Monday, December 31, 2007

Upcoming Plans for the New Year and World Hypnosis Day

Yes, coffee in hand, I am looking into the new year and thought I would let you in on it. As I sview this blog as celebrating World Hypnosis Day every day, I still want to participate on January 4. This year I am taking a more personal approach. Friday will herald the development of a secondary blog to this one. I am always intrigued with self-help books, programs and blogs. I like learning new things, so this new blog will be an experiment in this. I plan to find programs to try, especially in the consciousness areas, and go through the process indicated. If you are interested in joining me, you are most welcome. Support groups are always a good thing and a way to share an experience, even if only in cyber space.

I have not yet decided on a name, so perhaps you may have some suggestion? In fact lets make this interesting, leave a comment on this post and for entrecard users, if I choose your's, you will receive a 100 credits.

And yes, this blog will still be going strong, so no worries there.

Please let me know if you have an idea for the name of the blog. I will also soon be announcing the starting program.

And a quick question? Have you voted in Blog Battle Royale III, yet?

Greatest Moment of 2007

The end of the year has crept up upon me like a thief of time. I turn to look for it and it is gone.

In answer to yesterday's question (did you contemplate it?), the greatest moment of 2007 for the transparent hypnotist is a cavalcade of memories. It is really hard to come up with just one, since for me, every day brings about its own joys that are connected to a 1000 other joys.

Perhaps I should just leave the answer as starting this blog. It has given me great joy. I have met so many wonderful people and it has been such a positive experience. The learning process is incredible and thanks to all of you, I feel I myself am a better person for it all. I hope you have enjoyed it as well.

Sappy, perhaps. A bit expected, I suspect. True, none the less.

Let's go into the new year together, shall we?

Sunday, December 30, 2007

The Last Sunday Question for 2007

Well folks, the year is winding down. This is the last Sunday Question for 2007. excuse if I get a little misty-eyed.

So, I believe it would be timely to use this question as a source of reflection (even more so). Here goes:

In looking back at 2007, what was your greatest moment?

This does not have to be just hypno related. It is a question of positive nature, so it definitely fits.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Ellie Needs Your Vote



Have you read my review of the iTouch? If so, and if you enjoyed it, please consider voting for it in the Blog Battle Royale III. I am a finalist.


Click here to vote and read the other posts.

You may need to register to be part of the Pay Per Post Boards, but it is free and they will not burden you with spam. Click here to register.

Huge monster thank you!!!

Friday, December 28, 2007

The Esoteric Dilbert

A Late Saturday Night Change: Sorry all, I had to remove the strip from the blog. Scott could not grant me permission to use it. Anyway it was cute and funny, but alas is not be be seen on the Transparent Hypnotist. Feel free to do an internet search for it, you might just find it.

This has to be one of my favorite esoteric Saturdays! Is there anyone out there who does not just love Dilbert? Scott Adams is a true genius! But, did you know he too has a hypnosis background? Yep. His mother used child-birth hypnosis when his sister was born. turns out his family physician used hypnosis in his practice. This influenced Scott and he learned the fine art of the trade.

10 Questions with Debbie Lane




Location: Palm Harbor, Florida

Cyber Locations:
www.wisdomhypnosis.com
http://wisdomhypnosis.blogspot.com/


1. Are you a full time hypnotist, part-time or hobbyist?

I am in full time practice. Actually, I live and breathe hypnosis.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

As a result of my working with the “Hiccup Girl” back in the beginning of the year, I seem to have developed a specialty in body reactions such as hiccups, burping and other “emissions”. My favorite issue however, is weight management.

3. Is there any type of hypnosis you do not do? Why?

I will refer a client to another therapist I know who does both hypnosis and Equine therapy if I feel the issue is beyond my scope.

4. Do you use self-hypnosis regularly in your life?If so, how?

I use it daily for just about everything! I use self-hypnosis for powerful thinking, creative problem solving and as a result of my incredible schedule (I know I create my own) I use it for stress reduction.

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

The office is wonderful! I share space with a doctor of acupuncture and several massage therapists. It is an adorable yellow cottage in a sleepy little town (Palm Harbor, FL). Inside, we have created so much serenity that even the pest control guy likes to “hang out”. I have pictures on my website:

http://www.wisdomhypnosis.com/Hypnosis-FAQS.html


This shows a quick shot of my office.

http://www.wisdomhypnosis.com/news.html

This shows the outside view. Sometimes I wonder just what I did right to be so lucky.


6. Describe a typical day in your life.

Typical is never a word used in conjunction with my name or any description of me. The closest I can come, is to say that I am on the computer working by 6:30 a.m. daily and I am out the door to my office or meetings by 9:00 at the latest. I return to the computer at the end of my day (times vary) and manage to schedule time for an incredibly supportive husband and the two best sons a mother could have.


7. Where did you get your training in hypnosis and are you certified?

I am certified through the National Guild of Hypnotists
and The International Association of Counselors and Therapists. I was trained byNaturalife Institute.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

I can’t say that any one is the best. I listen to my clients, really listen and then trust my intuition as to the tool to pull from my “tool box”. I am aware of colleagues who swear by one method andone method only. That seems limiting. I will confess, before every client I spend time in quiet contemplation thinking about their issue. Before seeing the Hiccup Girl, I journaled for 2 hours, considering over and over what was the best way to assist her into peace and quiet. The answers flowed as she spoke with me.


9. Worse moment ever in a hypnosis setting that ended up being a valuable learning experience.

At a recent conference I attended, I was to teach a 2 hour workshop. I arrived in a timely manner for the first nights events, was thrilled with the evening events and went to bed feeling quite smug that this would be a proud moment. Then, about 2 hours into sleep, I sat straight up in bed and realized that I had left my clothes home! I called my husband who confirmed my “greatest fears” and offered to drive them the several hour trip to me. I declined and thank heavens for Wal-mart, found something I could wear for the presentation. I told the group the whole truth and turned it into a good amount of humor (with me taking most of the ribbing).
I learned/confirmed to keep ‘em laughing.


10. Any words of advice to potential clients or other hypnotist.

To potential clients, be sure you feel comfortable with your hypnotist. Ask questions, remember you are in control of this session and the outcome!

To other hypnotists, I can only say, do what you love and it will shine through. What other profession can you be in where you fall in love with the work and the people daily? Remember, however, it is a business, so be ready to work for success.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Perfection - The First Day of My Life With The iTouch



It is not just a New Year's Resolution. It is an everyday thing - this quest for self-perfection. Always the weight watching, the proper diet, could I be a better person,am I getting enough exercise, should I be more fluent in another language, could I sleep better and the list goes continues to amass.

So here it is, the first day of the rest of my life with a new iTouch (the new baby in the long line of Apple products). You might be saying to yourself, "What does this have to do with self-betterment?" And, as you can imagine, I am going to tell you.

As a professed user of self-hypnosis, visualization, meditation, and the Internet, the iTouch is not just a tool, but a proper partner for life's little adventures. Its graphic interface (sweet little icons) and touch screen technology make it extremely easy to use - intuitive, one might say. That's the visualization part. Then there is the expansive sound that come through the little white ear phones, perfect for listening to both self-hypnosis audios or meditation sounds. And because of these ear phones, it means it is completely individualized, or in other words, your partner is not forced to pick up the suggestions for weight loss or the Russian word for Hello when you play your audios on the house sound system. It is also extremely light weight and portable, so it can go anywhere you go - the top of an isolated mountain to explore consciousness or a library to look up the latest in self-help books. The light weight design makes it pocket, purse, or laptop case compatible. And, if you ever wondered what your finger print resembles, you need only to touch its shiny body and there it is. (Some might say this is not such a great feature - but you can judge a book by its cover, yahda, yahda, yahda).


