New York Hypnotherapy
NYC Life Coach

Benefits of Hypnosis

The practice of hypnosis dates back 3000 years and has been seen depicted in early pictographic writings.  The term hypnosis is actually a misnomer.  The term was coined by Dr. James Braid in the mid Eighteenth Century from the Greek word for “sleep.”  When he later realized that those in the hypnotic state were not asleep whatsoever but instead were in a deeply relaxed state, he attempted to rename the term to one more apt, but he found that it had already stuck.

Hypnosis is a concentrated state of attention which has the effect of putting the subject into a very relaxed state.  Hypnosis has been used as a sole anesthetic as far back as the 1950's.  In 1955 the British Medical Association approved the use of hypnosis.  In 1958, the American Medical Association followed.

Many individuals I meet are not aware of the many ways in which hypnosis would be able to help them. The main page of this site lists only a few ways in which hypnosis can help an individual. Other areas in which hypnosis has proved of great benefit are: Pain Management, Hypertension (high blood pressure), Self-Esteem, Increasing Concentration, Gastrointestinal Problems, Allergies, Post-Traumatic Stress, Facilitation of Healing, Habits, Increased Artistic Expression, Insomnia, Various Neurological Conditions, Sexual Problems and Interpersonal Relationships, Athletic Performance.

Many people feel very refreshed and revived after a hypnosis session, stating that they feel that a weight of some sort had been lifted from their shoulders (see the Testimonial Page for specific First-Person accounts). These sessions can be very dynamic, interactive, life-changing events as well. Perhaps the best way I have found to describe the state of hypnosis is as a "massage for the mind." We all know what a great massage can do for the body. Now that you've relaxed your body, isn't time to relax your mind as well?

Hypnosis for Stress Management

Hypnosis for Sports and Performance

Professional athletes have long known the benefits of hypnosis for improving their performance and getting them into the "zone" more effectively and on a more consistent basis. Tiger Woods has used hypnosis to improve his performance for years. Other athletes and professional teams who have used hypnosis to improve their performance include: baseball legend Rod Carew, Olympic medalist Adam Malysz used it prior to his victory in the ski jump. Phil Jackson insists that the Chicago Bulls practice daily self-hypnosis when he coached Michael Jordan and the team to 6 NBA Championships. The 1983 Chicago White Sox used hypnosis to reach the playoffs that year. Jack Nicklaus claims that success was due to practicing concentration and visualization exercises. Other high performers from actors to opera singers have also found hypnosis to be an effective tool for them, not only to overcome any fears they may have such as stage fright but to improve their focus and concentration and put them into that adrenaline-filled place of high performance better known as the "zone" where every performer does his or her best work.

Perhaps the largest misunderstanding I have found among those who are experiencing difficulty in their relationships is the "Mars vs. Venus" concept which remains so ingrained in our culture. Despite the propenderance of wonderful books on this topic which speak toward accepting the differences of the other sex rather than fighting against it, oftentimes, the conscious mind will remain in its rut, its habits having been formed long ago and it needs to be shown a new way of thinking. While it is very true that the two sexes are exceedingly different, a culture of blame has developed when it comes to forging relationships. One party tends to blame the other for perceived wrongs or injustices he or she feels and vice-versa.

What I have found most lacking is the ability and the willingness among parties to be at ease and comfortable with being alone with themselves. Solitude is a very important part of the human experience and quite necessary in order for self-awareness. Buddhist monks have known this for centuries. Hypnosis has the ability to center oneself, allowing them to become peaceful and at ease with themselves by quieting that ever-racing mind. By doing so, a person is much more readily able to see what he or she desires, to gain a level of self-reflection which perhaps was missing before, and to feel more content with their lives and how they truly desire to live it. Through the use of hypnosis and NLP techniques, it is possible to isolate patterns which no longer serve you and create new strategies to serve you more effectively.

Hypnosis for Anger Management

It's no surprise that so-called "anger management" has come to be the butt of jokes, even to the point where a major motion picture was made with that title. And while laughter still remains a potent medicine, the unintended consequence of this is the marginalization of what is a real and difficult problem for many people. Most of those who have anger issues do not like to admit it even when they know in their heart of hearts that it is a problem. We are always told that we should be able to "control our anger" but for many that is not so easily accomplished.

For some of individuals who have not developed a "release valve" for the tension, stress and pressures of everyday life, it is funneled into anger which ends up being directed at colleagues or loved ones and inevitably having consequences for us professionally, personally or both. As with the other stress-related issues I have cited, anger can be substantially reduced and tools can be learned in order to manage the stresses felt in a more effective manner so that the anger will subside if not disappear entirely. Hypnosis will get you in touch with what is causing the anger and perhaps it is an issue which you had become so accustomed to dealing with that you didn't know it was a problem. This is what I can help you find out for yourself. There is no shame in telling yourself or others that you desire to feel better and perhaps curtail your anger. The shame is in not doing anything about it and not feeling better about yourself and your life as soon as you possibly can.

Hypnosis for Habits

Hypnosis has been found effective in modifying virtually an kind of habit from smoking to hair-pulling to nailbiting to overeating. The reason hypnosis has been so effective in these areas has to do with the fact that most habits are the result of a combination of learned behavior combined with stress or trauma. This is one reason that while many people are able to stop smoking for a period of time, many are unable to quit for good, usually because some stressful or traumatic event intervened when they once again sought the solace they found in tobacco. It is for this reason that my smoking program offers a five-session approach rather than a shorter 2-hour one. Time and how one is able to cope with daily crises is the key to successful tobacco cessation, and that remains an unkown in such a short period of time. As for other forms of habits, the same construct applies. Once one is shown a different approach to dealing with stressful situations (which is what many habits arise out of), the habit is no longer needed and it is soon discarded in favor of the new behavior.

Hypnosis for Artistic Blocks

Hypnosis has been used by many artists over the years to help alleviate artistic blocks. Over the years I have worked with photographers, writers, opera singers, and actors. As a writer myself and having been immersed amid the creative process for years, I am painfully aware that a "block" is a very private, personal, trying experience. One reason I began my work in hypnosis is to serve those individuals who suffer from artistic blocks as it is often misunderstood by those who have never sufferred from it. When an artist's creative voice has temporarily been silenced, it can be for a number of reasons. Most often, the answer may be found in the simple alleviation of the specific stressors in his or her life that need addressing. Oftentimes the individual artist may be unaware that these stressors are so profound that they may be affecting his or her work or that they even exist at all. Very often the artist is experiencing a displeasure with his or her current creative process. Hypnosis is extremely useful in this respect. When it comes to expanding the mind, looking at new ways of seeing things, whether it be one's life, one's work, or one's process, hypnosis is very helpful at showing us new ways of approaching situations. I welcome and urge artists to explore this powerful modality as an adjunct to their current creative process. Hypnosis and the tools learned with it are enormously valuable to your creative work, irrespective of your particular specialty.

Hypnosis Benefits for Enhanced Learning

The benefits for the student using hypnosis are enormous. Along with those benefits previously listed, the student can benefit by:

• Improved Reading Speed & Comprehension.

• Lessening Examination Panic & Anxiety.

• Suggestions & Success Imagery for Study Problems.

... and more.

I urge students and their parents to contact me regarding the use of hypnosis to improve study habits.