypnotherapy has been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies. It has shown particular promise in areas such as pain management, stress reduction, and behavior modification. Many individuals report experiencing significant improvements in their symptoms and overall well-being after undergoing hypnotherapy sessions.

It’s important to note that hypnotherapy is conducted by trained professionals and is distinctly from stage hypnosis (entertainment). The goal of therapeutic hypnosis is always to empower and equip the individual with the ability to create for themselves positive changes in alignment with their personal goals and values.

In summary, hypnotherapy is a powerful tool for personal transformation that works by accessing the subconscious mind to promote healing, growth, and positive change. Its wide-ranging applications and evidence-based results make it an increasingly popular choice for those seeking effective, non-invasive solutions to various psychological and behavioral challenges, as well as those seeking performance optimization or other rapid personal growth enhancements.

Hypnotherapy is a powerful therapeutic approach that taps into the mind’s natural ability to change and heal by updating the ‘command center’ of our deep minds. Hypnosis achieves this by accessing and influencing our subconscious mind, allowing us to embody more adaptive patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting.

The mind has two primary components: the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious mind handles everyday awareness and logical thinking, while the subconscious is a vast repository of memories, beliefs, and automatic behaviors that form our core blueprint.

Between these two levels lies the Critical Faculty - a mental filter that evaluates incoming information. While protective, it can hinder positive change by maintaining outdated beliefs. Hypnotherapy works by temporarily bypassing this Critical Faculty, allowing beneficial suggestions to reach the subconscious directly.

This bypassing is achieved through techniques that induce a state of relaxed focus. In this receptive state, carefully crafted therapeutic suggestions, including affirmations, visualizations, or metaphors, are introduced to reshape deep-seated patterns. The subconscious can integrate these changes more readily, often leading to lasting transformations.

By providing a unique pathway to update our internal ‘software’, hypnotherapy replaces harmful programming with beneficial patterns. This process leads to sustainable changes by addressing the root of our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors at a fundamental level.

In essence, hypnotherapy harnesses the power of our subconscious mind by bridging the conscious with the unconscious minds, bringing our whole psyche into alignment. When we enter into hypnotic trance, we bridge these two minds by bypassing the Critical Factor, or filtering faculty that maintains maladaptive patterns for our existing negative tendencies. This can be done by altering our state of consciousness, and ‘translating’ our desired outcomes into the language of the subconscious’ internal command system, which becomes an updated and optimal blueprint for our new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving in the world.

Research has shown hypnotherapy to be particularly effective for issues like anxiety, pain management, and habit change. It aligns deeper mental processes with conscious goals, enabling individuals to make positive changes more efficiently and effectively than through conscious effort alone. It also is often used for performance optimization, goal achievement, and actualizing on human potential, beyond its clinical, therapeutic applications.

In essence, hypnotherapy harnesses the power of the subconscious mind, offering a powerful tool for personal transformation and healing that can yield profound and lasting results.

Hypnosis is a completely natural state of focused awareness that we all experience regularly in our daily lives. It’s a normal part of human consciousness, and we’re wired to move in and out of this state throughout the day (and night). Far from being an unusual or supernatural state, hypnosis is just a heightened form of inward-looking concentration combined with deep relaxation. This combination opens the mind up to using the imagination consciously to rewrite the subconscious ‘autopilot’ programming that controls our thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Everyday Hypnotic Experiences:

You’ve likely experienced hypnosis-like states without even realizing it:

• Being absorbed in a book or movie, losing track of your surroundings

• Driving on autopilot, arriving at your destination with little memory of the trip

• Daydreaming while doing a routine task

• That moment just before falling asleep or upon waking

• Someone accidentally jolting us while we were deep in thought

These common experiences demonstrate how natural and familiar the hypnotic state is to all of us.

What Hypnosis Feels Like: Most people describe hypnosis as a very pleasant and relaxing experience. You might feel:

• Profound physical relaxation, like your body is sinking into the chair

• A delicious state of calm, peace of mind, and tranquility

• A heightened awareness of your thoughts and sensations

• Vivid imaginative impressions used to create deep & lasting changes in the mind

• Time passing differently than usual

Importantly, during hypnosis, you remain fully aware and in control. In fact, many people report feeling more focused and aware than in their everyday state. You can’t be made to do anything against your will, and you can easily come out of hypnosis at any time you choose.

Hypnosis is a safe, natural, and enjoyable process that allows you to tap into the expanded power of your deep mind. It’s a state of heightened learning and focus, where you can more easily access your inner wisdom, unlock your deeper/expanded human potential, and make positive changes in your life.

Remember, everyone’s experience of hypnosis is unique, but it’s universally described as a pleasant and relaxing journey into a natural state of focused awareness - one that you’re already familiar with from your everyday life.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), commonly known as “tapping,” is a powerful therapeutic method that combines elements of cognitive therapy with physical stimulation. Developed in the 1990s by Gary Craig, EFT has gained recognition as an effective approach for managing a wide range of emotional and physical issues.

