“What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.”
Clinical Hypnosis
Michele Lucas is certified by the
American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
(www.asch.net)
What is Clinical Hypnosis?
Clinical Hypnosis focuses on emotional and psychological conditions for which people enter psychotherapy. It can be the primary treatment of choice for some disorders and conditions, or an adjunct to other kinds of treatment, such as medical or surgical.
Clinical Hypnosis is also used for a variety of other problems-in-living. For example, many people simply want to improve their performance in some area, or their chances for goal achievement. There are also people who want to retrieve something from memory.
What is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is simply an altered state of consciousness; a state of intense focused concentration, with partial or complete exclusion of awareness of outside activity. Hypnosis works much like a magnifying glass in the sunlight. When we focus and concentrate our mind’s attention, it allows us to use our mind in a much more powerful way. In simple terms hypnosis is best described as being so absorbed in something (daydreaming, concentrating intently on a project, watching a movie, reading a book you can’t put down) that awareness of things going on around you fades into the background of awareness. And when the activity ends, it is common to have to reorient to the external world. This is also the case with hypnosis. This hyper-focused state occurs spontaneously and frequently as part of normal brain activity.
Hypnosis also allows us to use more of our mind. It is commonly believed that we are consciously aware of between 5 and 9 bits of information in any one moment, and much of our life-long learning recedes into the unconscious realm. Hypnosis can help retrieve stored information from a part of the mind that is not fully conscious, and apply that information to a present need.
Everyone experiences hypnosis in their own way. Some are disappointed because they expect to feel being in trance. This usually happens when the person doesn’t have adequate understanding of how hypnosis works. Many describe experiencing more than one level of awareness simultaneously. Research supports that even when a person doesn’t think hypnosis has worked, targeted symptoms still improve within a few days. Most often people in hypnosis are conscious of what is occurring in the moment, while simultaneously becoming aware of other information that seems to simply pop into awareness. For those who are concerned about being able to remember the session, I can record the session for clients to take home.
What is the best way to use hypnosis for change?
The answer to this question is simple, yet profound. Our imagination changes our internal experience. If you don’t believe it, just begin to imagine something dreadful. Even before you are consciously aware of it, your body goes into the fight, flight or freeze mode. This occurs because parts of the brain can’t discern between what is really happening and what we fear might happen. Recognizing and changing spontaneous, negative imagining is important to our quality of life. It contributes to anxiety, depression, low-self esteem, and physical illness; and always makes an already difficult situation worse.
When we engage our mind in positive imagining, we can change our mental, emotional and physical being. For instance, when we imagine being in a very peaceful place, it can facilitate deep relaxation and comfort.
Can everyone be hypnotized?
Most people have differing talents for hypnosis. For example, in using imagination some people are able to see things, hear things, imagine the physical sensations of things, and even smell or taste things. However, many of us find we’re only able to imagine one or two of these sensory modalities very well.
Clinical Hypnosis treats a variety of psychological and emotional conditions, including but not limited to…
- Anxiety, panic, specific phobias
- Behavioral Problems
- Depression
- Internal conflict
- Enhancing concentration, academic and athletic performance
- Habit Disorders like smoking, teeth grinding
- Strengthening self esteem self efficacy and confidence
- Stress management and relaxation
- Interruption of intense emotional states
- Relationship problems
- Obesity, eating and body image disorders
For more information, please call Michele at 203-852-9874
