The Transparent Hypnotist

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Cybper Locations:

www.pittsburghhypnosis.com

www.todaysmyday.com

1. Are you a full time hypnotist, part-time or hobbyist?

Since 2001, I have been doing hypnosis full-time at my practice The
Hypnosis Center for Motivation and Habit Management located in Pittsburgh,
PA and I am also a professional stage hypnotist.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

My passion is in the therapeutic work that I do and my specialties
include smoke cessation, weight management, study habit improvement, and
golf improvement.

3. Is there any type of hypnosis you do not do? Why?

The only type of hypnosis I wouldn’t do is something that would be
unethical or something that would put the profession in a negative light.

4. Do you use self-hypnosis regularly in your life? If so, how?

I use self-hypnosis on a daily basis for relaxation, motivation, and
my golf game. In the past, self-hypnosis has helped me improve my grades
and study habits in college. It has helped my athletic performance in
golf and basketball. I quit smoking through hypnosis and stay on track
with my exercise goals with it. Finally, self-hypnosis enabled me to get
a root canal done, and three wisdom teeth removed without any anesthetic.

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

My office is 2000 sq. ft. and has two therapy rooms, sales room,
reception area, and training area. The training area is large enough to
seat approximately 75 people comfortably and this is where I conduct group
programs, give workshops/demonstrations, and train new hypnotists. The
private offices are both equipped with two comfortable recliners, CD
player, and the other standard office equipment.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

Every day is different and that’s why I love this job. Each day has
new challenges and so far in this profession I have never had a “typical
day” and I really hope it stays that way.

7. Where did you get your training in hypnosis and are you certified?

I am a board certified hypnotist and a certified instructor through the
National Guild of Hypnotists as well as certified through the
International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association. I am a
Certified Practitioner of Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, a Certified 5 PATH
practitioner, certified pediatric hypnotist, certified in emergency
hypnotism, and NLP practitioner. I have trained with a variety of people
from all over the world including Shaun Brookhouse, Cal Banyan, Don
Mottin, Dr. Richard Harte, and Laura Amoroso.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

In my opinion, any technique that will help a client to change or
improve is the most fabulous technique out there.

9. Worse moment ever in a hypnosis setting that ended up being a valuable learning experience.

Early on in my stage hypnosis career, I was performing for a high
school after prom and during my introduction I told the crowd several
jokes. All of my jokes bombed and there was not a single laugh in the
entire audience. This was a major fear I had however to my amazement
nothing happened to me. I didn’t die or spontaneously explode like my
overactive imagination told me might happen. What I did do was stay
strong, confident, and poised. My performance turned around and the show
was spectacular. The same school has booked me now 6 straight years! I
learned that I made a wise choice in becoming a hypnotist and not a
comedian! I also learned that if I stay confident and positive in every
situation, no matter how bleak things might seem there is a chance to turn
it around.

10. Any words of advice to potential clients or other hypnotist.

Actions speak louder than words! The only time we fail in life is
when we fail to take action towards our dreams. Relentlessly push towards
your dreams and know you can achieve anything you want! Always know that
you deserve and are worthy of the best things this world has to offer so
live your life with passion, happiness, and success!

Walking in down some ubiquitous isle in the grocery store last evening, I noticed a woman talking to herself. She was definitely having a one sided conversation about her latest doctor’s appointment. Being polite, I did not stare, but I could not help hear her words. I suspect if I had had the results of her latest scan, I might have begun talking too myself as well. As a few more people drifted into the isle, they were not so polite. Some did stare at her. I suppressed my smile. It is interesting to see in this day and age that technology has not infiltrated every nook and cranny

“Rude,” a man murmured as he reached over me to get a box on a shelf above my head.

“I beg your pardon,” I asked startled.

“Talking on the phone in the middle of a grocery store. What is America coming, too?” Ah, so maybe technology has infiltrated. I did not have the heart to tell him long before the mobile became ingrained in our heads here, the Brits were doing so…or so it seemed.

