Hypnotherapy
“Hypnosis is a short cut to getting rid of lots of pain. All types of pain. I'm so much happier now." - Cathy H.
Hypnosis for Positive Change
Hypnosis is a natural state of selective, focused attention that has proven results helping people quit smoking, lose weight, address trauma, increase confidence, and overcome a host of physical and mental concerns and obstacles.
Hypnosis works by relaxing the conscious “thinking” mind, and tapping into the power of your subconscious mind where emotions, habits, behavior, memories, and imagination are stored. Hypnosis is a process of subtle suggestion and inspiration techniques to help you build greater motivation for positive change.
When we inspire change at the subconscious level, it happens much more easily and naturally, eliminating the frustration and struggle we often associate with make change consciously.
Hypnosis enables us to rewrite underlying scripts—ideas, ideologies, beliefs—that have become fixed in our lives. Hypnotherapy allows us to gently unravel those fixed mindsets, creating positive change from within.
Hypnosis for Habits - Overeating, Smoking, Nail Biting, Phone Scrolling
Have you ever considered hypnosis for weight loss, anxiety, or to help you quit smoking? These are the three main reasons people seek to hypnotherapy.
Hypnosis can be an extremely effective tool to help you lose weight or quit smoking. Hypnosis can also help you reduce stress, develop new positive habits and behaviors, overcome fears or phobias, build self-confidence, increase concentration, achieve self-acceptance, improve your relationship with yourself and others, reduce pain, manage anger, and overcome insomnia.
Hypnosis is also a powerful tool to help cancer patients deal with their pain and marshal their body’s defenses against disease.
Hypnotherapy for How You Want to Be
Together we build a map using only words and suggestions that come directly from you to help you find your way to how you want to be!
“I just wanted to send you a photo of my latest hike. I haven’t experienced any fear or vertigo since I saw you! I cannot believe this change could happen in one session!”
Sherry is a Board Certified Hypnotist and Integrative Life Coach, and a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists & International Association of Counselors and Therapists.
Sherry is certified through and a member of the International Association of Therapists and Counselors, and the National Guild of Hypnotists.
Sherry received lay vows in 1992 through the Bhavana Society in West Virginia, a Theravada Buddhist community, in mindfulness studies, and received
a Certificate of Completion Training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.
Hypnosis FAQs
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a natural state of selective, focused attention with a heightened sense of suggestibility. This state helps the conscious mind to relax, bypassing the analytical mind, the part that gets in the way a lot of the time, and connects directly with the subconscious mind.
What does hypnosis feel like?
There is no specific feeling that tells a person they have gone into hypnosis. Some people report feeling a lightness, while other people feel more of a heaviness. In almost all cases, people who experience hypnosis report feeling relaxed, calm, and refreshed afterwards.
While hypnosis is a very specific trance-lie state, we experience similar trance-states all the time where the conscious mind is largely suppressed, and the subconscious mind is more active. Whether it’s the first few minutes when you’re waking up in the morning, or when you just “drift off” watching television or starting off into space; when your conscious mind recedes and your subconscious mind steps forward just a little more, that’s hypnosis. Taking advantage of that space is hypnotherapy.
How long does a session last and how many are needed?
The average session lasts about an hour, but initial sessions can last longer. Depending on the client’s situation and desired outcomes, anywhere from 1 to 6 or more sessions may be recommended.
How does it work?
When a person is in a relaxed “trance-like” state of hypnosis, the conscious mind switches off and the subconscious mind becomes highly receptive to positive and beneficial suggestions.
When we enter into the absorbed state of hypnosis or hypnotic trance, we use our thoughts, talents and experiences in ways not usually available to us. With the help of a trained professional, we can develop innate, individual abilities that enable making desired changes in our thoughts, feelings and behaviors possible.
The focused state of hypnosis allows changes to be made intentionally, almost automatically, changes that we could not ordinarily, consciously make so abruptly.
This state also allows for the Reticular Activating System (RAS) of the brain to readily communicate with the body and promote positive emotional behavior. The RAS is the portal through which nearly all information enters the brain. (Smells are the exception; they go directly into your brain’s emotional area.) The RAS filters the incoming information and effects what you pay attention to, how aroused you are, and decides what is, and what is not, going to get access to your brain.
Can I be made to do things I don’t want to do?
No. Your subconscious will not accept suggestions that are against your morals and deepest held beliefs. When you see people in stage shows doing silly things it is because they want to do them to have fun. You are always in control.
Can anyone be hypnotized?
There are about 1 in 5000 people who clinically cannot be hypnotized, as well as anyone who does not want to be. Hypnosis requires cooperation between the subject and the professional to be successful.
Can hypnosis cause harm, like damage to the mind?
No, absolutely not. There has never been a case of anyone being harmed by hypnosis.
Can a person be left in a hypnotic state?
No, if a hypnotized person were to be left in a hypnotic state for any reason, the subconscious would be aware of this and the person would either awaken or drift into a natural sleep from which they would awaken naturally.
During a hypnosis session, does a person have to divulge personal details they would normally want to keep secret?
A competent professional is able to help resolve a problem or issue without having to know personal details. In fact, some techniques have been developed specifically to resolve problems without even having to know what the problem is.
Is a hypnotized person totally “out of it” and unaware of what is happening?
Quite the opposite, a person in hypnosis is far more aware of what is going on around them than they are when in a normal waking state.
Does a hypnotized person forget what has happened?
No, the person remembers everything that has gone on during a session.
How much are the sessions?
Sessions are generally 1 hour long and charged as a coaching session $50. The first session can be longer, lasting 1.5 – 2 hours. I offer a sliding scale.
Testimonials
"I came to Sherry with the hopes that she could help me more effectively deal with the chronic pain associated with cancer that had metastasized to bones in my spine, chest, and hips. - Read more testimonials