Although I am primarily a comedy hypnotist, I find myself very frequently being pressed into the more therapeutic aspects of hypnosis because people come up to me after the shows with personal concerns. I’ve noticed that I am especially busy during the holidays…Well, let’s  make that swamped. Now that we’re  yet again plunged into the holiday vortex, stress levels and their accompanying triggers are on infra-red.

Sheila* struggled all year with her weight. She is also very social and loves to partake of every single holiday event to which she’s been given an invitation. Socializing to her meant a green light to eat whatever struck her fancy and she’d stuff herself till she got ill. Every year, in spite of good intentions paired with a zealous commitment to unyielding will power, she ended up gaining about 8lbs during this time period. This happened every year.

Jeff* was a smoker who had quit numerous  times. However, what got him started again was the ever abundant dysfunctional family dynamic. At holiday time they were more distressing than usual. So Jeff relied on cigarettes to calm himself when this happened. He got triggered and then he smoked. He knew he was sabotaging his health when he did that, but found himself unable to resist this compulsion…

Laura* got absolutely morose during this time of year. She’s alone without many social connections, and found the concept of big joyous families celebrating together, while she was alone in her apartment microwaving a pre-packaged dinner, a trigger for the depression that mounts and lasts until the new year starts.

Gary* struggled with procrastination and a lack of motivation. As a direct result, he had significant financial problems. Every year he made resolutions to correct those things so he could be more productive and financially sound. Every year this lasted about 10 days and then he’d be back where he started. He knew what he needed to do but didn’t understand why he couldn’t keep the resolutions.

All 4 of these people came to me after a show, perplexed about why they as rational human beings succumbed to patterns that were ultimately detrimental to their happiness and well being. For each one I explained that their conscious mind understood exactly what the “right” ways to approach these issues are. But, the problem lies within the confines of the subconscious mind. It is there that our memories, emotions and belief systems are lodged. As a hypnotist it is my job to assist them in bypassing the conscious mind in order to access the subconscious mind. It is from there that we make the necessary inroads so that the individual can process their challenges in the most constructive way possible.

I am delighted to report that each one of these 4 people, through hypnosis, conquered the issues that troubled them.

Hypnosis is a wonderful tool to foster personal transformation. One learns to diffuse the sub-conscious triggers that propel us into the very behaviors we wish to eliminate. It’s relaxing. It’s safe. It’s life impacting.

*Not their real names