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.

• “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.” – Oprah Winfrey

• “Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” – Swami Sivananda

• “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” – Alexander Den Heijer

• “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” – John Locke

• “In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinite of choices.” – Deepak Chopra

• “Just because you are struggling doesn’t mean you are failing.” – Lolly Daskal

• “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

• “Life is beautiful because you make it beautiful.” – Bille Baty

• “Being positive in a negative situation is not naive. It's leadership.” – Rachelle F. Chapman

• “There are good ships & wood ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships, may they always be!” – Irish Proverb

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/.

© 2017

The Cycle of Violence

(This blog was originally posted on May 31, 2016)

Photo by Rick Hustead

Hypnotherapy is an extremely effective tool to help manage anger and frustration. However, dealing with domestic violence is another situation entirely. This abuse can be physical, sexual or emotional violence; bleeding and other indications of physical battery do not have to be evident for the negative behavior to be classified as abuse. Furthermore, it can be directed against spouses (wives and husbands), the elderly, children, etc. Examples of such violence include spousal abuse, child abuse, incest and rape.

The underlying “cause” or subconscious motivation of the abuse is for the abuser to gain or feel power over and control the victim. For example, the person may threaten or actually withhold access to money/finances, intimidate with coercion or threats, humiliate or “guilt” the victim, isolate from friends or other family members, minimize the effects of the abuse/deny it happened, prevent access to kids/deny visitation, use “male privilege,” etc. Whether the duration of this cycle is long (e.g., lasts weeks or months) or short (e.g., lasts hours or days), it usually escalates and can have deadly consequences for the victim. Following is an outline of the typical pattern or cycle that violence is expressed.

Phase 1: Building Tension

Stress

Frustration

Low Self-esteem

Poor Communication

Phase 2: Explosion/Losing Control

Fight

Anger

Fear

Phase 3: Honeymoon/Loving & Remorse Stage

Guilt

Remorse

Promises: “I’ll never do it again!”

Unfortunately, these patterns are more likely than not to be repeated unless there is an intervention to break this cycle of violence once and for all.

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/.

© 2017

Suggestibility, Sexuality and Psychological Issues

(This blog was originally posted on June 16, 2016)

Photo by Rick Hustead

According to John Kappas, Ph.D., Emotional and Physical sexuality and Emotional and Physical suggestibility characteristics dominate different psychological symptoms or disorders. To treat the specific problem, you must address the issue in the context of the sexuality/suggestibility of the client when the symptoms began, the Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder explained.

“Emotionals tend to have more emotional problems and Physicals tend to have more physical problems,” Dr. Kappas said. Following is a list of issues or disorders and the suggestibility/sexuality with which it most often corresponds.

Issue	Suggestibility or Sexuality
Dissociation	Somnambulist (50/50 suggestibility, sexuality)
Explosive Personality Disorder	High Physical Sexual, but high Emotional Sexuality is also associated because of ego sensation
Phobia	Emotional Suggestible, Emotional Sexual
Loss	Physical Suggestible, Physical Sexual
Stutter/speech	50/50 suggestibility
Psychosexual disorders	Emotional Suggestible, 50/50 Emotional Sexual
Compulsive gambling	50/50 suggestibility, Physical/Emotional sexuality
Most compulsive behavior	Extreme Emotional Sexual behavior
Exhibitionism	Physical Suggestible
Masochism	Physical Suggestible
Pyromania	Somnambulist (50/50 suggestibility, sexuality)
Kleptomania	Physical Suggestible, Physical Sexual
Homosexuality	Physical Sexual males, Emotional Sexual females re: relationship issues
Male sexual dysfunction	Emotional Sexual
Repetitive words, involuntary movements	Physical Suggestible, Emotional Sexual
Pain alleviation	Physical Suggestible, Physical Sexual
Weight control	Physical Suggestible, Physical Sexual (Individual needs physical gratification, which leads to tendency to put on weight.)
Anorexia	Emotional Sexual, but bad eating habits can change suggestibility.
Bulimia	Physical Sexual (habit disorder)
Fear of contamination	Emotional Sexual

“Some personalities dominate problems and therapies, but Emotional and Physical Sexual personalities are both capable of having these problems,” the hypnotherapist said. “If you don’t consider primary/secondary cause hypnotherapy may be a one-shot treatment (e.g., desensitization for fear of flying), but what you’re really doing is transferring energy, because fear of flying doesn’t exist alone in a vacuum,” he said.

California law allows me to provide hypnotherapy as a complementary or alternative treatment to help you achieve vocational and avocational self-improvement goals (Business and Professions Code 2908). In any other case—including many of the ones listed above—I must receive a referral from a licensed medical doctor or mental-health professional in order to work with you on that issue.

Sara R. Fagan, 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/.

© 2017