(This blog was originally posted on October
20, 2014)
I
would like to clarify a couple of things about hypnosis and my role as a
certified hypnotherapist. First, as I explain on my website,
hypnosis is a natural, drug-free and highly effective therapeutic modality that
has been used for centuries to help people change mental scripts for unwanted
beliefs or behaviors that no longer work for them. Whether you want to lose
weight, quit smoking, increase your self-confidence, overcome a fear or phobia,
or achieve just about any vocational and avocational self-improvement goals,
hypnosis can help you get it done.
My
goal is to help each and every one of my hypnotherapy clients to achieve his or
her vocational and avocational self-improvement goals. I participate in
continuing-education courses throughout the year to fine-tune my therapeutic
skills and learn new techniques that I can apply in my practice. Between
sessions with my clients, I make myself available to answer any questions or
discuss an issue that may have come up during the week via a follow-up phone
call, e-mail correspondence or both. I provide a recording of the hypnosis
component of their therapy for them to listen to during the week and even give
them “homework” assignments to help reinforce the new behavior until their next
hypnotherapy session. These assignments may include breathing/relaxation
exercises to practice, maintaining their Mental Bank
program by writing in their Mental Bank ledger each night before bed,
reading specific articles or watching online videos about related
hypnotherapeutic techniques that are available via the Hypnosis Motivation Institute online
video library.
I
work with my clients to achieve their stated goals; when they have accomplished
what they set out to do, we typically part ways until they want to work on
something new. I generally do not need
to explore unrelated issues or discuss experiences that occurred long ago in my
clients’ lives unless they state or believe that event pertains to their
presenting issue or affects how they currently lead their lives. Having said
that, hypnotherapy is not an overnight miracle “cure” for anything and everything
that ails or distresses you. By the time most people come in for hypnotherapy,
many months or even years have passed since the unwanted belief or behavior was
created. Meanwhile, their subconscious mental script has had plenty of time to nurture
and reinforce that unwanted habit. Although hypnotherapy is also generally a
shorter-term therapy than many traditional psychotherapeutic modalities, it will
likely take more than one hypnosis session to change and/or permanently remove
that behavior.
Finally, California
law allows me to provide hypnotherapy as a complementary or alternative
treatment to help my clients to achieve vocational and avocational
self-improvement goals (Business
and Professions Code 2908). For example, I am certified to help people
manage pain and individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder to
deal with a myriad of physical and emotional symptoms. However, I may only do
so with a referral from a licensed medical doctor or mental-health
professional; I must receive a referral from both of these health-care providers to work with a client who has
PTSD. I ethically and legally cannot and will
not address some issues (e.g., age
regression therapy to identify possible past abuse) or diagnose medical or
mental-health symptoms. If I feel that your issues are or become beyond my
scope of expertise as a hypnotherapist, I will refer you to a licensed medical
doctor or psychologist for further evaluation and/or treatment.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in
2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set
up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2015