But, I digress. This is the first day of the rest of my life with my new iTouch companion. As always, I had my coffee, but this time with a twist. Sitting on the back porch, I slipped the headphones on and began the day with a soome Louie Armstrong and also read through my favorite blogs - yes all on the iTouch at the same time thanks to the Wi-Fi feature. Now you may be wondering how one reads websites with the little screen. Basically, you tap what you want to read and it zooms in and enlarges the image or text. Didn't even need the reading glasses.




Once properly caffeinated, it was time to advance to a higher consciousness with a kindness guided meditation that I downloaded directly onto the iTouch. Easy peasy. A deep breath in, a search though the Apple Store for a free podcast featuring guided meditation. A deep breath out, download completed (maybe not quite that fast) and I was in that meditative state of graceful awareness.




From this point on, I decided to get the blood pumping, the body moving. What better time to learn to tango? A short perusal through the cyberworld's youtube videos and I had the visualization all worked out in no time. An ebook lead me step by step through the beginnings of the dance. Note to self - when leading a tango with an imaginary partner, do watch out for walls. They can be quite painful.



While cooling down, I switched over to an audio book and began Russian lessons (I like the way the language sounds). The cat was not moved when I began practicing the words out loud.

And soon enough, it was time for a short afternoon nap. I have been wanting to try out a self-hypnosis audio on sleeping better. And that too was an easy download. I got all comfy on the bed and began the audio. Soon enough I began the process of letting go, slipping into a light alpha state. However, I was not to remain alone in this endeavor. The cat, sensing a quiet peacefulness in contrast to the harsh resonate sounds of the Russian lesson, joined me on the bed as well. They say animals are in a constant alpha state and are drawn to humans who access it. Perhaps this was the case?

And so we settled in, slept soundly, and here I am, writing this homage to the iPod Touch. It isn't just for your teenager, the studious college student, the hip 20 something. It is a true companion in a quest for self-betterment and peacefulness.


Want to know more about the iTouch? Visit Apple's iTouch webpage for more information.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Another Smoke?

You will have to forgive me while I leave behind the world of positive thoughts and put on my clinical cap for a moment. Often I try to bring you the latest studies involving hypnosis, but today I bring you news that does not. Yet it is important and can benefit us.

Several studies have found that there is a link between smokers and Type 2 Diabetes. Smoking apparently increases the risk for the disease. And I do not know about you, but diabetes is a great fear for several of my weight loss clients, so I suspect it may help motivate a few smokers to give up that habit as well.

When the University of Lausanne compared 25 such studies, there was a 44% increase of the diabetes risk for smokers, compared to non-smokers. According to the Journal of American Medical Association, the more cigarettes smoked, the higher the risk. The numbers are pretty scary.

Source:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/91541.php


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Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Happy Day

Happy day to all of those who are celebrating the holidays and to those just celebrating the advent of yet another day!

For every one else...well...just enjoy nice thoughts for a positive day.


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Monday, December 24, 2007

A Late Question

Well, shoot! If you have not noticed, I am still on the road this holiday season. I had used something called the time cave to send in my post, and as they say, not all messages are delivered successfully. And they mean that! Here I am, struggling to find a wi-fi place on my travels and I discover that no Sunday question was posted. Urrrrr!!!!

So, the Sunday question becomes a Monday one:

What is the greatest gift that you have given or received?

For the faithful hypnosis fans, any answer that relates to hypnosis would be great, but hey, it is the Holiday season so any answer would be fabulous.

Since, a lot of times I answer my questions on Monday, I will go ahead and post my answer to that question now (being that it is Monday). The greatest gift that I think I offer to those who seek my services is the idea of self-discovery and self-trust, in that I think learning that we all have all the solutions we need for our lives locked somewhere with us, finding this in one self is gift. And of course, the greatest gift I have received is the same, learning that I have this capacity within myself.

What say you?

Saturday, December 22, 2007

An Esoteric Saturday Away

Hello all. Let's hope that you are reading this. I am not at my desk nor computer, so it is up to the time cave to see that this gets posted.

I did not want to leave you without an Esoteric Saturday, so here it is - Wax Taylor's hypnotic montage:


You know, this seems quite on the mark to some degree. Do you agree or disagree?

P.S.
Okay...time cave doesn't quite have html down yet, so I edited this. Thanks for your patience.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

10 Questions with Roy Hunter




Location: Milton, Washington

Cyberspace Locations:
www.royhunter.com




1. Are you a full time hypnotist, part-time or hobbist?

After being a work-a-holic for many years, burn-out forced me to slow
down last spring. My doctor told me that I was working far too many
hours. I must limit the amount of my private sessions and
professional consulting. Almost half of my clients are other
hypnotists and hypnotherapists who know my work. However, I still
teach locally. I also travel to teach or facilitate workshops as time
permits when someone sponsors me.


2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

My approach is multi-modality, but I'm also well known for my work
with parts therapy for helping people resolve inner conflicts. That
was the topic of my latest book published by Crown House in 2005.

3. Is there any type of hypnosis you do not do? Why?

I will not work with a drug addict unless it is in collaboration with
an experienced drug counselor, because of their tendency to lie. My
own tendency to trust people at their word has its downside. I'm
extremely cautious about working with an alcoholic for the same
reason. However, I've had a fairly good success rate with pot
smokers, provided they make a total commitment to quit.

4. Do you use self-hypnosis regularly in your life? If so, how?

In 1982 I suffered a back injury that was supposed to result in
permanent chronic back pain. Through self-hypnosis, I can function
normally and am comfortable 95% of the time. If I overdo it, the
other 5% of the time reminds me of the benefits of self-hypnosis the
other 95% of the time. Also, I use (and teach) self-hypnosis to manage stress.

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

My office is located in a medical-professional building, with two
other hypnosis offices. We also have a waiting area and a classroom
for teaching classes. You can see a picture of the outside of the building at:
http://www.royhunter.com/hypnotherapy_tacoma.htm
6. Describe a typical day in your life.

My days vary greatly. At home, my day must start later than it used
to. I rarely see clients before 11am. Sometimes I'm at my computer
two to five hours a day: going through email, writing articles,
revising student handouts and course materials, doing paperwork,
etc... Much of my time at the office is devoted to teaching or
professional consulting (in the art of hypnosis) even more than doing
private sessions. I do professional coaching in hypnotherapy and/or
parts therapy by phone, email, and/or in person. A
number of hypnotherapists have travelled many hundreds of miles to
receive consulting and/or hypnotherapy in my office."
When I'm away on business, I make sure my handouts are all prepared
for those who attend my workshops. Also, I learned from experience
that I need to take personal time for myself on trips. We need to
count our blessings, and realize that life is one long series of
learning experiences. Our true worth isn't in what we have; rather,
it is how we use what we have.

7. Where did you get your training in hypnosis and are you certified?

I learned hypnotherapy directly from the legendary Charles Tebbetts.
He certified me in 1983, and eventually certified me as an
instructor. Prior to his passing, he chose me to continue his work
with client-centered hypnosis, and especially the parts therapy that
he pioneered (after evolving it from the work of Paul Federn). My two
hypnosis texts, THE ART OF HYPNOSIS and THE ART OF HYPNOTHERAPY
(Kendall/Hunt Publishing), are both based on the teachings of Charles
Tebbetts, and are required reading at many hypnosis schools around the world.
8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

Client-centered parts therapy often helps people overcome barriers
even after many other techniques have failed.

