The Transparent Hypnotist

One of my guilty pleasures is South Park. Now I have done it. I have ruined my my nice-girl-next-door image, haven’t I? Oddly, at various times, I find myself referencing this show. Someone will be telling me something about New Age ideas or conspiracy theories, and South Park just seems to come to mind.

Anyway, they reran this episode this week. The Super Adventure’s Club is probably one of their most offensive episodes dealing with almost unmentionable issues. This was the one the creators aired when Chef, the voice of Issac Hayes, was being written off the show (Hayes was offended by another episode making fun of Scientology, those poor put upon people).

If the pedophile notions expressed in the show do not offend you, then this part of the episode just might. It is yet another barb at hypnosis, where someone pulls out a spiral and tries to hypnotize the youngsters. It of course does not work, so I guess it really is not that much of a barb.

Esoteric enough for you?

I am posting tonight because I am going out of town tomorrow and am leaving right around the time I normally have a cup of coffee with you. So, let’s call this a nightcap (even if it is still kind of early).

After my earlier blog today, I started thinking more about potential types of volunteering that would probably be satisfying, such as helping abused people rebuild self-esteem, etc. But then I thought more about Alzheimer’s patients. A couple I have known since I was a child both are both in the early stages of the disease. And what an amazingly helpless feeling I have about it. These are two brilliant people (as are a lot who suffer with this). However, their doctor seems interested to see what hypnosis could do for them. There may be potential for slowing it down or increasing memory capacity. I have read a few articles on the subject and someone out there feels that if you can motivate early suffers to increase their memory capacity by stimulating the idea of doing something fun (Sudoku has potential), it may give them some mental longevity. So, that is what I am currently pondering.

The more I have learned about Alzheimer’s, the more I am convinced that there are things we can do to help those with it. For all those What the Bleep people out there, remember all the talk about neurons? Well, get to know them. The Alzheimer Foundation has a very good description of the disease and how it works. Our power little friends, the neurons, nerve cells, are part of the process. These neurons communicate with others to form networks (clicky bastards, aren’t they). These networks take on job functions that help run our body and mind. The association relates these to the analogy of a factory that keeps us up an running, and like in the factory world, back up, system failures, and worse happen and communication breaks down. As the damage happens certain brain cells stop functioning and die, causing memory loss and eventual death. Scientists are still trying to learn where this process starts. I am hopeful.

A little outside the realm of actual hypnosis, there is another way to help the association on its quest for a cure. It is the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, which is the nation’s largest fundraising

effort, along with raising awareness, for Alzheimer care, support and research (go hypnosis, go!). They are currently looking for team captains and I thought I would share this with you. If you have an office or influence at one (for the corporate level), you may want to consider being a team captain for a Memory Walk . Team captains can also be members of the community, organizing a group of friends to participate, and these can be people of all ages. They are recruiting now so that captains will have plenty of time to set-up their teams. The Walks take place in the Fall in over 600 communities, so there is bound to be one near you. And if you take the time to see what is needed to do this, it has all been organized nicely and sounds like you would get a fair amount of support from the association.

The past Walks, since 1989, have risen over $225 million dollars, and remember that includes research. Research may include hypnosis, so we may learn how to help these people even more.

Sometimes I really feel bad charging people for my services, even though for many it becomes like that credit card commercial - changing your habits - priceless.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, we all have to make a living, but sometimes I wish I did not.

This is pretty much how I felt when I began my practice. At the time, like many newbies, I was warned not to “do it” for free, otherwise I would not be taken seriously. The idea that a client has to invest something in the process is pretty important, they said.

I think this may very well be true. It is like any business. If you give it away, you can easily be taken advantage of and people will not value it. It is easy to forget this though, as we help people overcome “themselves.” There can be impassioned moments of empathy and the idea of helping someone can be almost intoxicating.

But, probably like many of you, I have learned that what we do is a valuable service. I have done some volunteer work and for these clients, they are the ones who miss appointments without canceling or want you to be on their schedule. This is really odd, but I hear about this behavior a lot, even in other professions.

I also have a tendency to fall for the poverty routine. However, I have begun to pay attention to those who are the first to cry poverty. Notoriously they are the ones driving expensive cars, living in MacMansions, and sending their children to private schools. Of course they are poor, but they are poor from making expensive choices. The ones who are laid off or are in more dire straights have never cried poverty to me, interestingly enough.

I babble about this because I think there are those of you out there who have similar feelings, but you know, we are so worth the cost. We hear that a lot, especially in journal articles and conferences. It is one thing to hear it and another to experience it. It has taken me a few years, but everyone occasionally wants something for free. It should not be us.

And yes, I have a poverty client I am seeing today. He just got a brand new mini-Coop.

It is another busy day and I am still waiting for the coffee maker to finish its job. Thought I would get a little personal today. That’s right, more transparency.

One of my clients from the past sent me an email and I thought I would share it with you:

Dear Ellie,

A lot has happened since I last saw you and I just wanted to thank you for sharing the gift of hypnosis with me. When I first came to you,as you know,I was feeling a bit down,a little stifled and trapped. When you worked with me on release processes and tapping into my creative mind, some how it unlocked the floodgates. If you are interested, I have two projects going on at the moment that embrace my visual and wordy side.