There was a part of me that was a little late in arriving at the idea of usinghref=”http://www.mobilebloc.net”>wireless headsets, but with the ever changing world, my need to travel and convenience in general, I have embraced the idea - a bit. I still do not like having a phone with me when I run errands. It is nice to get away from it sometimes (I do keep one with me for emergencies). But with so many states requiring hands-free talking when driving, it is a must. I can just imagine being lost on some dark road, using the phone for directions without the headset and being pulled over. Yikes.

But, I have fully embraced the idea at the office or on travel. For the phone sessions or consultations, it is amazingly wonderful to use wireless phone headsets. No more grinding the phone against one’s ear or getting an arm cramp. During a session it is amazing because it is close to life…one is free to move without encumbrances. Note taking no longer means cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder (my massage bills have gone done).

The biggest problem I had when looking into purchasing one was sound degradation. There is a whole world of static and “can you hear me nows” out there. The one I have ended up with is the Plantronics Discovery 665 Bluetooth Headset. It is an ear bud sort of deal and relatively unobtrusive. It slips into your ear and you are ready to go (though an ear clip would be nice). The sound quality is very clear, but you do have to watch out for background noise. If you drop something, the person on the other end hears a crash. The other really positive thing is I believe it amplifies to a degree. There are times when doing client based hypnosis, that the voice responses I get are very soft. I have no clue what my client has said. I do not seem to have this problem when doing phone hypnosis.

On the other side of this, I beginning to believe that any phone hypno client needs to have one as well. I am not picky about brand, but just the idea of a handsfree set. There is a whole ball of wax without it…the phone dropping or slipping, etc.

Will I take my handsfree set out of the office and embrace it in my life in public facilities? Probably not. If people like me, trying to mind their own business, get the gist of a stranger’s doctor visit, using it in such instances does not seem like such a good idea.

Another early morning and a long day ahead. Don’t get me wrong, it is all good, just that there is a lot seemingly going on. It is back to back to back to back, so this is going to be short.

What is going through my mind currently (and I sort of wish it were not) is the whole idea of intelligence verses ignorance. When I was receiving my training, my mentor always said it was much easier to help an intelligent client get to a hypnotic place rather than one that is ignorant. I sort of rebelled against this with the idea that with a little hypnosis education, it could level the playing field. If I explained hypnosis well enough, well, the sky’s the limit. Ah, ha. How naive I was.

What I think my mentor should have said was it is easier to hypnotize someone who may be intelligent (even if slightly skeptical) than someone with a lower IQ aptitude in basic reasoning and logic. I think there is a moment when it is easy to fool one’s self into believing that a person who says they think the can’t be hypnotized because they have a strong will is right and it is easy to believe that the person who comes into it embracing the myths will be a piece of cake. Not so. Not even close. I have come to revel in the intelligent give and take of the discussion about strong will. This often includes having the opportunity to truly dispelling the myths and work on real rapport. It is the client who comes in, who is not so versed in logic or reason and believes the myth. It is the ones the are stubborn enough not to let go to their beliefs that I am a puppet master, making them unconscious so they do not have to do anything at all.

I really do not think this has anything to do with intelligence (IQ maybe, though I am not that well versed in the reality of IQ testing). Nor do I believe successful hypnosis has any real bearing upon the strong willed (unless they are strong willed against being hypnotized). I think it is the ones who stubbornly hold onto a concept that hypnosis is magic and they do not have to be a part of the process that are beyond being a challenge.

Maybe you have noticed the odd timing of this post. Maybe not. Maybe you are sitting down in the morning and just checking in or maybe did not sleep last night and came here, wondering what if anything was happening to the transparent hypnotist.

Well, it just so happens that I am writing this before it turns into another Tuesday. Cher’s “Turn Back Time” (a regression anthem maybe?) is playing in the back ground. I would really like to say I have it cranking, but I can’t write and rock at the same time any more. So, here I am, writing my Tuesday posting way earlier. Hopefully you’ll forgive this little slip, but something has come up so I cannot be with you tomorrow morning (maybe later).