9. Worse moment ever in a hypnosis setting that ended up being a valuable learning experience.

A very obese woman slumped in my chair in a way that made the chair
creak. After gathering information about her history with weight, I
discovered that over six years passed since her last attempt to
reduce. When I asked her what motivated her to deal with it now, she
said: "Excuse me...I'm here to quit smoking!" Although she accepted
my apology, I'm still unable to remember whether she ever returned
for a second session. I share this learning experience with all my
hypnotherapy students so they don't have to re-invent the wheel.

10. Any words of advice to potential clients or other hypnotist.

Here is my advice to clients: Ask your prospective hypnotist what
he/she will do if you have "subconscious blocks" (your subconscious
fails to respond to the suggestions to reach your goal). A competent
professional skilled in the art of hypnosis will be trained to use
techniques that will enable your subconscious to uncover and release
the cause(s) of subconscious blocks.

Here is my advice to hypnotists: Fit the technique to the client
rather than vice versa. This requires width and depth of training. If
you are not yet trained in hypnotic regression or parts therapy,
invest whatever is necessary in time or money to find competent
training in both of those techniques! You will do both yourself and
your clients a favor by doing so. Although I offer training materials
on my website, I suggest hands-on training when available.

If you or your organization would like to sponsor training in your
area, feel free to contact me.

Good PR (public relations) for World Hypnotism Day

As I sit warming up my poor, cold hands on the coffee cup, I have debated long and hard about posting anything about a "news" item that pinged into my email last night. It was infused with so much grumbling, I thought at first it would not be worth it, but thanks to Tom Nicoli and Debbie Lane, I am giving it a go. Please note that this is more of a hurrah! for these two.

Here the gist:

Apparently, the county commissions for Hernando County, Florida, at their December 18 meeting, made a proclamation proclaiming World Hypnotism Day in Hernando County. For many of the readers of this blog, this may not be news. For everyone else, World Hypnotism Day is a time when many of us hypnotist do various things within the community to raise awareness for hypnosis and educate people about its good applications. It is in early January.

So, here are the nice commissioners of Hernando County, who gave the day a thumbs up. It seems like a fairly benign thing all in all - but apparently not to one resident of the county. On Hernando Today, he wrote his woes and issues. Sure sounds like someone had a really bad day, as well as being taken in by media portrayals of evil hypnosis. He moans about hypnosis and the county commissioners being under hypnosis for a little while and then complains about the commissioners' meeting schedule. I cannot quite tell if he is more upset with the idea of hypnosis or the long break between commissioner meetings (they break for about a month). I suspect it is the latter. Perhaps he believes all the county employees have a month off? Somehow I doubt that, but if they do actually get a month off with paid leave, I may well be in the wrong profession. LOL. Then he mentions something about Sunday being a time for family-activities (church-going and the upcoming holidays). What do Sunday's have to do with anything? World Hypnotism Day is on a Friday, and I believe those who celebrate Christmas are doing so on a Tuesday?

But this is exactly why we need World Hypnotism Day. I applaud this man for making the need for the day so evident!

And I applaud both Tom Nicoli and Debbie Webber who responded with comments that were well written and informative in defense of both World hypnotism Day and hypnosis in general. And they were both incredibly kind. Kudos, you two!

Source:
Hernando Today

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Gone A Calling

Good morning again. Finally got the toast setting just right, so no burned toast today. As it is another day that is off to a flying start, I fear, I really cannot speak much about scholastic hypnosis. But maybe a little latter today I will continue sloughing through forms of hypnosis.

For now, thought I would just mention another cool blogging tool I have found to help with visitation. It is called entrecard.com. You will notice it on the lower right column of this blog. What is it is an an Internet calling card, much like the calling cards of the Victorian period. When you visit a site that has one, you click "drop yours here" and it tells the owner of the site that you visited them. Then they can visit your site. Hence social networking taken to a new level. The more you "call" on others, the more advertising opps., meaning that your calling card will appear on someone else's page.

This is what it looks like:



Please drop yours and I will visit you in return. Also, if you would like to leave your entrecard information in the comment section here, you are welcome to do so. Others may visit you.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

A Holiday Plea from Ellie

This is a bit off topic again, but I thought I might use the blog to make a quick appeal to my family and friends. Frankly, I am tired, very tired. Do I close the office down and travel to you (I thought we had this covered this past summer - that you would come here) now? Do I make you feel guilty and coerce you travel here to see me (truly, I would like to say I am above that, but here it is out in open, already said and typed)? Do we stay in our separate locals and have a merry phone chat? Perhaps we could just talk for the duration of the day (I have a wireless headset, so it is not out of the question)?

Think about this PLEASE!!!! This is not impossible with some of the better international calling rates. Will you not please consider this? Really! It is that simple. Follow the link and see for yourself. I bet my nephew could take care of the download and all.

I have put together this little video for you, in hopes you will consider this option for the holidays. And just so you know, you can call at other times as well. I will pick up the phone when I can.

And yes, Mum, I miss you, but would it not be better to hear my cheerful voice than to see my tired, harassed face during the holidays?

By the way, Mum, Dad, and anyone else nosey enough to watch this...please vote for
for this at http://bix.yahoo.com/contest/33995. It is in a little competition and I might even share the rewards (maybe).









A Quick Word About Old School Hypnosis

Brunt toast, lost packages, the sand in the hour glass running out...

So - good morning. And onto our discussion of forms of hypnosis.

Are you hip? Or are you old school, old school as in a hypnotist who only practices authoritarian hypnosis or are you a hypnotist who keeps the style in their back pocket when needed? Are you a client who wants to learn and really work on issues or do you just want to be told what to do and do it?

What is old school hypnosis? That is the same as asking what is the authoritarian style? Well, in talking about traditional hypnosis, one may think of the hypnotist stereotype, but as we discussed earlier, traditional hypnosis is just a form of hypnosis that is all about preconceived suggestions that are thought up before the session and used during the hypnotic period. But now, we must relook at the stereotype hypnotist to talk about authoritarian style.

The Authoritarian Hypnotist

Imagine the hypnotist there before you, commanding you to watch the swinging pocket watch go back and forth and forth and back. Your eyes move back and forth and forth and back and finally the monotony of the monotone voice begins to lulls you into another state of consciousness. Then forcefully you are directed to "sleep." It is at this point you are commanded directly to make changes.

Authoritarian Hypnosis - The Premise
Authoritarian hypnosis is done in a very domineering way, where it seems as though the hypnotist is in control of the experience. But this is not true. The client is always in charge of the their own experience, yes, even in authoritarian hypnosis. The thing is that the client chooses to allow themselves to be told what to do. And here is the crux - this form of hypnosis has a much lower rate of success in general because how many of you out there really want to be told what to do? I take that back, there may be a few of you who would prefer to go that route. In those cases, having a hypnotist who takes an authoritarian road may be the way to go. And I have definetly worked with a few of these types.

The Patter
Literally, the patter would go something like, "Now I want you to take a deep breath in and let it out," and to continue using terminology in a forceful way. But as Henry Bolduc believes, the idea of using the words "I want you to" create a hesitancy in a lot of people. Why would you want to do what the hypnotist wants you to do? You want to do what you want to do. Does this make sense?

For The Hypnotist
To test a person to see if they will respond to this type of style, it is doing just that, seeing how they respond. When doing pre-testing, try out different methods and get a feel for how they react. You can try to be authoritative and if this is received positively, then you know this might be the way to go for a particular client. When testing, tell them what to do giving little opportunity for them to think for themselves. Do they resist this? Do they respond by giving you good results? If they do the latter, test again to be sure. Three positive test are a really good indicator.

