My Hypnotherapist Visit

Several people have asked how my visit to the hypnotherapist went. So I figured, why not tell the masses. I have to say, I didn’t know what to expect. The only thing I knew about being hypnotized was from cartoon lore. You know, someone swinging a pocket watch in front of a person’s face and that person becomes so mesmerized that every time someone says, ‘red,’ the individual starts barking like a dog. In truth, it was nothing like that. No pocket watch and my eyes were closed the whole time. (And no, I never bark like a dog at the word red or for any other reason. Ok, if I’m taunting Sarge I do–but that doesn’t count.)

Getting back to the point: My session lasted about 2 hours. The great majority of the visit was spent talking, getting familiar with my hypnotherapist (who has a degree in psychology–which I liked a lot). She explained a lot about the conscious and subconscious minds and how they interact. In my case, she felt that something happened in my past that has since triggered my fear of bugs; and in order to get past the anxiety, I needed to break the connection.

Now, never have I been one for playing with insects, having an ant farm, nothing like that. I had a tomboy phase but that really consisted of climbing trees and watching anything sports related–the love of football stuck, climbing trees–not so much. But as a child, I used to catch lightning bugs with the neighbors and sometimes on my own. Put them in a jar and be absolutely fascinated until you let them go. Didn’t bother me. But somewhere along the way, something occurred and all things crawly took on a different connotation for me.

So, I sit down in a comfy chair in a small office with that soothing music playing in the background; you know, the kind that plays when you go to get a massage that you essentially ignore because its meant to be white noise–and it is. We went over my earliest memories of bug interaction, what I thought may have fed into my fears, and then the panic attack that brought me to the hypnotherapist’s office. Then I closed my eyes, did some visualization techniques, she talked, tapped me on each hand, and essentially planted a coping mechanism inside my psyche to deal with little critters.

Now, I know you’re wondering–has it worked. So far, I have successfully disposed of 2 small spiders without incident–which, for me, is HUGE! I believe I am ‘cured.’ Everything makes so much sense now and it all seems rational. I can go for a follow-up if I feel I need it, but so far–I’m good to go. Apparently, most people have the ability to be hypnotized, but the biggest obstacle is to believe it will work. You have to be open. And after suffering for years, only to have my condition worsening–trust me, I was open, hopeful, and believing.

I think of myself as a success story. Hypnotherapy may not be for everyone, but if you have a struggle with a specific fear or habit–it’s often used to help people stop smoking–then why not give it a try. I would hands down recommend my hypnotherapist–Kim Cogle at Soothing Solutions–she is awesome. Whatever you seek to overcome, I suggest prayer first, and if that leads you to a hypnotherapist–good luck!