But back to Cher (this posting is really about her, not me). I heard today that she is performing at Caesar’s Palace (Vegas Baby). Tickets to see Cher in Las Vegas seem to be on sale until the end of October, so I guess she is becoming a Vegas regular. That’s fun. Being raised on the Sonny and Cher show (yeah, I know…that gives my age away), I have to admit to letting my hair grown too long as child. But that is a trauma story for another day.

What this post is really about isn’t really Cher, at least not Cher in her reality. It is about one of the first hypno shows I ever attended. Nope, I did not get up on stage and belt my heart out to “I got you, Babe.” In fact, I hunkered down in my chair and come Hell or high water, I was not going up on that stage. LOL. But, I was transformed in my own way. I saw something completely amazing.

It was the same ol, same ol, guys being asked to pretend that they were modern female rock stars. Thank God. Someone other than myself had to be Cher. Sure, there was a fake Madonna. There was a fake joan Jett. There Was a fake Brittany Spears. Entertaining. Funny even. And then there was Cher. He was a small Korean man, spoke seemingly little English (I talked to him after the show). He might have been in his 40s and he seemed fairly shy, but good humored. Well apparently when the hypnotist gave him the suggestion that he was Cher, it hit a strong cord - literally. From the first note, he belted out Cher’s hypnotic “Believe.” It was incredible. I closed my eyes and I forgot where I was. Suddenly, I was back in my old apartment, listening to the radio and thinking that I needed to buy this new album (CD - it wasn’t that long ago). OMG!!! This guy, this unimposing man, did a better impersonation of Cher than Cher could do herself.

For me, this particular moment in my hypnosis history showed me what an amazing tool it is. When I talked to the Cher-voiced man after the show, he was beaming from ear to ear. He said he felt like nothing he had ever felt before - it was freeing for him. He felt like he could do anything he wanted. I suggested he start a new career as an impersonator. But he had a better answer to my predicable, if not-off compliment. He said he wanted to find his own voice and sing. Maybe not Caesar’s, but maybe do some community theatre or something.

I’d love to tell you the story ends with him playing Curly in Oklahoma (or someone in In the Heights, but I have no idea. I never saw that man again. But I hope he’s out there, singing his heart out - even Karaoke would be good.

But now, whenever I think about Cher, I think about that performance. I think about doing new and different things. I think about the wonderful man. I think about the person I was, who became inspired to help other’s feel the power of finding one’s own voice. Thank you, Cher.

photograph by Carolien Baudoin

Groggy. So groggy and the Earl Grey is so not even touching the fog. But, here I am and I and there you are, so I will give this ago. First let me say, based on last week’s poll, by a narrow margin, we will continue to have a weekly (though there may be times when it merits longer time and then it will be our prerogative to extend it).

While I continue to wake up, allowing the caffeine to flow through my veins like sludge, here is what has recently transpired in the hypno world.

A Great Quote

How I actually gauge success is if a person looks at themselves and sees what their issue is, and being able to tell their story and believing their responsibility for them being able to accept who they are and what has occurred, and then moving on with their life. Basically what I say to people is, ‘the help is really coming from you. I’m just going to show you; I’ll give you the key to help you get beyond the issues.’

Trevor Kiitokii in an article in the The Lethbridge Herald

The Good
Emerson Hospital in Massachusetts has got it going on. They are embracing hypnosis, offering it to patients undergoing surgery and are also offering courses such as smoking cessation. Their philosophy stems from Peggy Huddleston’s Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is beginning to educate doctors in alternative health methods, including hypnosis, according to the Fairfax Digital.

Writer Carine Nadel wrote for the OC Register about using hypnotherapy to help teenagers. In this piece she interviewed Cal Banyan, who talked about his 5-PATH method.

Dr. David Spiegel from the Stanford University medical school has studied hypnosis and pain, and concludes that hypnosis for pain management can really help a large section of the population. Less medication, short recovery times, and yes - less pain are the results of using hypno pain management. He has also recently visited Scotland’s Maggie’s cancer care centres, inspiring The Herald to get involved to help raise funds for Maggie’s centres so they can have a greater positive impact for those suffering from cancer in that country.