If they do not respond to this or maybe this is just not your forte, that leads us to other concepts like resistant (sorry, but it is still in the vocabulary and should be understood as to why it is not a good term) or permissive. But they are for another day.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Ellie's Act of Kindness - A Guided Meditation



It is finally ready, a bit spur of the moment, but an act of kindness none the less. When considering doing an act of kindness, it seems like big things come to mind - helping others in need, volunteering, and so on. But I have always been an advocate of the everyday human, you know the one, perhaps similar to yourself, who takes care of their own needs and such. Well, this type of human also should have kindness granted (absolutely, do I hear an amen?). That is my focus.

I decided to do something close to the heart of the blog, and therefore have created a a short guided meditation (mp3) for anyone who wants to rediscover kindness. This download (free of course) is 14 minutes long and features no subliminal messages. It is not straight out hypnosis, but close.

Basically it is a relaxation audio that guides the listener through visualizations to inspire and remember kindnesses granted and given.

Please enjoy!

Click here to download

or visit the download page at archive.org.

Thoughts on Acts of Kindness

I am just warming up here. Literally.

Currently I am working on my Bloggers Unite Kindness project, so I am still not ready to disclose it. Trust me, it will be worth coming back. Call it my early Welcome Winter gift to you.

Thank you to all of you who actually participated in this week's poll. You can see the results on the Poll Results posting here. Hope you will participate in this weeks!

With that said, kindness is the topic of the day (yes, we will return to our discuss on forms of hypnosis - specifically authoritarian hypnosis). Yesterday the question I gave you to ponder for the week was: Is there such a thing as a true act of kindness, in that the act does not benefit the person doing it, or is this not a factor?

Guess I shall go ahead and answer this (remember you are invited to do the same). I think acts of kindness do benefit both the receiver of the kindness and the giver. A small act of kindness can change another's outlook for the better so quickly. As for the giver, it can also change that person's outlook as well. If the kindness is well received there can be wonderful feelings related to just knowing you have done something completely pleasant for someone else. It can make you feel fabulous about yourself. And even if the kindness goes unnoticed, at least there is something in knowing that you tried to add a little pleasantness to the world, rather than something a little negative. And yes, I think it should be a factor that the giver gets something good out of the act as well. It is like being rewarded for being positive, thus reinforcing the good behavior.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

An Act of Kindness Question


So, it is Sunday and it is the day before Bloggers Unite Day's Acts of Kindness. And yes, as a hypnotist that has bought into the blogging community, I can hardly let this go by without participating. Plus, kindness has been a key stone to my practice and probable success as a hypnotist, so this is pretty important. It only takes a few of us to create the momentum of change, a butterfly effect that may be felt well out into the world. I tend to believe it should not just be one day that we do acts of kindness, but an everyday occurrence, but hey, it is great to make it a center piece of the day.

Basically, I am still mulling over my own participation, so I am sure you will read about it tomorrow (yep, ya gotta come back). But, if you are planning to participate or want know more, click here for the press release. And of course, you are welcome to post here if you are participating.

But, this leads me to the Sunday Question:

Is there such a thing as a true act of kindness, in that the act does not benefit the person doing it, or is this not a factor?

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Esoteric Chocolate Hypnosis


Perhaps it is a hot chocolate sort of morning. Ever since getting the new mixer, my taste buds are going a bit insane, so when I saw a review for the Dessert Studio at Chocolate Michel Cluizel in New York, I had to talk about it on an Esoteric Saturday.

Now a lot of the men who read this site might be rolling their eyes - woman and chocolate, but I would dare say this is so much more than your variety suburbanite chocolate. How sad, I am salivating and my passion has been inflamed.

Okay, it maybe more the review than the place(though I some how doubt it), but Ryan Sutton from Bloomberg.com wrote this most tantalizing review, and related his experience with a chocolate and spirits tasting to hypnosis. It is brilliant. And I figure, if I can relate to it, those of you reading this would as well.

Yes, I am ready to buy chocolate. And for those of you out there who are tsk-tsking me for daring to talk about this chocolate and spirits urge of mine in relation to a hypnosis blog, I might be tempted to say that I think it is important to stress that we are all human. Moderation is good. But pleasure is also important. Perhaps it is earthly, but here we are...on earth...and denial gets you no where.

So, now if you are ready, off you go to the wild world of chocolate hypnosis.

Friday, December 14, 2007

10 Questions (and a little more) with Laura Lefelar-Barch




Location:
Pompton Lakes, NJ

Cyberspace Locations:
www.lauralefelarbarch.com (under construction) www.hypnosisbylaura.com



1. Are you a full time hypnotist, part-time or hobbyist?

I am a full-time hypnotist and Marriage and Family Therapist located in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey.

2. Do you specialize in any type of hypnosis?

I specialize in treating adult and childhood anxiety disorders. I also specialize in presurgical hypnosis for women who are scheduled for cesarean sections. I developed a unique CD for this, as well as a hugely successful CD for women who have concerns about breastfeeding their child. Another specialty (which dovetails nicely with the anxiety work) is with children with various types of sleep disorders. I enjoy dreamwork, too!

3. Is there any type of hypnosis you do not do? Why?

I’m very careful about hypnotizing someone who wants to recover childhood memories that might include trauma. And although I find hypnosis works GREAT for smoking cessation, I personally haven’t had success working with drug and alcohol addictions.

4. Do you use self-hypnosis regularly in your life? If so, how?

I use self-hypnosis regularly in my life to help me relax at night or go back to sleep if one of my four children wakes me. I also use a product I developed for mindful running so that I can get a moving meditation and my exercise in the same 30 minute time span!

5. Describe your hypnosis office or work setting.

I rent space in a beautiful Victorian home that has been converted to an office building. It's quite lovely. Before that I rented space on a major highway. I also had a space in my home for a short period of time until my four year old opened my office door once!


I have never found an “ideal” place for an office: often there is noise from cars outside on the street, church bells, someone walking around upstairs, or a door slamming nearby.



I just make sure I incorporate the suggestion that “with every sound you hear, deeper and deeper into relaxation.”


6. Describe a typical day in your life.

I wake at 6, take my kids to school by 9, see clients on the hour (both hypnotherapy and psychotherapy) until 3 p.m. when I pick up my kids again. Two nights a week, after I feed everyone dinner, I return to work from 6:45 to 9:30/10

7. Where did you get your training in hypnosis and are you certified?

I am a certified hypnotist trained locally by an NGH-approved trainer.

8. Most fabulous hypnosis technique you use?

I love it when I can make a suggestion that really wows the client… and it’s different for everyone. Lately, when kids giggle during the induction, I incorporate the suggestion that laughter is just the body’s way of relaxing. It’s amazing how well this works!

9. Worse moment ever in a hypnosis setting that ended up being a valuable learning experience.

I think my worst moment ever in hypnosis was trying to hypnotize my father so that he could stop a bad habit. Lesson learned? Think twice before agreeing to hypnotize a skeptical family member!

10. Any words of advice to potential clients or other hypnotist?

For potential hypnosis clients: hypnosis is an amazing tool, but don’t believe in the magic of One-Session-Hypnosis. Sure, sometimes one session is all you need (i.e. smoking cessation), but if you’re new to hypnosis, a few sessions will help you become comfortable with the hypnotist and the trance-like state, and ensure success.

Laura added a few more questions and answers:

Funniest moment in hypnosis:

Once I had a client come for weight loss hypnosis (she believed in the one-session-cure). She talked a mile a minute until I put her into trance, and upon returning to the room, she bounced right up and resumed talking as if she never stopped. Since this isn't typical of the client emerging from trance, I thought for sure that she wasn't hypnotized and wouldn't lose an ounce. She went on to lose 15 pounds and refer me five weight loss clients!

