You’re good at your job. You love your family, your partner, and your friends. But you find yourself getting stuck in a negative headspace worrying about the future or whether you’re doing a good job as a spouse, employee, friend, etc… Or you may be wondering why it is that you can make big changes at work, but struggle to make changes in your personal life. Rather than getting going, you sit and ponder, avoiding important but difficult changes because dammit if doomscrolling doesn’t just keep sucking you in. You’re tired of these patterns, but not sure what to do.
That’s a negative trance. Hypnosis may be able to help.
Trance ability? Let’s explore.
Hypnosis involves purposefully getting into a trance state, or a state of focused awareness. The focus might be internal, or on something in the past or possible in the future, all usually geared toward helping you in the present and near future.
Trance is- to some degree- synonymous with dissociation, both of which are a normal part of our human existence. Our brains simply need to take breaks sometimes.
Reading these examples might have made even more pop into your head. The thing is, with all the spiraling out you’ve been doing… in a way, you’ve already been ‘doing’ trance without realizing it!
Hypnosis turns that negative trance pattern on its head, helping you use your brain & mind’s capacity for going into trance states, but for the positive, for change, for relief.
Hypnosis gives you a chance to ‘trance’ on purpose, with intention and direction.
Hypnosis can help you use trance states to relax, reduce anxiety or depression, or reach goals. It can be incorporated into sessions as part of your regular therapy with me, or we can have a really focused and strategic goal for just a few sessions if you aren’t interested in or needing regular therapy.
Common uses for hypnosis:
Speaking of using trance with intention, I want to take a minute to make it clear that I do not use hypnosis like a stage performer or nefarious shadow agency training Zoolanders to kill world leaders. There’s no clucking like a chicken or other silly, embarrassing, or dangerous things I can use hypnosis to ‘make’ you do! I’m lighthearted and goofy as a person, but I take the ethics of my work and the agency of my clients very seriously. You are always in control, and can end hypnosis (or even therapy in general) at any time. I also don’t use hypnosis to retrieve or ‘uncover’ blocked memories. My take is that if there are memories your brain seems to have blocked, we should let them come up in their own timing.
During hypnosis, you can generally expect to feel relaxed to some degree, maybe a little or a lot. I tend to talk at a slower pace than normal, and you get to just listen and let your mind wander.
People often notice that their breathing slows down and muscles feel a bit more relaxed. I often notice people go from fidgeting or frequently adjusting position to being very still. However, if feeling still or relaxed is unsettling to you, you’re welcome to make adjustments at any time.
People usually come back to the present moment saying they feel more relaxed than they have in a long time, and find the experience quite pleasant.
Hypnosis may be a good fit for you if you are curious about making a change that you’ve found difficult. Being in a trance state is generally relaxing and helps your mind be more open to suggestions for how to make those changes. If you find calm or relaxed feelings unnerving due to past traumatic experiences, or if feeling somewhat dissociated is an unpleasant experience, you may want to experiment with more alert mindfulness techniques and practices first or instead.
Or, if you’re only googling hypnosis because you’ve gotten an ultimatum from a spouse or an employer about a behavior like smoking cessation- but you don’t actually want to quit smoking?- hypnosis is not likely to be helpful.
Not only did I study weekly with the Erickson Foundation hypnosis training intensive throughout 2024, but my foundation is rooted in being a licensed mental healthcare provider. I’m well-equipped to help you navigate whatever your mind explores during hypnosis. In addition, I’m a member of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) and actively engaged in consultation with experts to sharpen existing skills, develop new ones, and work toward ASCH certification.
How is an intensive different from just regular weekly therapy?
Intensives are an entirely different structure compared to the typical once-a-week therapy hour. In weekly sessions, it’s all too easy to lose 15-30 minutes catching up from the previous session, leaving only ~15-20 minutes to get into the main concerns that brought you to therapy in the first place. Then just as we get into it, whoops- time is already up and we have to pack it back in, all to be unpacked again next time. An intensive is a larger chunk of time on the schedule that can save time in the long run of your actual therapy.
Do I need to be a current client to do an intensive?
No, intensive clients don’t have to have an existing therapy relationship with me. If we’re new to each other, we’ll use our time during the free consultation call and intake session to make sure we’re on the same page about your therapy goals, and whether an intensive is a good match.
What methods do you use in intensives?
The methods I use are primarily EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, and hypnosis. These are evidence-based and evidence-informed methods of trauma processing that are well suited to intensives. They follow your system’s processing speed, and help you draw on your existing strengths.
Will one intensive resolve my trauma?
For a specific, one-off memory or event, it’s possible that one intensive can resolve pesky symptoms that are still disruptive to you, but I cannot guarantee outcomes (and I recommend a lot of caution if you ever see any therapist promising outcomes!). For ongoing, complex symptoms or pervasive childhood neglect or abuse, one intensive probably will not resolve your trauma. An intensive may help specific aspects, or could be a good option for doing some deep preparation work for ongoing trauma therapy, but recurring extended sessions or traditional weekly therapy may be a better option in those cases.
Some clients choose to return for additional targeted intensives, or transition to intermittent extended sessions (or weekly 50-80 minute sessions- those are still absolutely valid).
What should I expect to feel after an intensive?
Tired, usually! Some clients feel lighter almost immediately. Some notice a feeling of resolution though it’s tinged with sadness. Others notice a processing period over the following days, as their brain continues to chew on things in the background. We’ll talk through what to expect for you specifically during your intake session, and ways to plan caring for yourself afterward.
Are remote sessions available for intensives?
Yes, for Arkansas residents or anyone physically located within Arkansas at the time of the intensive. Some folks choose to travel here from out of state to make their intensive a full getaway, but may want to stay elsewhere, such as in Northwest Arkansas (maybe also catching a Razorbacks game, or checking out the shops in Eureka Springs). As long as you’re physically within Arkansas’s borders, we’re good.
If you want to visit from out of state, feel free to ask for recommendations. I’d be glad to offer suggestions to make your overall experience more enjoyable and supportive, whether recommending places to eat, stay, or get a massage, for example.