The Bad (as in cool)
Want to know what it is like to participate in a hypnosis show? An article in the Wausau Daily Herald about hypnotist Mike Winters gives a glimpse into what participants really feel on stage during the process.

On the other side of the stage, Gary Conrad gave an interview to StarNewsOnline.com about what it is like to be a stage hypnotist.

Lawrence Manzi gave a hypno performance to kick off the Trumbull Library’s teen summer reading program and also gave a good interview to The Connecticut Post.

BBC’s Evan Davis uses hypnosis audios to help him sleep, according to the Times Online.

And there’s nothing noteworthy about anything ugly.

What happens when the Charm City turns into Fear City? That is what a friend of mine is asking herself. She cannot quite place it, the feeling of being burglarized - is it fear, is it violation, is it depression, is it disappointment or is it a mix of disparagement? When she first decided to move to Baltimore, she was very excited and optimistic. It is a city of some culture, history, and a little cosmopolitan compared to the abject suburbia where she grew up. She now laments that she was warned about the city - its dark side, but she thought if she took precautions she would not be just another number in the statistics of crime. She has the alarm (house and car). She has a year of self-defense training. She even has 5.11 pants and looks pretty serious in them (I had to mention that because I had no idea there was such a thing in the world of police gear). But, even the most protected fortresses in history have occasionally toppled. Apparently, one morning, a package arrived for her via UPS. She unarmed the condo and forgot to turn it back on. She went about her morning and took a shower. When she was clean and ready for the day, she found her laptop gone.

She was devastated and those odd feelings I mentioned have crept up upon her like a juvenile trickster. Ever one not to dwell, she has gone about replacing that which was taken from her. Orders have been placed to the Apple Store and that leaves the little issue of getting her sense of safety back. You know, feeling good about where you are in life and location. So, she has asked me to help gently guide her into this with a little hypnosis help.

I am happy to oblige, but I want to make sure that I consider the whole picture before I do anything. There are, of course, several ways to approach this and from many angles.

But here is my question:

What precautions do you take in life to feel safe (in areas where you must consider safety)?

Photograph by David Kitchenham

With an intense past week and revelry last night (thought the neighborhood was never going to go to sleep), I feel a need to keep this really light. So, I thought about looking into hypo toys.  Now that is a fun subject!

I did my trusty search and did I find something nifty to share with you on this Esoteric Saturday? You would think so, wouldn’t you? Naw. What first came up in my search was a CD for child-birthing hypnosis. I almost went past this and figured that my search words were just hitting some strange combination of key phrases in the metatags (or whatever search engines use these days). That was a wrong assumption.

Something told me to click on the child-birth hypno listing. My search had not deceived me. What came up was Amazon.co.uk.  My search had taken me to their “toys and games” category. This is reasonable because the search was for “hypnosis toys.”  But what has caught my ire is that under this category is a hypno birthing CD. How is that a toy?  I don’t get it. Is this yet another issue with people taking this profession seriously.  I am sorry, but if I were about to contemplate giving birth and using hypnosis to make the process more tolerable, why would I look for such a tool in “toys and games”?  Why would I take it seriously?

Maybe the publisher of the CD is just being clever and putting it under a variety of categories?  And I guess this would be the case.  The product is also listed under “baby.”  I haven no problem with that.

Maybe this is Ellie just being sensitive again, but hypno-birthing under “toys and games”? Guess I’ll try for light hearted next week. For now, I am going to get another cup of coffee and try to stop shaking my head.

Well, we are taking the day off here at the Transparent Hypnotist and will be back next week with our regularly scheduled 10 Question Friday. Stay tuned for lots of exciting posts coming up. You never know, with the suggestion of a friend, we may do some investigative work on subjects near and dear to our hearts…

See you tomorrow.

Yesterday I had a new client and something happened that has not happened to me in a very long while. I lost a half hour somewhere during the session. I had allotted two hours for her, a half an hour for my own regrouping and had another client scheduled after this. After going through the basics with the new client, as she sat in the big comfy chair, every time I was about to start, she would suddenly come out with a new story.