Most unique hypnosis request:

An actor come for hypnosis so that he would perform more convincingly in his act! It worked beautifully!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

A Bee in the Frog Pond

As you may know, I do occasionally partake in paid blogging. I participate in programs that I control what I write about and how I do it.

But, there is a new resource called the frogpond. Basically what this is is a site where one can participate in reviewing sites and sources. It is not direct paid marketing, but more about true experience. The last post I posted on this blog involved one such example.

You might enjoy being involved with it, as well.


Frogpond Badge

Ideas for Staying Healthy This Season

So, have you added heavy whipping cream to your coffee beverage yet? LOL. Today, I am back to tea. One can only indulge so much...Moderation.

Thank you to all the well-wishers who watched my silly video yesterday morning. It is off the topic a bit, but alas, it is part of my blogging life. Hope you enjoyed it.

With weather changes and winter months upon us in the States, I always wonder how many of our colds and flu symptoms may be caused through the act of suggestion. Could it be more than cemetery weather? I have had an influx of clients who are suddenly facing depression (sun light deprivation, maybe?) and it seems like once those sad thoughts enter into the mix, their immunity for staying well seems to decrease. It seems a common phrase around here "It's that time of year, you know how it is." (Hence the expectation to get sick). I would love to say, "No, I don't," but that would be untrue. Whether it is my own personal stress of holiday expectations (did I get the right gift for that person), more contact with people (those holiday parties) or picking up on how others feel, I do experience a little less than optimum heath opportunities. I suspect I am not alone.

I have been reading Virtual Juice Daily, a web site that offers tips and information on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. On Tuesday, they ran an article called Bah-hum that Bug that I feel is particularly poignant for all of us. It offers ideas such as drinking rosehip tea (guess that is right up my alley - how about you?) to the idea about making sure you get enough exercise and wash your hands (do not rub your eyes). My partner feels that this last idea may be a bit trickier. He believes that by carrying around hand sanitizers and using them every time you come into contact with others, this lessens your natural immunity to germs. I still find myself preferring to avoid sickness, though.

Oh, this same web site also mentioned something interesting that may helps those of us who are involved in the weight loss industry. It is a food craving chart. It talks about typical cravings and what they may be a sign of, or what it is that your body really needs.

Visit Vital Juice Daily and try a glass of rosehip tea.

Also, if you have any suggestions on keeping the body and mind healthy during the holiday season, we would love to hear your suggestions or thoughts.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Still Testing

We are still puttering along our exploration of forms of hypnosis. So far, we have covered traditional hypnosis and elements that are inherent in it and other types of hypnosis. These include intake procedures, the pre-talk, and testing a person's hypnotizability. We have also covered a few types of inductions including progressive relaxation and those that are analytical.

If you are blinking at this screen and wondering when I discussed hypnotizability, you will find the beginnings of it in my posts on analytic testing. To sum that up, there are test that help the hypnotist know how the client is dealing with certain information, in other words, do they think and analyze the suggestions or do they tend to be more suggestible.

Bill balked a bit at this discussion, and I have to say I tend to agree with him. He mentioned that the way I described it, it sounded more like personality typing, which really is not the case most of the time. As I have come to learn, I am not so sure the idea of analytic testing is the correct idea.

Sometimes the testing is done under other names and ideas, which I find more appropriate. These include permissive, authoritarian, and or resistant (a word that several hypnotists feel should be removed from the hypnosis glossary). Testing may also be done to understand how you process information.

So, stay tuned as we discuss all this and more.

The Morning and the Mixer

Morning...she said shuffling to the coffee pot, sticking the coffee filter in its place, pouring in the water and hitting the grind button. She looks at her feet, which are being stepped upon by two noisy cats wishing to be indulged with their breakfast. After seeing to this, she slides into her chair and faces another laptop morning. And so it is with me, a pleasant ritual, a rite of passage for the rest of the day.

But sometimes, yes, sometimes, I crave a different beat for the beginning of the morning - something that will pep up the day and renew myself for the blogging and hypnosis world. Very recently, I posted a fun little post and video about my Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer fantasy and low and behold the unreal happened. I have been propelled into the another consciousness, that of being one of the winners of this very thing.

It arrived pronto yesterday morning, all boxed and handed to me by a very sassy UPS delivery guy. It took all my meditative power not to just tear into it, but to open the box in an adult, sophisticated, coffee drinker way. Slowly, carefully, patiently.

Now there it sits on the counter, all lemon yellow and POWER, waiting, just waiting. And the moment arrives. This is the answer to my morning craving.

I present to you, my Hamilton Beach® Mixer morning (along with the recipe):




The Transparent Hypnotist's Recipe for Excellent Coffee
Ingredients:
  • Enough coffee to make a really strong pot
  • A dash of Cinnamon
  • A small carton of heavy whipping cream

Directions:
  • Before making the pot of coffee in whatever way that suits you, add the dash of cinnamon into the ground coffee. You may want to make this pot a bit stronger than normal. Allow the coffee to go through its natural coffee making cycle.
  • While the coffee is dripping, perking, boiling, or whatever your method, attach the whipping tool to your mixer, pour the heavy whipping cream into the mixing bowl and set the speed on a higher one (8-10 on the Eclectrics® Mixer.), and whip the cream until it forms peaks.
  • When the coffee is finished and is almost ready to consume, pour a cup and place a dollop (or two...or three) onto of the coffee. Sprinkle this with a little more cinnamon, and you are almost done.
  • Then take the coffee to your computer hangout, visit me, the transparent hypnotist, and savor your new morning side of adventure.



Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Ellie's Favorite Five - Analytic Hypnosis Inductions

Since we are exploring the subject of analytic minds, here are my five favorite analytical scripts (this week) with you. When you look at these, you may notice that they are a bit different from the progressive relaxation inductions I posted a few weeks ago. These involve a form of giving the conscious mind a task to focus on or adding an element of confusion to the mix and thus stopping the mind in its tracks and causing it to take a coffee break.

  1. Healing Stories and Scripts - Chaplain Paul G. Durbin - An Induction for the Analytical and Indirect Suggestible Client. This is Paul's adaption of a script by Gordon Boyd. It is based on the idea of referencing the client's experience of the hypnotic process and with a touch of little guided imagery suggestion.
  2. Alliance Self-Empowerment, Inc. - Roy Hunter - Inductions for Analytical Resisters - Roy is one of my personal heroes in the world of hypnosis. I have learned so much from all his books that I just had to include him. This link takes you to his theories and ideas about analytic resisters and how to create an induction for them. It is not a straight script in that you can just print it out and read it to your next client, but it takes each section of the induction and explains it.
  3. Hypnosense.com - Terrance Watts - Seven Plus or Minus Two. Michael and I are both big fans of this particular script. It is based on the idea that the conscious mind can hold a certain number of separate thoughts at one time. There is much thinking and maintaining in this induction.
  4. Andy Moore Hypnosis - Double Dice Deepening or Induction. Andy presents an interesting script here that keeps the mind occupied with visualizations and tasks, along with suggestions for relaxation.
  5. The Blackboard. This is one of my favorite inductions that I actually use for a deepener. It works really well for most people, no matter what personality. You will notice no link to this. It is because I could not find a free version of it in which to include. Just do an internet search for it and consider buying it from someone. It involves visualization, asking the client to pay no attention to your words, and suggestions for relaxation.

