$100/90 min initial session, $80/60 min follow-up sessions

SWhat is hypnosis, and how does it work?
Hypnosis is a state of consciousness where focused attention, deep relaxation, and heightened suggestibility are achieved. It is a naturally occurring state that we enter numerous times throughout the day without any direct effort or awareness. Daydreaming, becoming engrossed in books or movies, or losing track of place and time while driving a car are all common examples of naturally occurring hypnotic states.

When hypnosis is induced with specific intent, it can be used as a powerful tool for self improvement and creating lasting change, largely because of its ability to induce “heightened suggestibility”. This means that any positive language, images, and ideas “suggested” to a person in a hypnotic state has the ability to stick for a longer period of time, and cause more rapid change, than in the normal waking state. Hypnosis has been embraced for over half a century by the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association as an effective treatment for a variety of issues:

• Stress reduction and relaxation
• Weight loss, healthy eating and exercise
• Increased self esteem and confidence
• Reaching goals and overcoming blocks
• Smoking cessation
• Sleep improvement
• Overcoming fears
• Enhanced sports performance and artistic creativity

Along with the ability to foster positive changes and break negative behavior patterns, simply entering a state of hypnosis in of itself has numerous physical health benefits. The hypnotic state induces Alpha and Theta brainwaves, which are associated with periods of relaxation, creativity, high-speed rates of learning and memory retrieval, and inhibition control. Other health benefits of entering a hypnotic or a meditative state are:

• Decreased muscle tension
• Lowered blood pressure
• Lowered oxygen consumption
• Decreased respiratory rate
• Increased blood flow

What is Guided Imagery?
If we were to imagine a favorite dessert…for instance, a slice of moist chocolate cake with rich, fudge icing…the majority of us would begin to salivate.  While this every-day event is often taken for granted, something profound has actually taken place: a self-created mental image has caused a real, physical reaction.  This concept is the foundation of guided imagery.  Research has shown that the brain doesn’t distinguish between real and imagined experiences, so that when we “see” and “smell” food in our mind’s eye, our body reacts as if it was actually there.

Similarly, we’ve all had the experience of watching a movie and feeling intense emotional changes take place.  Seeing the hero of a movie achieving great success in the face of adversity can give us an exhilarating feeling of motivation, allowing us to feel like we can tackle any obstacle in our way.  Here again, even though the movie is just a creation, our mind sees and hears the events as if they are real, and the brain releases chemicals that have a profound effect on our mood.

Guided imagery is the tool that allows the above findings to blossom into tangible, long term health benefits.  It teaches people to use their powers of imagination to construct vivid mental imagery, reproducing all five senses in the mind, to produce behavioral and emotional change.  By learning to create our own personal “movies” and images inside our mind, we can develop life-long tools to help overcome the negative obstacles and emotions that so often hold us back.

Guided Imagery offers greater understanding about where our minds go when we feel stuck, and how we see and perceive our own mental blocks and unwanted behavior.  It also gives the solution: training the brain to break patterns of negative mental imagery, and building new associations to imagery that is positive and empowering.  These new patterns can be accessed and strengthened anytime throughout the day by using simple breathing and relaxation exercises.

Examples of guided imagery:

• People suffering from stress and anxiety can bring themselves to a personal, peaceful place in their minds…an ocean beach, a lush green forest, a favorite childhood spot…and will adapt to the mental image, finding their thoughts relaxed and focused, and their physical body drained of muscular tension.

• Those quitting smoking who imagine throwing away cigarettes, followed by mentally seeing themselves participating in a healthy activity with clearer lungs, are able to rewire new patterns in the brain.  The mind starts associating “throwing away cigarettes” with “health and joy”, making it easier to quit smoking for good.

• Injured athletes, by mentally rehearsing their sport while recovering, can quickly gain peak form when they return, as if they had been physically practicing for months.

• Someone lacking confidence and self esteem can vividly recreate images of an earlier memory of feeling strong, empowered, and fully in control…and then learn to trigger these emotions in the present to feel a renewed sense of confidence.

How many sessions should I expect?
Each individual experiences Hypnosis and Guided Imagery differently, and therefore the number of sessions required is unique to each person.  While benefits can often begin to occur after the first session, for a full treatment and maximum results, 3-5 sessions are recommended on a weekly basis.  Depending on the individual, sometimes it is ideal to stretch the later sessions out to every-other-week.

What can I expect in a session?
During the initial 90-minute session, we will spend time discussing your goals in using hypnosis and guided imagery, cover some of your history with the issue (all information is kept strictly confidential), and take plenty of time to answer any questions you may have about hypnosis.  You will be guided through one or two 10-minute relaxation and guided imagery exercises, followed by a discussion exploring the images and emotions you experienced in each of them.  Both the talk at the beginning of the session, as well as the two imagery exercises, allow me to create personalized sets of imagery for you which we will build on in future sessions.

During the second half of the session, you will be guided through a longer (20-30 minutes) session of hypnosis.  We will end the session by talking about your experience during hypnosis and answering any other questions you have.  I always invite discussion about practical changes (if necessary) that you can make during the week between sessions; I will also give you some quick, daily breathing and self-hypnosis exercises for you to practice at home.

During the 60-minute follow-up sessions, we will build on the exercises from the initial session, monitor your progress and improvement, and cover some helpful tips to improve your self-practice.  Sometimes I will introduce new guided imagery exercises, other times we may spend more time game planning how you can best introduce and incorporate these new, healthy habits into your life.  Each follow-up will always include a 20-30 minute segment used for hypnosis.

Learn more about David Trachtenberg, our Certified Guided Imagery Specialist and Hypnotist, here.