The first is an art-a-day project called Rosso Bella - A Study in Red. I hope you won’t be too shocked, but its been a long time since I photographed something entirely “me.” Fair warning, there is nudity on the site.

The second project is called Penny Potboiler. It is a serial potboiler about the misadventures of a graphic designer (couldn’t make her a photographer, that would be a little too close. LOL).

Anyway, if you know anyone who would be interested in this, please pass it on. And I hope you enjoy the sites.

Best,
Anon

So, please checkout her sites, leave a comment or two and tell her you are a friend of mine. Interesting stuff.

Here are the links:
http://www.rossobella.com
http://pennypotboiler.blogspot.com

The convention was wonderful. I’m so glad I get to do this at least once per year. I love the combination of education and socialization. So much talent, so little time! The speakers are still fantastic. I’ve been going 11 years now and I’m impressed every time I go. I get to meet new people and reconnect with others that I rarely get to see. Kevin Hogan greeted me warmly with a hug. The interview I did with him will be available as a podcast before the end of September. That’s why I went to Gerry Kein’s workshop on podcasting. That was very entertaining as well as informative. Dick Sutphen shared the secrets of brain washing with us in a seminar on Friday. I wasn’t able to attend his seminar last year, as it was at the same time as mine (Creative Hypnosis). The most intriguing seminar I saw was called Neurovasculars and Hypnosis, presented by Laurie Barefoot. She was in my certified instructor class last year and had a presentation right after mine on Sunday. I had never heard of neurovascular points before, but I think I will begin to hear lots more about them. It was very interesting.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the convention early (before 1pm) in order to catch the only direct flight back to Tampa. I won’t mention the airline, but I think I will make an effort to avoid this one next year. After clearing security, I went to my gate and boarded the plane. After a few minutes the captain announced there was a tiny problem. A half-hour later it was a major problem and we were allowed to leave the plane, as it would be over 3 hours before we could make repairs or get a different plane. Since I would not be home in time for dinner as I had planned, I decided to get dinner at a nice restaurant if I could find one. The food was good and I met someone who was interested in hypnosis who was waiting for the same flight.

It all turned out okay (I did get home safely and my luggage returned with me).

But If I didn’t have to rush out before the end of the convention, I could have seen a workshop called $100K, the Easy Way, by another talented speaker, Keith MacLean. I heard it was amazing, so I’m going to purchase the CD. The good thing is that all the workshops are recorded, so at least I can find out what I missed.

Occasionally I get emails asking how one even begins to be a hypnotist in this day and age. And when you think about it, there is a lot to it. And here is the rough rundown:

• Read, read, read, and read more about hypnosis.
• Get to know what the options are - i.e. stage hypnotism, clinical hypnosis, fringe hypnosis (that would be the whole hypno-erotica stuff), etc.
• Read more about these.
• See a stage hypnotism show (heck, participate in one).
• Try hypnosis (from the client side).
• Research school options - do they offer certification in a reputable group? Does the school’s mission statement jive with your desires?
• Go to a reputable school (also be aware that some schools report to offer college degrees in this. Many are not legit. Make sure the school is accredited and that your degree is matriculated). However, there are plenty of wonderful schools out there that are not college based, but are well worth the money, time and effort.
• Get certified. It will help in business when people understand that you have an organization behind you.
• Practice, practice, practice.
• Keep reading, reading, reading.
• And begin the career path.
• Seriously, I would consider adding malpractice insurance at this point.

This is where it gets pretty tricky. I cannot speak about the steps to becoming a stage hypnotist (perhaps someone else can?). I suspect it means marketing, potentially finding representation, and running your business.

I have not a clue about the hypno-erotic field. I suspect that it means getting a website, marketing, advertising and running a business.

Now what I can speak to is for those wanting to open an office.With this, you will want to find a place to open your practice. Will your home work? I personally have gone the office route. I believe in keeping my home life and my work life a bit separated, and frankly, it makes me feel safer. There there is marketing, paperwork and remaining up-to-date with your skills.

Each point in this posting probably could stand a bit more explanation. I suspect you will see more appearing here. And for goodness sakes, you other hypnotist out there, feel free to jump in at any time.

Anyway, it has been interesting running a business. Sometimes I think it would be really helpful to have a business degree or two (general business, marketing, communications, accounting, any of those would be fairly helpful, I would think). But I do not have this type of degree and it has not stopped me.

There is a lot to it, but it is manageable. There are several options and business types out there such as self-proprietor, partnerships, various forms of corporations. You should choose one that best fits what you are doing. Be aware of all the legalities for each, as well as what the area you are practicing in requires. You may need a business licence. Be aware of IRS rules and taxation. Also, does your area have business restrictions. Maybe this should be at the beginning of this post. What does your state mandate for hypnosis? Do you need a degree of some sort, etc.? You can find out through most of the professional hypnosis organizations out there, though you may have to dig a bit if your local chapter is not up to snuff.

Get professional advice from sources like Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Administration.