Monday, December 10, 2007

The Voice on the Other Side of Cyberville

With my intern done with the semester, she has left it up to me to continue the road to better marketing. So one thing I have seen recently and have wondered about is creating more functionality to my business website with a "click here to call" button that would allow clients to save a step in dialing my number. This could be done for scheduling sessions, answering questions or even doing a phone session. Would it not make a potential client feel more connected to you, if they could click a button on a website and reach you personally?

When I received the press release (that follows this)for Ifbyphone - "The Voice of the Web", I actually tried the demo. Sure it connects you to their sales pitch, but it is a pretty interesting concept. One might think this is the ultimate lazy person thing - not using energy to dial a phone number - but let's face it, society likes any sort of reduction of steps.

Do any of you use this sort of thing on your websites? If so, what are your thoughts?

Press Release:

Ifbyphone Releases revolutionary Phone-Me-Now: the world’s first Zero Configuration Click to Call
With 100 free minutes per month Phone-Me-Now

Promises to be biggest Killer App of 2008

Chicago, IL: December, 2007 - Ifbyphone, a voice infrastructure and applications development company providing enterprise class services to Small and Medium sized Businesses (SMB’s), has just released a solution destined to revolutionize the web to voice space: Phone-Me-Now, a zero configuration click to call application. To introduce Phone-Me-Now to hundreds of thousands of businesses that will be able to use it as a sales tool, Ifbyphone is making it available free of charge for 6 months and providing the first 100 minutes per month of usage for free as well.

This patent pending solution can be integrated in less then 60 seconds into any website, email or hyperlinked document and requires no experience to configure. It’s literally the Internet’s first instant voice mash up tool.
"While many companies provide click to call services we were troubled by how complex they are to use. Users had to cut and paste HTML or javascript, rendering these services outside of the technical reach of thousands of businesses. Once we designed this patent pending solution we configured our existing smart click to call services to work with the Phone-Me-Now interface." says Irv Shapiro, Founder and CEO of Ifbyphone. The zero configuration Phone-Me-Now service is literally the Holy Grail of web to telephone integration and ease of use.

Using Phone-Me-Now is as simple as typing:

www.phone-me-now/your-business-number

into any web site, Word Document, Powerpoint Presentation, Spreadsheet, PDF or email. When a reader clicks on the link they are prompted for their telephone number and the Ifbyphone systems call your business, calls the reader and conferences the call. Phone-Me-Now works with any telephone number you register on your Ifbyphone account.

"We wanted to eliminate any barriers to basic click to call, and know that Phone-Me-Now will immediately set an industry standard for rapid deployment. If the Internet is all about speed and response, what could be a more appropriate Killer App for 2008 than Phone-Me-Now, which puts a business owner in instant voice communication with their customers," adds Shapiro.

Free Phone-Me-Now accounts can be updated to additional Ifbyphone packages that include:

- Click to Call with Custom Dialog Forms
- Integrated Call Routing and Reporting
- Find Me
- Virtual Voice Mail
- Virtual Receptionist
- Outbound Voice Broadcast
- Web Configured Voice Dialogs (Hosted IVR)
- Call Recording
- Backend Database Integration
- A Complete Call Management API

All Ifbyphone solutions work with any telephone system and are fully portable if a company moves from one telephone transport vendor to another.

# # #


About Ifbyphone

Ifbyphone is a hosted voice application and platform company with a simplified approach to the deployment of stand-alone and web-integrated voice services for small and medium sized businesses (SMB). Combining advanced telephony and web services, Ifbyphone's web-integrated voice applications turn the small business telephone into a powerful tool, increasing lead generation, improving sales conversion and enhancing the customer experience. Ifbyphone makes it easier for customers to connect with you from online and off. All of Ifbyphone's applications are accessible via a click on a Web site, an inbound call to a toll free number, an outbound call or with the help of a programmable API. Our configuration and deployment tools look and feel just like Web applications, and require no previous knowledge of telephony programming or terminology.
Previously available only to large enterprises, Ifbyphone is delivering these converged voice and web solutions at affordable monthly fees, with no major upfront costs. The company's services are available online and through a network of SMB value-added resellers.



Polling

Here we are again. The start of another week, and yet, the same old tea. Perhaps a slice of sweet potato pie for breakfast would be a nice change.

One person answered my pole this week on intake sheets (thank you for that). Did the rest of you find it uninteresting, not clear, or could not relate to it? Hmmm. Perhaps I should keep the poll more general? Any thoughts? It really is my goal to keep this interesting for those returning. If there is something else you would like to see here, please let me know.

I do like to keep the polls going with a similar theme to things that are happening on the blog. So maybe, this new one will be about the internal mind processes.

The recent postings here have been about the analytic mind. I may have done it a great disservice by throwing in the word "creative." Though testing for the analytical mind may sound similar to Myers Briggs, it really is not. It all has to do, I believe, with how one processes information given by a particular hypnotist. And it may also have to do with time. There are times personally when I do extremely well, if not better, with analytic inductions. This is usually when I am in a group session or feel uncomfortable. However, with others, I do really well with relaxation processes and visualization.

When I get a little more time, I will post what I really think about analytic testing and such.

P.S.
I am receiving many comments that I interrupt as spam. If you have commented and had it rejected and think it should be posted, please let me know (ellie.blunt at gmail.com). Also, the one criteria I have for including comments is that it have something to do with the posting for which it is attached. Advertising does not count. If you have a subject you think would make a good new topic, please email me and I will consider it.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

An Analytical Question

If you have been reading the comment section for the recent discussion on analytic typing in hypnosis, you will know that Bill and I are honing in on the semantics of this idea.

So, this has me wondering if any of you other hypnotist out there test for people who are more susceptible to analytic hypnosis inductions? Or if you are a person who has experienced hypnosis, do you prefer analytical inductions? If so, we would love to hear your thoughts or experiences with an analytic inductions.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

A Marketing Idea and a Blog Review

One of my dearest friends, who has just received his certification in hypnosis(NGH), lives in California. A recent phone conversation between us became a brain storming session. He is one of those souls who got into mental health and addiction counseling because he felt the angry bite of drug addiction. Chasing dragons grew tiresome for him and he spent a few years in various programs and treatment centers, and this made him weary. What turned his life around was, you guessed it, hypnosis. Since then he has been devoted to hypnosis and preaching its good word.

In looking at the Los Angeles Criminal Defense Blog | California Criminal Attorneys Law Blog, I was pleased to find their posting on how they deal with their clients who have drug related offenses. They work toward getting the client treatment as part of the sentencing as opposed to just allowing clients to be thrown into jail. There may be cynics reading this who smirk at the idea (I have a few clients who went this route, thought rehab was a joke, but the eventually ended up at my doorstep looking for help).

On a side note, the above mentioned blog is interesting because it does not rely on legaleses to get their points across. It is written for the "everyman" and is quite informative. That is the positive thing about the blogisphere, it makes complicated subjects more understandable and in the case of the blog in question, it makes the lawyers seem less intimidating. (P.S. the above photo is the lawyer who writes the blog).

So, in talking to my friend, he was such a person who did avoid jail time and embraced the recovery process. In our brain storming, it became really clear that he should make himself know to lawyers. How often we forget that they might refer clients our way. We got lost in the whole issue of regression hypnosis somewhere. But there is so much more we can offer, such as being part of the addiction cessation processes, anger management, and probably much more.

An Esoteric Chance to Help

Ah, breathing time. Coffee time. Life is good.

And as promised, I am back for an Esoteric Saturday. The topic of today's post is one of hope and mind set. It also heralds from the news, but really is not trivial.

