I am continuing to suspend in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. However, phone, and Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE!
(This blog was originally posted on
November 30, 2016)
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In David Brin’s novel titled The Practice Effect, the most effective (and valued)
tools and equipment are old and well-used. Here on Earth, a brand-new axe blade
is sharp and gets the job done in one or two swings. Conversely, protagonist Dr.
Dennis Nuel discovers that same new axe is useless on an anomaly planet he is
exploring compared to a worn-out counterpart with a dull blade and grooves
where the user’s hands would have held it.
I
loved this book when I read it in 1984, and the concept of a “practice effect”
continues to fascinate me in the context of how the mind works. As I explain to
hypnotherapy clients who want to change a long-term habit, the more they do or
“practice” this behavior the easier, more automatic and, yes, “effective” it
becomes. For example, when you learned algebra the symbols and arithmetic
required to solve an equation probably challenged every mathematical skill you
had up to that point. However, with practice you may have advanced to geometry,
trigonometry or even calculus; if nothing else, you can apply simple algebra to
work out how much tip to leave at a restaurant. Just like the grooves in the
worn axe handle in Brin’s novel, repeating familiar behaviors eventually
creates a subconscious
mental script that reinforces their importance and value to the
subconscious mind. (This attachment to a behavior such as smoking or drug
use/abuse will be even stronger with a physiological chemical addiction.*)
The
perceived value of a familiar or “known” behavior comes from the comfort you
derive from repeating and practicing this action. However, it is also why
changing or stopping the behavior completely is so difficult. Remember, anything
new or different (unfamiliar) is considered “pain” in the subconscious mind. It
is almost as if you are starting all over again, having to learn a new or even re-learn
a previous more effective “old” behavior. In many cases, you have to keep
practicing that other, less comfortable but more desirable way of doing things
over and over until it, too, has developed a “practice effect” that is
ultimately more valuable than that old strategy.
*California
law allows access by California residents to complementary and alternative
health care practitioners who are not providing services that require medical
training and credentials. The purpose of a program of hypnotherapy is for
vocational and avocational self-improvement (Business and Professions Code
2908) and as alternative or complimentary treatment to healing arts services
licensed by the state. A hypnotherapist is not a licensed physician or
psychologist, and hypnotherapy services are not licensed by the state of
California. Services are non-diagnostic and do not include the practice of
medicine, neither should they be considered as a substitute for licensed
medical or psychological services or procedures.
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This promotion is not
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Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation
Institute in 2005. Sara has been voted the Best
Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California, three years in a row (2019, 2020,
2021). For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an
appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/
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