At its core, EFT tapping is a self-help technique that involves gently tapping on specific acupressure points on the body while focusing on particular thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations. These points, derived from traditional Chinese medicine, are believed to be connected to the body’s energy meridians. The practice is based on the premise that negative emotions and physical discomfort are linked to disruptions in the body’s energy system.

EFT is a versatile tool that can be applied to various concerns, including:

1. Emotional issues: Anxiety, stress, phobias, depression, and trauma
2. Physical ailments: Chronic pain, headaches, and other bodily discomforts
3. Performance enhancement: Improving sports performance, public speaking, and creative expression
4. Personal development: Boosting self-esteem, overcoming limiting beliefs, and achieving goals

One of the key features of EFT is its accessibility. It can be learned relatively quickly and practiced independently, making it a valuable self-help tool for daily stress management and emotional regulation. Many individuals incorporate tapping into their daily routines to maintain emotional balance and resilience, and working with a practitioner, especially initially, is helpful to ensure that you get the most out of the practice and learn how to do it effectively.

EFT is often described as a form of “psychological acupressure” because it combines physical touch with mental focus. This mind-body approach sets it apart from purely cognitive or purely physical therapies. By addressing both the mental and physical aspects of an issue simultaneously, EFT aims to create comprehensive and lasting changes.

While EFT has its roots in alternative medicine, it has gained increasing attention from the scientific community. Research studies have explored its efficacy in treating various conditions, with promising results for issues such as anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain. However, as with any therapeutic approach, individual experiences can vary, and more research is ongoing to fully understand its mechanisms and effects.

EFT is not just a technique for addressing specific problems; it can also be used proactively for personal growth and stress prevention. Many practitioners view it as a tool for emotional hygiene, much like brushing teeth is for dental hygiene. Regular use of EFT can help individuals become more aware of their emotional states and better equipped to handle life’s challenges.

In essence, EFT tapping is a holistic, self-administered technique that combines cognitive focus with physical stimulation to address emotional and physical issues. Its simplicity, versatility, and potential for both immediate relief and long-term change have made it an increasingly popular choice for those seeking natural ways to improve their emotional and physical well-being.

EFT tapping operates on a dual foundation, combining ancient Eastern wisdom with modern Western scientific understanding. At its core, EFT is based on the concept of the body’s energy system, similar to that used in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.

The meridian system, a network of energy pathways throughout the body, plays a crucial role in EFT. According to this theory, emotional and physical issues arise from disturbances in the body’s energy flow. By tapping on specific acupoints along these meridians, EFT aims to restore energetic balance, alleviating emotional distress and physical symptoms.

From a Western scientific perspective, research has shown that EFT affects the brain’s stress centers. Studies using functional MRI and PET scans have demonstrated that stimulating acupoints reduces activity in the amygdala and other brain areas associated with fear and stress, effectively interrupting the stress sequence in the brain and body’s functioning that would normally become stimulated when a person thinks about the targeted problem. This neurobiological effect helps explain why EFT can be effective in treating conditions like anxiety, PTSD, and phobias.

One significant finding is that EFT tapping has been shown to lower cortisol levels by 24%, indicating a measurable reduction in physiological stress. This hormonal change supports the technique’s ability to promote relaxation and emotional regulation. In real-world applications, the stress relief seems to be significantly higher than this study would suggest.

The mechanism of action in EFT is multifaceted. Beyond its effects on the energy system and brain activity, EFT incorporates elements of cognitive therapy. The verbal component of EFT, where individuals focus on their issues while tapping, may contribute to cognitive shifts and emotional processing.

It’s worth noting that over 200 scientific publications and studies have been conducted on EFT, with the vast majority reporting positive findings. The American Psychological Association’s Division 12 Task Force has approved Energy Psychology and EFT as empirically valid, lending significant credibility to the method.

While more research is needed to fully understand all aspects of how EFT works, the existing evidence suggests a complex interplay of energetic, neurobiological, and psychological factors contributing to its effectiveness.

Most people feel a little nervous trying something new, so it can be helpful to know just what to expect from a session.

At the start of the session, we spend about 5-10mins talking about the target issues, your progress or “wins,” and what the best next steps are for us to untangle the issue. This leads us to determine of focus, or target issue, for the session.

After this, we build a carefully-crafted setup statement that serves a neurological purpose, pairing a positive statement with an articulation of the problem we’re working on that day.

Following this, we repeat the setup statements while you tap on the acupoints of your head, torso, and hands in a particular order, and deep breathing.

As we move through a few rounds of tapping, your stress level comes down. After a round, the intensity of the upset, anxiety, or memory subsides. We work together to eliminate the stress of the issue as much as possible, and if we can reduce the stress around a particular issue, it tends to be fully emotionally processed and no longer comes back to bother you.

The feeling most people are left with is profound relaxation, emotional relief, lightness, like they had a “good cry.” More than one client of mine has even described it like “a day at the spa!”