Contact me at laura@hypnowellness.net or 360.533.8676 for a free consultation, and we can discuss whether hypnotherapy is appropriate for you.

If you are new to the idea of hypnotherapy, but you are curious about the power of the mind...

First, congratulations! This is a journey that will not disappoint you. Not only is there a wealth of literature from professionals that continues to grow and reveal the potential of hypnotherapy, there is also a great deal of scientific work being done today that proves the body-mind connection. As we gain new evidence that our bodies are less mechanistic (made up of isolated parts that do not directly impact each other) and more like holistic communication systems, where thoughts and feelings have a great influence, we unveil new dimensions of the mind-body connection.

What's more -- you can be your own "scientist" by using self-hypnosis to learn more about this connection and your own innate power. Check my Reading List for some suggestions for getting started.

Finally, I encourage you to bookmark this site and return often. This is a work in progress, and I'll continue to add information and links that you may find helpful and interesting.

What to look for in a hypnotherapist...plus a little bit about myself

It's important to trust and respect your hypnotherapist. You should seek out someone who has certified classroom training -- not just a diploma from an online class. While online classes can be helpful as introductions to the work, this is very personal work that takes a high degree of sensitivity and skill that simply can not be obtained from reading or watching videos alone.

I have been researching and studying this field for 11 years since my own experience with hypnosis for natural childbirth (Read my story). I have a Bachelor's degree in psychology from St. Martin's University and am a certified clinical hypnotherapist with over 350 hours of certified classroom instruction through the American Council of Hypnotist Examiners (A.C.H.E.).

As a life-long student, I have studied with many hypnotherapy masters, including Randal Churchill, Director of the Hypnotherapy Training Institute (HTI) in Corte Madera and author of Become the Dream: The Transforming Power of Hypnotic Dreamwork and Regression Hypnotherapy: Transcripts of Transformation; HTI co-Director and master teacher, Marleen Mulder; the legendary Ormond McGill; and Gil Boyne, one of modern hypnotherapy's pioneers and the creator of Transforming Therapy™, among others.

Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy: How to separate fact from fiction?

I encourage consumers to use discernment when considering hypnotherapy. As with just about anything, there is a lot of hype out there, especially on the internet. Unfortunately, it's easy to find amazing guarantees of a wide variety of miraculous results. You name the desire and chances are good you can find a hypnotist who promises it, often from just a simple script, or CD, or single session. I believe this type of hyperbole does an unjustice to the field. Good marketing is not the same as good hypnotherapy.

I do not make promises and guarantees, except that I will fully commit to your progress and use all my education, skill and intuition in helping to support you and your goals using a hypnotherapeutic process. Yes, I believe there are often "miraculous" results with this work -- in the right setting with a trusted, skilled hypnotherapist, when the client is ready. But this is a science and an art, and it can not be "bottled."

This is why this work is both my profession and my passion. It is a natural, intuitive process that people have been using in different forms and with different names for thousands of years. It is something both the client and the hypnotherapist undertake together. As I've lovingly suggested to family, friends, and clients throughout the years -- It's NOT like taking your car in to the mechanic, leaving it overnight, and picking it up fixed. The client must be motivated to change and be willing to stick with the process -- which is being co-directed by their own sub-conscious mind -- that unfolds. While I have witnessed it help achieve fast and wonderful results for many people, it is not a magic "cure all."

Is hypnotherapy right for me?
There are two questions people usually ask. The first is, "how do I know if I can be hypnotized?" There is a lot of misleading (in my opinion) information on this subject. I will tell you my experienced opinion -- we are trance beings. We are wired to go in and out of trance -- it is a way that our mind works. If you doubt this, let me suggest that you are often going into trance naturally at least twice a day -- just before you completely fall asleep and just as you are beginning to wake up.

The second question people often ask is -- "Can hypnosis help me with X problem?"

'X' could be just about anything. It might be specific goal like weight reduction, the cessation of bad habits like smoking or nail-biting, improving sports performance, reducing anxiety around public speaking or tests, achieving a comfortable natural childbirth, reducing troubles sleeping, pain management...

Often, though, it is something more nebulous like just feeling more organized and self-directed, being able to release lingering grief and move on with life, learning to really relax for a greater sense of well-being, feeling more confident as a mother, employee, etc...

If you have a strong desire to change, the answer is almost always "yes."