Today's topic is the story about PC Hilario Riviero, a police officer. His is a positive story (hopefully) about self-healing. When responding to an incident in Buen Intento, Princes Town, he was badly beaten and is now at the San Fernando General Hospital. He has been there for a month with spinal and renal injuries after attempting to intervene in an attack on a woman and instead was beaten himself by a father and son team.

Because his injured leg has gone numb, surgery seems a likely consequence. However Riviero is working on self-healing through having a positive mind set and using hypnosis techniques. He has been reading books about the subject. Both he and others believe they see improvement. Where he was not able to move, there is some movement now.

When I read stories like this, I have the huge urge to locate the person involved and voluntarily offer my services to help them. But in this case, it is huge urge with no funds to do so. But...but...maybe just maybe...one of you might be in a position to help? If you are in the Trinidad area, perhaps this is an opportunity to provide a random act of kindness...The hospital's phone number is 1-868-652-3581.

Source:
The Trinidad and Tobago Express

Friday, December 7, 2007

Perfect

Good morning, All!

No time to breathe or have coffee this morning. A terribly crazy day lies ahead for me. So,no normal blog programming today. We will be back tomorrow with Esoteric Saturday.

until then I leave you with a recent quote from a daily calendar.


Each one of you is perfect as you are. And you all could use a little bit of improvement.

SHUNRYU SUZUKI

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Just How Analytical Are You?


When you think to yourself, do you want a cup of coffee because it is warm and comforting or do you want a cup of tea because it is refreshing, your decision is based on a series of analytical processes. For instance, I am drinking tea this morning because my analytic prowess's say that I am too lazy to make a pot of coffee. LOL.

When I learned about various hypnotism theories, it was stressed that there is an analytical scale on which everyone can be charted. Finding out a client's place on this chart would help the hypnotist know what sort of induction to use that would benefit the client. If the client was found to be very analytic, relaxing in general might be difficult for that person, so progressive relaxation would not be the best way to begin to bring about a state of hypnosis.

The Analytical Scale
On one side of the analytical scale is a person who is a hundred percent analytical, which seems to mean totally rational and not so prone to uses of the imagination. On the other side is the exact opposite of this. It is a person who is extremely creative and very imaginative. Often this is shown as a line chart, but I think the idea of scale is much better. A scale has to balance and it creates a whole. In a line chart, this does not matter and so how can a person be balanced?

Testing for the Analytic Client
Sounds ominous, does it not? Really, it is very simple stuff that is more fun than not. This sort of thing may also be called testing for hypnotizability (is that even a word?), which is often done during stage hypnosis shows. Perhaps you have seen or experienced the whole "clasping your hands together and not being able to separate them" phenomenon?

The Old Balloon and Sand Bag Test
One of the most famous test is that of closing your eyes, holding your arms straight out in front of the body, one palm turned up and the other down. Imagine or think about a balloon being tied to the wrist of the hand that is facing upwards. It is light and airy and begins to pull that arm upwards. Now, on the other wrist facing downwards, a bag of sand is looped over it and the weight drags the arm down. Mind you, the hypnotist guides you through this, also employing his or her voice to give the suggestions of the balloon pulling the arm up and the bag of sand pulling the other down. You are then asked to open your eyes and look at your arms. If the balloon arm is higher than then the sand one, it is believed that you are able to bypass the analytic side of your mind and use your imagination to image the weight changes. If your arms remained the same, it may mean that your analytic mind kicked in and said something to the affect of "there is no balloon or bag of sand, so why move the arms?"

So, what does this all mean? If the hypnotist believes that you are more analytical, the suggestion work of the session with revolve around giving your conscious mind tasks to focus on and occupy it while the hypnotist inputs the suggestions.

Also, confusion may be added into the mix on purpose to help bring about a new state of consciousness. What these procedures do is more of less catch you off guard and move you rapidly into a hypnotic state. They work on an element of surprise. Another confusion techniques is to overload the conscious mind to a point where it basically gives up critical thought processes and essentially takes a coffee break.

Where Words Fail
Some hypnotist use a form of hypnosis they term analytical hypnosis. To the transparent hypnotist, this would mean using the idea of keeping the mind focused on certain activities to create change. However, in researching this a bit, it sounds more like a hypnotherapy process of analysis, rather than analytic process. So, I will not be discussing "analytical" hypnosis because I disagree with the terminology, though I may cover the same concepts under a different title.

What say you?

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Potential of Using Hypnosis with Deep Brain Stimulation

As a hypnotist I occasionally run into things that I would rather not know. This ranges from people growing up in abusive households to certain medical procedures. Just the idea of these procedures is enough to turn my blood cold, but then I have to remind myself I am too far into this to turn my back on a few queasy moments.

Today is a case in point. I had a consultation with a young woman whose mother is dealing with Parkinson's disease. It is not so much the disease that requires my services but to assist with another therapeutic procedure called Deep Brain Stimulation (this is the part I almost would rather not know about). According to an article on Bettercare.com about Parkinson's disease, this procedure is a form of brain surgery, where electrodes are implanted into areas of the brain to stimulate it. A battery runs this and is placed under the skin in the patient's chest. The battery creates electrical signals. These signals are there to block any abnormal nerve signals that cause the Parkinson tremors.

From what the daughter tells me, her mother has the same reaction I have to this therapy. It sounds great, but I would not want to go through it - neither does she. However, she has read about hypnosis as being a possible way to get through the treatment (that and from the recent post about hypnosis used for anesthesiology for tonsillectomies). If the treatment works out, it will be the difference between living with her family or living in nursing homes for the rest of her existance, not to mention the symptoms of Parkinson's, as well.

So, the next step will involve me meeting with her and if she feels good about me, we will go forward by discussing with her doctor the potential of her using hypnosis to get through the procedure.

A Quick Good Morning

I am off to a late start so this will have to be a quick, throw down the Espresso conversation. I did not want you to think I had forgotten you.

Here's a thought for meditation: According to Jack Kornfield in A Path with a Heart, we should look at our difficulties as challenges that lead to positive transformation, if we go about the challenges correctly. If we use what bothers us, little or big, learn from it and embrace it as a life lesson, we move forward in our evolution (this is paraphrased from chapter 6). all our little road blocks are really pitt-stops for refueling.

It is a very timely read with all the Internet page rank issues abounding for those of us who are paid bloggers.

Trying to stay positive.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Moving on to the Pre-talk

The next stop in our discussion of what happens during a hypnosis session. Last we discussed intake processes.

So, you have filled out the intake form and you sit, maybe twiddling your thumbs, drinking a cup of tea and wondering what comes next. The hypnotist shows no signs of moving and seems like he or she is just chatting with you.

"Great," you think, "I did not come here for idle chatter. Let's get on with it."

The things is, you are getting on with it. This is the part of a hypnosis session called the pre-talk. It is extremely important. This is the opportunity for you to ask all the questions that maybe circling your mind, and you should ask them. Even if it seems like a silly questions (or the dreaded stupid question) - ASK IT! If the hypnotist makes you feel bad for asking anything, well, you should just get up and thank him or her for their time and get the heck out of there.

This is also the time when the hypnotist will give you more background on his or her processes, maybe a little background on the subject of what has brought you there, and will learn about you. Your expectations of the session may be discussed and you may find yourself doing some little tasks that help the hypnotist learn about how you process information. Are you a visualizer, more audibly reactive, or Kinesthetic, to name a few? They may also determine where you fall on an analytical scale. We will talk about this next in an upcoming post.

