Tag Archives: hypnotherapy

History of Hypnotherapy: Erickson

Milton Erickson was an American psychiatrist who believed that the unconscious mind was separate from the conscious mind. The unconscious mind, he believed, was always listening — so whether or not a patient was in a trance, a suggestion could make an impact on an unconscious level. Erickson also believed that a trance was not a special mental state — it was a common, everyday occurrence. Any person could at any time become so immersed in an activity that it blocked out all other stimuli. During these everyday trances, you might notice a person gazing off to the side, the … Continue reading →

History of Hypnotherapy: Mesmer

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Austrian physician Franz Anton Mesmer is considered one of the fathers of modern day hypnotherapy. Mesmer believed that illness was caused by an imbalance of magnetic fluids in the body. Any imbalance, he theorized, could be corrected using a natural force in humans and animals called “animal magnetism”. A hypnotherapist could use his own magnetism to heal imbalances in the patient. In 1766, Mesmer published his doctoral dissertation: On the Influence of the Planets on the Human Body. It discussed his belief in the magnetic “tides” in the human body — some that could be influenced by movements of the … Continue reading →

My Experience with Hypnotherapy

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I was at a writing retreat in March 2007 in the Quinault rainforest in Washington State. Four days of nothing but rain and writing — no cell phone service and no internet. It was heavenly! (And productive — I wrote ten thousand words on a novel over the long weekend.) One of the writers there was a licensed hypnotherapist. While we were both taking a break from writing, he offered to hypnotize me. I’d never been hypnotized before, and said so. We chatted for a few minutes about what hypnotherapy could do, and how it worked. Curious, I agreed to … Continue reading →

Can Hypnotherapy Help You Create a Healthy Lifestyle?

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A friend of mine hates answering the phone. She hates it so much that she ignores any calls from unknown numbers and never even checks her voicemail. As a small business owner, she fears that she’s losing lots of business — but even that won’t get her to listen to her messages. She mentioned wanting to try hypnotherapy to help get her past her phone problems. Personally, I think it’s a good idea. Hypnotherapy isn’t just the stage tricks we see at fairs and on television. Working with a trained, licensed hypnotherapist can help a person make huge life changes. … Continue reading →