There are also several resources out there that can help get it all together for you. Some types of businesses require filings and lawyers and all that good stuff. There are businesses out there that can help you with this process and make it much more tolerable, especially if you are looking to incorporate or form a limited liability corporation. Incparadise.com offers these services, as well as providing a virtual office and executive suites, which means you can use their offices, conference room, phone service and Internet, depending on which state you do business. These start at $45 a month. Considering what I pay for rent, utilities and business phone (the Internet cost for businesses where I am located is insane), this may be the way to go.

They say their most popular business ventures are their Nevada corporations. The next popular are Texas, Florida, and Arizona. They themselves are based in Las Vegas.

Just an idea or two that may help make life easier when starting out in business.

Today’s question is all about clinical hypnosis and the client processes. What I want to know is how you handle the first face to face encounter? Do you do a free consultation first to determine if a person will do well with you as the hypnotist or do you schedule a session and do it all there?

Normally, I tend not to do consultations unless some specifically ask for one. It has been my perspective that as long as you gain rapport and have several methods that you can use at a moments notice, all is well. I have begun to wonder if this is the right way to approach it. A few times, what I have run a cross is someone who “wants to see if they can be hypnotized” and that is really all they want - to experience hypnosis. Often, though, these also tend to be people with a preconceived notion of what they will experience (all that television hype) and when they are not turned in a remote-controlled zombie, they are disappointed, despite the pre-talk.

Welcome to Saturday. Let’s see…the poll on this blog is malfunctioning and I just found out the whole Mars being as large as the moon on Monday is a hoax. Granted it seemed impossible, but I was willing to believe (yes, Mulder on the X Files is a hero to me). Bummer!!!

So, rather than focusing on the negative, I went in search of something cool for today’s esoteric post. What I found was a t-shirt with the above logo. Kind of fun. They even make the t-shirt in women’s styling (we are not all rectangles, you know). Here is the esoteric part. One might think this would be marketed to hypnotists. From what I can tell, it is not. It is made by Hypnotic Designs, clothing for cyclist. I never really thought biking had much to do with hypnosis, but perhaps I should look a little deeper. Road hypnosis, perhaps? The clicking of the wheels in a steady rhythm?

Anyway, if you are interested, you can order them off their web site at www.hypnoticdesigns.com.

Good morning! It is a strong coffee-type of day here. Perhaps I should develop a social networking site based on beverage consumption, sort of like the iratemyday.com concept, but you rate your day with what you are drinking. Hmmm. That could be a lot of fun. Too bad I am a hypnotist and not a web developer. So, if anyone is inspired by my beverage idea and wants to use it, please just let me know so I can play, too.

Well people, other than what I just wrote, I feel a bit spent from yesterday’s blogging marathon. So, I guess I will hold off a bit before really posting anything of note. Unless inspiration hits (and a little more time opens up) I will see you tomorrow on Esoteric Saturday.

P.S.
Wondering what c(_) is or have you figured it out?

Yes, I know I have been going crazy with posting today, but apparently I have a lot say. Today has been my sit-at-the-computer-and-enjoy-the-cyber-world day.

A topic we have touched on a bit this week is the verbal impact of words. It reminded me when I referred to Michael as a “subject” about a conversation we had a few months back (see “Verbal Impact“). We had discussed getting rid of the term “subject” (see “Throwing Out A Few Words“), which is why I mentioned all that. But today, I was also researching drug treatment plans and addiction counseling. I came across Stone Hawk, a facility offering those types of things. They do not refer to clients as “patients,” but as “students” because they feel that these clients are learning a new way to live. Once the students “graduate,” they are done. Finished. No need for weekly meetings or sponsors; they are considered fully recovered. Stone Hawk’s drug treatment is apparently in the 70% success rate with their philosophies and teachings.

Talk about positive belief structures. I would be more apt to recommend clients to a program such as this rather than to a regular 12 step because it is closer to what we do as hypnotists. We deal with the problem, rather than drawing it out (painfully) so that clients can move on with their lives. Also, no drugs are used in the recovery process (for us or Stone Hawk). They choose to utilize natural detoxification. In looking at their program more carefully, it is a Narconon program, which was the brain child of L. Ron Hubbard, at least partially. Do not groan so loudly, please. Yes, he may have been the founder of Scientology, a photographer, a science fiction author, but he was also a hypnotist and had a great interest in health issues. I go through periods when I think he was a complete genius (even if I am not a Scientologist), but I am still on the cusp of my learning curve about him.

So when you put it all together, a positive program based in ridding clients of their drug and alcohol demons without using crutches or substitution, it makes total sense that someone of our ilk would be in the creation of such a program. The program does not treat clients as having a disease, but helps them learn how to function better in life. Also, this site offers a library of articles related to drug and alcohol (from their perspective) and a decent glossary of drug information (if you have a client coming to you for such things, its is always good to know more about what they have ingested).

And back to the point about the power of words. Hmmm. This is another example of the power of positive wording. Not “patients,” but “students.” Maybe this would be a great way to think of our clients?

Okay, I am now posting this and turning off the computer and heading to bed. Good night.