The Transparent Hypnotist

Location: Maynard, MA
Cyber Location: www.moodstreams.com

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

I’m a full-time practicing Consulting Hypnotist, and that includes running my online business, www.moodstreams.com, where I sell soundtracks for relaxation, meditation, and hypnosis that I produce myself.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis? 

I’d say my specialty is dealing with anxiety and stress, and helping people build confidence.  Of course, I also do smoking cessation and weight management as an important part of my practice. My inductions use the soothing power of sounds, particularly nature sounds, to help people to reach their deepest level of relaxation.

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

I don’t do group sessions, as a general rule.  I believe that one-on-one sessions are so much more effective in creating a client-centered experience.  I can respond and adjust to my client during the course of a session, and that enables me to create a tailor-made experience that really works for my client.

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

I use self-hypnosis and meditation. I consider them to be one and the same.  I use it to promote physical healing in my body, by consciously directing my body’s healing resources to troubled areas.  I also use it for confidence, mental clarity, and for pain control, such as for an aching back.  I think everybody should do some form of self-hypnosis or meditation. It takes time and discipline, but it works!

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

My office is in a natural health clinic, and the environment we have created here is very comfortable.  It is more like a floor in your home than a typical clinical setting, and that helps clients to feel at ease.  Our waiting area has tea, and plenty of books to browse.  Many first-time clients are nervous about being hypnotized, so a comfortable setting really helps them to relax.

6. Describe a typical day in your life.

I guess you could say there are several types of “typical” days for me! On days where I see clients, I’m in the clinic a few hours before my first client to get the place up and running.  That includes everything from turning the heat on, to boiling water to make tea, to setting up my audio equipment for the sessions. For my first-time clients, I will do an hour-and-a-half session that includes a pre-talk.  My returning clients will receive a 45-minute session.  I also produce relaxation soundtracks for my online business, which are based on nature sounds that I record.  So some days I’m outside in the beautiful wilderness of New England making recordings!  How many hypnotists get to do that!  And then I spend a few days working in my home studio to edit and produce the soundtrack.

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

I am a Certified Consulting Hypnotists, and I received my training through National Guild of Hypnotists.  My instructors were Jerry Valley and Tommy Vee, two of the best, in my opinion.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

I have enabled clients to achieve past-life regression through the use of the “library” technique that I developed.  Basically, I ask a deeply hypnotized client to imagine their entire history as a vast library of encyclopedias, where each volume represents one lifetime.  If they are able to see more than one volume (indicating that they have lived many lifetimes), I can ask them to proceed backward from the volume that represents their present life to any previous lifetime.  When they open a specific volume, they will be able to see all the important events from that lifetime.

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

Nothing too awful, fortunately!  But I’ve learned that with first-time clients, testing for a light depth of hypnosis (using eye catalepsy) is more than sufficient.  I used to get cocky and test first-time clients to medium levels (using number amnesia), but if they failed the test, the session would go awkwardly after that!  Now, I only test for medium depths if I’m absolutely certain they’ll pass.

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

To clients: choose a hypnotist who makes you feel comfortable and who expresses concern for your issue.  You’ll find yourself more willing to succeed, both for yourself AND for your hypnotist.  

To hypnotists:  Don’t bother acquiring excessive certifications just so you can add more suffixes after your name!  Most people don’t know what these suffixes mean, and won’t be impressed by them.