Clinical Hypnosis
In my practice, I integrate Ericksonian hypnosis. This method is more than just suggestion in a trance state; it's a client-centered approach that emphasizes the mobilization of individual resources and abilities. My training in Ericksonian hypnosis equips me to work with a variety of concerns, seamlessly incorporating this technique into different treatment modalities. In each session, I focus on bringing your innate strengths and capabilities to the forefront, ensuring they are accessible and potent in times of need. This process is highly collaborative, valuing your active participation as we navigate the therapeutic journey together. Through hypnotherapy, we aim to unlock your potential, fostering resilience and confidence in facing life's challenges.
A Research-Based and Time-Tested Approach
Clinical hypnosis is one of the oldest and most empirically supported tools in psychology and medicine. It has been used for over a century to support healing, growth, and symptom relief, with a strong body of research supporting its effectiveness in areas such as:
Anxiety and stress
Trauma and post-traumatic responses
Chronic pain and somatic symptoms
Habit change
Performance enhancement
Self-regulation and emotional resilience
Hypnosis is recognized by organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis as a safe and effective clinical intervention when used by trained professionals. It is not a theoretical orientation in itself, but a method—one that can be integrated into a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches.
What Is Ericksonian Hypnosis?
Ericksonian hypnosis, developed by psychiatrist Milton Erickson, is a flexible and individualized form of clinical hypnosis. Rather than relying on directives or scripts, it uses metaphor, storytelling, symbolic language, and natural trance states to help clients access internal insight and create meaningful change. Sessions often feel conversational and intuitive—more like a deepening of attention or connection than a dramatic shift in awareness.
In this approach, hypnosis isn’t something that’s “done to you.” Instead, it’s a collaborative process where we use your own language, experiences, and imagery to support movement toward your goals. The focus is on evoking what’s already within you—your wisdom, your values, your creativity—and creating a context where those internal strengths can be more fully expressed.
What Does Hypnosis Feel Like?
Most people experience hypnosis as a state of focused attention—similar to being absorbed in a good book, immersed in a memory, or caught up in a moment of creativity. You’re aware, in control, and able to reflect on the experience as it unfolds. The process often brings a sense of curiosity, spaciousness, or insight, but it doesn't require any specific feeling or response in order to be effective.
If your only exposure to hypnosis has been through media or stage shows, it’s understandable to have questions or hesitation. Clinical hypnosis is nothing like stage hypnosis—it’s not about control or performance. In a therapeutic setting, hypnosis is empowering. It’s about inviting new ways of thinking and feeling that are consistent with your values and sense of self.
Integrating Hypnosis Into Therapy
Because I take an integrative approach to therapy, hypnosis may be used briefly and strategically, or as a deeper thread running through our work, depending on your goals. It’s just one of many tools we might draw on together. For some clients, it becomes a key part of the therapeutic process; for others, it’s a way to gently shift perspective or access insight when more traditional talk therapy starts to feel stuck.
If you're interested in learning more about how hypnosis might support you, we can talk about what it could look like in your specific context. Like all of therapy, it’s shaped by your needs, your readiness, and your preferences.
“Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate,
And though we pass them by today,
Tomorrow we may come this way
And take the hidden paths that run
Towards the Moon or to the Sun.”