“Just thought it might be relevant,” she said.

And I complied, allowing her to get her bearings and dispel some nervousness. Looking at my watch, I still had an hour with her.  No problem.  And so I began with an eye fixation. Her eyes became heavy and seemed to want to stay closed, but then suddenly, back she was with another story. I began to think this might not be the time for this session and asked if she would prefer to schedule another one (wondering the whole time if I should charge her for the time she had already taken - not to be money-hungry, but the problems she unloaded at my feet were pretty awful). She said she wanted to continue the session and I explained that she would need to focus on the idea of the hypnosis, letting go of comments and information, we would get to that soon enough in the client-based session.

She settled back into the chair and I began again. I looked at my watch - 45 minutes left.  Fifteen minutes for the induction and deepener and 30 minutes for the meat of the session. No problem. We would get somewhere, I felt confident. I used the Seven Plus or Minus Two induction. Then I began to do some depth testing, she was responding nicely. Looking at my watch, I realized it was 3:45 pm (fifteen minutes before my next appointment). I totally lost the time when I am fairly sure it should not have taken me that long.  How strange. (I do have the tape of the session and plan to listen to it to double check everything).

Unfortunately, at that time, I could only leave her with suggestions of relaxation and entering into a hypnotic state faster on the next go round. Then I brought her back and let her have a few minutes to collect herself. In some ways I feel bad because we did not accomplish what she had come for, but she had planned to do other sessions with me. In talking to her as she walked out the door, she said she felt good about the session in general and felt much better for being able to talk to someone in confidence.

I remember reading an article in one of the hypnosis journals about how hypnotists should never pay attention to the babble of a client before a session. If need be, he suggested, we just fake and interest and in our mind rehash a movie we had just seen. I have to think that this is both good and bad.  We should never trivialize a client’s story, yet not allow ourselves to get bogged down in it. Sometimes what they say may indeed be cathartic.

Sitting before me is the bill to renew my NGH (National Guild of Hypnotists) membership. For those of you who are not familiar with this, it is the association of choice for many hypnotists and it grants certification to those in this noble profession. When becoming a hypnotist, I chose my educational path based on NGH standards. I have always been a poster child for them.

However, after reading Michael’s Sunday Question and learning of the NGH’s issues with certain forms of hypnosis, I now take pause in returning those membership dues. It sounds as though the NGH has chosen various types of hypnosis and does not sanction them (erotic hypnosis and who-know-what else). Now as you may or may not know (based on emails I have received requesting it), I do not engage in the erotic arts at this point in my life. Frankly, I have nothing against it and I really see nothing wrong with it; its just not my choice of occupation or hobby. However, I question the NGH about their fascists sounding ideas when they threaten to ban reputable hypnotist who are willing to speak about non-traditional hypnosis at conferences other than the NGH ones. It would be one thing if the NGH was like some of the psychology hypnosis organizations, but they are not. They have embraced clinical hypnotists as well as hypnosis performers. I also have nothing against theatric hypnosis and if done well I believe it helps our cause, but really - I do not think erotic hypnosis is that far a cry from all of it. It too could advance the cause (in spite of the BDSM control stuff- no hypnotist is ever truly in control of another person - we are not puppet masters).

So, though I did not answer Michael’s question, I guess I am in this post. If I wanted to spend the money and join another organization other than the NGH, by gosh, I would do it. Hell or high water, I think it is wrong of the NGH to ban decent hypnotists just because they do things a bit untraditional. As long as the hypnotist in question plays by the NGH ethics and standards, I do not see the problem. There are many hypnotists out there who do several things like hypnosis shows and clinical hypnosis, teaching hypnosis and clinical hypnosis, and on and on. Why not be a day time clinical hypnotist and a femmedom hypnotists as night? I think it is very short sided of the NGH to have a bias against a certain portion of the field. If one of those hypnotists in question, breaks the code of ethics, well then indeed I agree that there be consequences, but if they don’t…

So, NGH - want to reconsider renewing my membership now?