T O P I C S

I run into alot of people either at networking clubs or out doing guest speaking engagements and one of the main comments that I receive from people is their fear of hypnosis/hypnotherapy. The question of "will a hypnothrapist make me do or say something I don't want to?" For alot of people their only exposure to hypnosis is from watching a movie depicting someone using hypnosis to control another or by attending a stage hypnosis show which is geared toward entertainment. Clinical Hypnotherapy is not for entertainment, nor is it a power struggle to control someone's mind or actions. My concern is that people are not using this valuable resource because of their misconceptions of the field.

Clinical Hypnotherapy was approved as a method in 1958 by the American Medical Association and is used by the Mayo Clinic, UCLA Pain Center, and medical schools such as Harvard and Stanford. Hypnotherapy offers one of the highest success rates for smoking cessation of 75% (my rate is 97%). Dateline NBC ran a series of which indicated that Hypnotherapy for weight management was more successful than several other methods. Kaiser and Blue Shield endorse Guided Imagery for pre/post surgery to facilitate more rapid healing, reduce stress and have found that patients require less pain medication. The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery concurs. Erectile Dysfunction was imiproved by 80% according to the British Journal of Urology. The American Gastroenterological Association accepted Hypnotherapy as a successful ltreatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in 1996. National Cancer Institute currently lists Hypnotherapy as a method to manage cancer pain and studies have indicated that people involved in Hypnotherapy support groups have better quality of life and survive longer. Insomnia patients reported improved sleep by 100% and 91% either eliminated or reduced sleeping medications. PMS symptoms are reduced by 57% per Obstetrics & Gynecology 1990. Infertile women have a 41% conception rate per Journal of American Medical Women's Association 1999. The Lancet 2000 offers compelling evidence of Hypnotherapy in regards to pain reduction and management.

Hypnotherapy is an unlicensed field and I would strongly recommend that you make sure the Hypnotherapist is a member of the appropriate professional organizations that help regulate our industry as well as training and certifications. Members of Healthways WholeHealth receive a 10% discount off my services because I am on their list of participating practitioners.  Before you balk at the price of treatment ask yourself how valuable your health is? how much do you spend on cigarettes? what would it be worth to you to improve a health situation? how much are you currently spending on pain and sleep medications? Hypnotherapy is always used in conjunction with your prescribed medical protocol and any elimination of medication should only be done under your physician's watchful eye.