Blog
Consulting
Hypnotists For Financial Stress
By Cathrine Margit Moller, C.Ht.
Major news
outlets reported earlier this year that hypnotists across the
country have seen an increase of clients seeking help with increased
financial stress. Although smoking cessation, weight control and
stress have always been the most common reasons people go to
hypnotist’s offices, things have changed with the economy downing.
According
to the Wall Street Journal columnist, Mary Pilon, reporting in that
newspaper’s financial section, this nationwide increase in hypnosis
clients occurred primarily in the financial centers such as Wall
Street, but also has spread across the country to include average
citizens as well, not just the traders, brokers and other financial
professionals.
Local
Consulting Hypnotist, Cathrine Margit Moller, C.Ht., verifies that
there has definitely been an increase in clients seeking relief from
the stress caused by their personal financial situations. Many
clients simply want to stop smoking to save money spent on
cigarettes, while others need hypnotic help to start thinking more
positively, and to help reduce their financial stress.
Miles away
from the major financial centers, consulting hypnotists still have
seen an increase in clients who need to adapt their life styles to
accommodate a change in income, or have other personal problems
resulting from the economic downturn.
“Hypnosis
is not a magic wand, but simply a way of helping clients adjust
their thinking, change their behaviors, and ultimately achieve their
personal goals,” according to Dr. Dwight Damon, president of the
12,000 member National Guild of Hypnotists. “We work with ordinary,
everyday people for ordinary, everyday problems, and financial
stress certainly fits into that spectrum.”
September 2008
Article 'The Tremendous Benefit
of using Hypnosis' by Cathrine Moller
Hypnosis is a condition in which a
person under a trance-like state (more likely compared to being
half-asleep) responds to suggestions given by another person with
the exemption of self-hypnosis when no second person is
needed for the experience. Accordingly, hypnosis does not depend on
the power of the second person or the hypnotist; rather, it depends
on the ability of the person to experience hypnosis. Hypnosis is
sometimes used for medical purposes and its effect is greatly
demonstrated especially in the field of pain relief. Another
important and basic use of hypnosis is for improving behavior such
as social interaction with others, self-confidence and self-esteem.
When a person is under
hypnosis, he is in a state of increased suggestibility and focused
attention. With these factors at hand, a person is made to believe
or feel what is needed to improve behavior. In the case of a person
with low self-esteem, hypnosis helps in a way that it makes the
person overcome his social and emotional insecurity by auto
suggesting positive reinforcements. The person is made to focus on
the idea that he can do whatever others can and that he is someone
very special. Given the right focus, the person receives the idea
and thought that eventually translates to better conduct and
performance.
Hypnosis has many
practical benefits aside from what is commonly depicted by the
media. Although the founding concept of hypnosis is heightened
suggestibility, it is not something as exaggerated as what’s shown
on tv or movies. Hypnosis can bring a lot of advantages to a
person’s physical, emotional and social skills through its idea of
concentrating or focusing towards a certain subject (whatever is
needed in the instance).
April 3rd 2008
I had the honour to hear the notable drummer
Chester Thompson play at a drum clinic at Bowmanville. We later met
while my husband and I assisted Chester getting from one school to
another. Here's a photo of me and Chester:
This man is just a master in his field. Seldom
have I heard any play drums as he does.
2008
Today I saw this interesting
TV-footage
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4345359 with Dr.
Spiegel about "the Power of Mind Control" Take a look and see for
yourself.
2006
Some people
should just never try to sing…
Written by a dear hypnotherapy
colleague of mine, Denis Ridgeway:
In my work as a Hypnotherapist, I have been fortunate to meet
some unforgettable characters. Bill is one that stands out above
all others.
If ever there was a man that reminded you of Santa Claus on his
off time, that was Bill. His face glowed when he laughed and his
size would fill out a Santa costume perfectly. He was a very
jolly man who always had a joke and a laugh that brought a
instant smile.
Bill’s son had contacted me to help his father with two major
problems. He was a diabetic, the disease had already caused
amputation of his legs and caused what is known as phantom pain
syndrome. This happens when the mind does not recognized that
the limb has been removed, and forces the subject to feel pain
as if it is still there. His disease had also caused neuropathy,
in both hands. This caused unbearable pain and limited use of
his hands. To control this pain the doctor had given Bill heavy
pain medication. When his son contacted me , Bill was taken
26-30 pills a week. The object of the Hypnosis sessions was to
reduce the pain so that he could take less medication. I
contacted his doctor and after receiving his permission I
scheduled the first appointment.
