Opportunities

Photo by Rick Hustead

It is cause for celebration whenever one of my clients achieves his or her therapeutic goal. No matter how many (or few!) hypnotherapy sessions it takes to accomplish it, the decision change an unwanted behavior and the subconscious work and dedication it takes to make that change happen are significant commitments. I tell each client at the start of hypnotherapy that my door is usually the last one the person knocked on during their search for the solution to whatever their therapeutic goal happens to be. However, once they achieve that goal and walk out of my office a whole new world of opportunities opens up for them. By that time they have a new set of skills or tools with which to solve and resolve any new challenges that may pop up along the way.

The same is true for me. It is true that when someone has taken off the last pound of weight he or she wanted to drop or given up cigarettes for good, I have essentially “lost” a client. But I don’t look at it that way. The day someone achieves his or her self-improvement goal is a day of abundance for both of us. I know that the hypnosis skills and guided-imagery techniques I employed to help the client succeed are ecologically “sound.” They are natural, drug-free and are effective tools with which to achieve a variety of vocational and avocational self-improvement goals. My clients often refer my hypnotherapy services to a friend. But even if a referral is not forthcoming, I know that the energy and attention I have devoted to that individual will manifest a new client for me, anyway.

When clients leave my office, they are invariably relaxed and comfortable—more than they were before the appointment, anyway. Moreover, they have learned (consciously or otherwise) valuable techniques to call up this sensation whenever they need relief from daily stressors. Hypnosis facilitates a state of natural calm and relaxation as well that enables a person to use rational, logical thought processes in situations which previously might have induced a lot of stress or anxiety. The experience of having already used hypnotherapy to achieve a goal builds self-confidence and increases self-esteem and strengthens the belief in their ability to handle other challenges. Every time they overcome another obstacle or achieve a new goal reinforces these beliefs until they naturally look at any challenge or inconvenience as an opportunity to shine, grow and continue to succeed.

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/.

© 2016

Modes of Communication

Photo by Rick Hustead

It took me a long time to come up with a topic for today’s blog.

While I waited for my temporary writer’s block to pass, I stayed busy catching up on my e-mail and social-media accounts and mulled over possible topics. In the background, my iPod was tuned into the “Love Songs” broadcast on KOST 103.5 FM. One of the hosts had posed a question for listeners. She wanted to know: What is the one thing you require in a future long-term partner before you commit to having the relationship with that person? Some callers said the prospective partner needed to share the same religious beliefs or political beliefs with them. Others cited a mutual desire for children (or not) was the priority. Financial security was another big factor. Listening to these responses inspired today’s essay: Modes of communication.

Obviously, the caller and his or her prospective partner or spouse would have needed to have a conversation or some other mode of discussion to discover whether they were truly on the same page with this priority. The way this information was exchanged would have also likely influenced how and whether it was perceived, interpreted and processed. Did one or both of them have the same level of enthusiasm/passion/dedication to this position? Was one or both of them willing to compromise or change a behavior to accommodate the other person’s goals and nurture the relationship? If so, how was this negotiated? Or, was a negotiation even possible? In some cases, apparently, it was not.

As I listened to the callers’ anecdotes, it also occurred to me that they were still communicating with the significant other, not to mention the radio host and the thousands of people listening to the program. Many of these callers had selected a specific song to play for the loved one—something with lyrics that epitomized the other person’s characteristics or paid tribute to aspects of the relationship. Whenever someone didn’t have a song picked out, the deejay made the choice for the caller based on the information he or she provided.

There it was, again: communication.

Of all the things we do during the day, communication is one of the most significant activities or even pastimes we engage in. Think about the number of conversations you have during the average day. Whether you are talking to your spouse, your kid(s), a pet, a boss or colleague, etc., you are communicating in some way. Writing a letter, text message or e-mail, “reacting” to someone or something on Facebook or Twitter are all forms of communication. Even non-communication is a form of communication. When we give someone a cold shoulder or the silent treatment is a way to express (communicate) displeasure, anger or annoyance.

It is no wonder that good communication is one of the seven key components to a successful relationship.

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/.

© 2016

Hand-Clasp Induction

Photo by Rick Hustead

According to Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., the hand-clasp is a secondary-induction technique that can help deepen the hypnotic trance during the first hypnotherapy session. As always, start with the arm-raising induction followed by a progressive relaxation; then “awaken” the client and do the hand-clasp induction and give another suggestion. “This process will make the client feel like you are taking him deeper into hypnosis,” the hypnotherapist explained. However, this induction should never be used as a primary induction technique to hypnotize a person, he warned.

To do the hand-clasp induction, the client is instructed to clasp his or her hands in front of the body while looking directly into the hypnotherapist’s eyes. The individual is then instructed to close the eyes while the hypnotherapist holds the outstretched arms at the elbow. At this point, the hypnotherapist counts down from five to zero, explaining that the person’s hands will tighten and the fingers will interlock with each count. By the time the count reaches “zero,” the person’s body will be totally relaxed. Meanwhile, the hands will be tightly locked together so that the harder the individual tries to separate them, the tighter this grip will become (double-bind), Dr. Kappas said.

At the hypnotherapist’s suggestion the arms begin to feel very heavy and start to drop into the person’s lap in small, jerking motions. “As the arms reach the lap [the client] will go deeper and deeper into hypnosis.”

In a variation of the hand-clasp induction, the client is instructed to raise the arms—bent at the elbow—with the fingers and palms facing each other. There should be several inches between the hands to start. There will be a tendency for the fingers to draw together until they are touching. At this point, the hypnotherapist instructs the client to close the eyes and concentrate on the hands moving closer together. When the fingers touch, the person will be at the height of his or her suggestibility, Dr. Kappas explained.

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/.

© 2016

Thoughts of The Day

Photo by Sara Fogan

      Every now and then I like (and need) to take a few moments and remind myself about what is really important to me, in my life. If you follow me on my Calminsense Hypnotherapy Facebook page you may have seen some of these quotes before on this page, or will in the future. Many of these Quotes of the Day are beautiful examples and illustrations of the work I do as a hypnotherapist, so I will probably draw on them in future essays.

•  “Loving ourself is the foundation for loving another person.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

• “Our doubts are our traitors.” – William Shakespeare

• “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

• “It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.” – W. Somerset Maugham

• “Every time you’re tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” – Deepak Chopra

• “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey

• “If you’re always looking back, you’ll never see opportunity when it arrives.” – Bille Baty

• “In order to carry a positive action, we must develop here a positive vision.” – Dalai Lama

• “Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.” – Eckhart  Tolle

• “What we think, we become.” – Buddha   

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/.

© 2016