There are many hypnotist who feel the pre-talk is the most important part of the session. Not only does it lay the ground work and set the tone for the hypnotic work, it often begins the suggestion work. There is often a form of hypnosis at play during this time. It is called conversational hypnosis. Now do not panic. This is no different than many conversations you have through out your life, especially the conversations that influence you to behave a certain way. It is employed in advertising and debate. In fact, you have probably done it to others (been the hypnotist in this case) without ever knowing it.

This is a good stopping place here because it deserves a post in its own right. So stayed tuned. Shortly we will cover the concept of analytic types, conversational hypnosis, and suggestion work in traditional hypnosis.

Would You Like a Coke After Your Tonsils are Removed?

During my cleaning process yesterday, I refound an article about a recent tonsillectomy done under hypnosis with fabulous results. Have you read about this yet? If not, read on.

The operation took place in Johannesburg, Africa at the Milpark Hospital. The person who was hypnotized with anesthesia hypnosis was Liesl van Dreau (the article also cites her age at 35 - why do we need to know this?). So, happy recovery Ms. van Dreau and good for you for giving this a go!

According to the article, no painkillers or anesthetics were given during the operation, nor did she use antibiotics or anti-inflammatory tablets after the fact. And the wonderful thing is that not only did she not have to endure the side affects of the painkillers and anesthesia (grogginess, nausea, and all those fabulous things), when in the recovery room, she was able to drink a soda and even eat. She was in recovery for an hour, then discharged from the hospital, and was able to go back to work within three days of the operation. This is great news for those of us who have difficulty with anesthesia and sensitivity to pain killers, but it is also fabulous for everyone else. Who would not want to come out of surgery like that? And I would think the insurance companies would be all over it - so much less time in the hospital equals less money for the procedure.

The other thing you should know about Ms. van Dreau is that this all came about because she was taking a course in hypnotherapy. An anesthesiologist from Milpark Hospital also took the course and asked a surgeon, Dr Kishen Dayal, if he would do Ms.Van Dreau's tonsil surgery using hypnosis for anesthesia. After meeting with her, Dr. Dayal agreed to try it, using specific surgical instruments to minimize bleeding. In the end, only half a swab was needed for the blood loss.

The hypnotist was Tom Budge (Johannesburg), whom Ms. van Dreau saw twice before the surgery to prepare for it. During the surgery (took her six minutes to be hypnotized), Budge gave her suggestions to control the bleeding, to be pain free and that she was doing well.

Another feather for our cap, I would say!


Source: New24.com

Monday, December 3, 2007

Holiday Gift Idea -The Gift of Summer

Today is a work catch-up and clean-up day. On my to do list are several things including a little holiday shopping for Gifts. I received the following press release for gift baskets and I looked up baskets of relaxation. They all have candles and scented things, but it would it not be fun to give real relaxation? Perhaps a gift basket of "summer" including guided meditations for a day at the beach, some sand (maybe), and a bathing suit (bet you can find some on the clearance racks. LOL). just a thought.

Here is the Press Release that inspired this:

DelightfulDeliveries.com Recognized as Hot 100 Retail Website

Internet Retailer Ranks Website Among Best in Nation for 2008

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DelightfulDeliveries.com, the premiere Internet Gift Retailer and America’s #1 Gift Basket Website, today announced it has been named one of The Hot 100 Retail Websites for 2008 by leading industry magazine, Internet Retailer. The Hot 100 list represents the best of what retailers are doing online, highlighting innovation and setting the standards in online for what the rest of the industry should be doing.

DelightfulDeliveries.com, a privately-held company, with one of the largest and most unique selections of gourmet gifts, ranked alongside larger sites such as Dell, Nike and Amazon.com, by building its award-winning site on selection, functionality, speed and the complete customer experience. A recent re-design has improved the customer’s shopping experience to make holiday gift-giving easy and enjoyable, including rating and reviews, behavioral recommendations and free shipping offers.

“We are extremely honored to be recognized as a pacesetter in online retailing,” said Eric Lituchy, Founder and CEO of DelightfulDeliveries.com. “We pride ourselves on using the latest technology to make gift-giving fun and easy. Being named among the best in the nation validates we are succeeding in our efforts to deliver the best possible customer experience.”

In addition to making Internet Retailer’s The Hot 100 list for 2008, DelightfulDeliveries.com was recently recognized by Inc. Magazine as part of its Inc. 5000, which highlights the fastest growing private companies.

DelightfulDeliveries.com offers over 2000 unique and delicious gifts from America’s best brands to the finest boutique shops. Consumers can easily shop the site by gift or food category, occasion, type and best-seller. Corporate gift-givers can choose from hundreds of customized gourmet treats.

For additional information, and to see a complete selection of gifts available, visit www.DelightfulDeliveries.com.

About Delightful Deliveries

DelightfulDeliveries.com is an award-winning website that began in 1998 and quickly established itself as one of the premier Internet gift retailers. Its mission is to bring great products to gift-givers, while providing world-class service. The company selects its offerings from a broad variety of fine food gift products for consumers and for corporate gifts, and gathers them in one place to make the selection process quick and simple.

A Change and A Great Idea

If you are new to this blog, you may not have noticed, but last night I added something new to it that I hope adds some functionality. There are now over 300 post here (since April), so I suspect if one were to look for something specific (though there is the search feature at the very top left) or to find particular topics, it could be a bit difficult. There is an option in blogger to to list labels, but this blog has many of those. So, on the right column, you will now find a Table of Contents (sort of) that will probably grow and transform as we continue. With this, I have put the poll results there as opposed to publishing them every Monday. That list is getting long as well. If you have any thoughts on this, please let me know.

Also, to start to week off, I just wanted to mention a particular blog I have come across. It is called alycatsclaws.com. I am sharing this with you because I think she has a brilliant idea. Though as far as I know, she has not tried hypnosis, it is a journal of her progress in weight loss through Weight Watchers. She is 26 and lives in Guam, and uses the blog to share her journey and experiences as she comes closer to her weight loss goals. She also employs a few widgets such as BMI (Body Mass Index) and Weight Watchers Points (not too familiar with that) that are rather handy. It seems like this is a great tool and motivator for those in the same situation. Kudos, Alycat!

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Ellie's Favorite Five - Hypnosis Intake Forms

Since one of the subjects that we are focusing on are intake forms, I have included links for Ellie's favorite five intake forms. They are all very different, but worth sharing. There is a lot one can learn by looking at these.

  1. Harwell Hypnosis & Healing - Janet Harwell's intake form is very inclusive and makes a point of mentioning the comfort process, in other words, does the client wear contacts and is it a problem to have one's eyes closed for a 45 minutes or more duration. It also ask about hearing problems (brilliant) and if the client would like any religious references mentioned. It is available online as a word document or a PDF.
  2. Advanced Hypnotherapy Services - Rex A. Jones's intake form is a three page PDF download. It includes a disclosure and consent form for hypnosis/hypnotherapy, client history and medical background, and a client consulting agreement that both Rex and the client signs. This is very straight forward and basic, but the addition of the disclosure and agreement as a nice touch of professionalism.
  3. Insyht Hypnotherapy - Natasha Khachaturian has her intake form as a form to be filled out online. It asks both medical information and questions about the client's goals and has great functionality to it.
  4. Addison Hypnosis Center - John Evans' intake form is short and sweet. I love the questions "What are you doing, feeling, thinking or saying to yourself that you would like to change?" and "What experience would you like to be having instead?" This is a text format download.
  5. Vital Voice - Joanne Padawer's intake form blew me away. It is a 12 page download, but talk about thorough. Six pages are typical hypnosis intake questions with a fair amount of space to give answers. It also includes a stress level profile, a challenges checklist, and a release statement.