I would need to treat him at his home because of his limited
mobility. He was a excellent subject and responded to my
suggestion for relaxation eagerly. I proceeded to direct him in
to deeper Hypnosis. Suddenly, he began to sway back and forth.
Next, came the most horrible sound that I have ever heard in my
life. If you ever combined all the screams from every horror
movies that you had ever seen and added a thousand cats who’s
tails had been caught in a fan, it would not come close to what
I was hearing. The hair on neck stood straight up and my whole
body became ridged. “ Dear Lord I’ve killed this man “ instantly
when through my mind. I quickly regained my senses and
immediately checked on my Hypnotized client. There he sat
perfectly normal with a big smile on his face, while still
making this horrible sound. His faithful dog who was always by
his side had run for cover. I immediately asked Bill to stop
whatever he was doing and the room grew silent once again. I
regained what was left of my composure and began the suggestions
to ease his never ending pain. Then I taught him how to use self
hypnosis anytime it was needed to reduce the pain.
Bill came out of Hypnosis feeling wonderful and in less pain
than he had been in years. I renewed all the instruction that I
had given him and then went over today’s session. Not wanting to
alarm him I asked if he remember anything unusual during
Hypnosis. “ Why yes, I remember while I was so relaxed I heard a
radio with my favorite song playing, it was so beautiful that I
had to sing along with it as loud as I could “. Not in a million
years would I have guessed that what I heard was singing. I know
from my training that each person reacts to Hypnosis in a
different way. I do not believe that this response has ever been
noted from a individual. I am very happy to report after
Hypnotizing thousands of people this has never happened again.
Bill continued his treatments with good results. He was able to
use Self Hypnosis to reduce his pain medication from the 26-30
pill a week, down to 6 a week. His life had been filled with
pain and misery. He was always grateful for the helped that I
had given him. Several years ago Bill lost his battle with the
disease which had plagued his life.
After Bill’s death his son brought me a jacket. It wasn’t fancy
nor was it expensive. “ Dad wanted you to have this ‘to thank
you for helping him” his son said. It has been many years and I
still have the jacket, every time I wear it I think of him. He
had a quick wit and a smile that melt your heart, but he was one
person who should never tried to sing.
Monday, August 28,
2006
“How
hypnosis can colour the mind”
This article was
posted on The Guardian in London UK on February 18th 2002:
“How hypnosis can colour
the mind”
Monday February 18, 2002
The Guardian, London, UK
US scientists have been able to peer inside the brain to watch
hypnosis in action. The research could settle a 200-year-old
debate about whether hypnosis is a genuine psychological state
or stage show gimmickry.
A high proportion of adults can be hypnotized, although there
has always been an argument about the nature of the experience.
David Spiegel, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, used
positron emission tomography (PET) scans to watch changes in
brain function in volunteers who were highly hypnotisable.
They were told to perceive colour, whether or not they were
being shown colour. The areas of the brain used to register
colour then fired up. Activity in the same area declined when
the patients were told to see "grey" objects, even if they were
being shown a coloured grid.
"When they believed they were looking at colour, the part of
their brain that processes colour vision showed increased blood
flow," he told the American Association for the Advancement of
Science yesterday. "This is scientific evidence that something
happens in the brain, that doesn't happen ordinarily, when
people are hypnotized," Professor Spiegel said.
The study once again raises questions about a role for hypnosis
in pain relief. "There are tremendous medical implications," he
said. He and colleagues monitored brainwave patterns while
applying electrical shocks to the wrists of volunteers.
Children could easily be hypnotized: the capacity often
disappeared with maturity. Hypnosis had proved helpful in
painful treatment that required catheters in the bladders of
children who could not be given anaesthetics. The children were
asked to focus on a visit to Disneyland. The treatment was less
distressing, and over 20 minutes sooner.
"Hypnosis is a state of aroused attentive focal concentration
with a relative suspension of peripheral awareness. It is a
mental state that is something like looking through the
telephoto lens of your camera, which you see with great detail,
but you are less aware of the context," he said.
"You can shift into the hypnotic state in a matter of seconds.
It is not sleep, it is a form of highly focused attention," Prof
Spiegel said.
He argued that every doctor should be taught simple techniques
of hypnosis. It did not take control from the patient; instead
it helped enhance self-control. "So you can teach people to
manage their anxiety, how to manage their pain, and they are
grateful for it."
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