20 Years of Therapy, or 3 Sessions of Hypnosis?

I recently got an email from a client I helped with self-esteem and trust as related to dating and relationships. She thought she was going to need six sessions, but three ended up doing the trick.  Here's an excerpt from her message:

"The few hours I spent with you have done more for me than the last 20 years of trying different therapists and therapies." -Brandi Williams

I've actually received similar verbal feedback from two other clients recently. Hypnotherapy, when used effectively, works quickly.

Embracing Alopecia: Wig-free and Loving it

This is from a college student who lost her all of her hair as a young girl due to a condition known as alopecia, and has hidden it by wearing wigs ever since, out of fear of how others might react. 

"Hey Sean,

I just wanted to let you know that I finally managed to go to school without my wig on, and it has felt great! All week I've gone without it and I am really glad that I have. It's not just that it is more physically comfortable, but I also feel like I'm truly being myself for the first time.

I can't even tell you how nice it is to be able to say that when I wear my wig it is because I want to and not because I feel like I have no other options. I've been so afraid for so long to let other people see this other side of me, but now I feel completely free to be myself whether that means wearing a wig or not.

I want to say thank you for helping me to be able to fully accept who I am for the first time in a really long time. You were right, people will respond the way that I show them to respond. I walked out with confidence and so far so good.

I have to say that the genuine shock on some people's faces was absolutely priceless, one guy in particular was really confused which was pretty funny to watch. I know that somewhere out there is someone that will probably say something stupid, but also thanks to you I'm prepared for it and the idea of it happening doesn't even phase me. In fact, I am almost looking forward to it so that I can show them what I am made of, because I really don't think they will see it coming (muwahahaha).

You really gave me my life back and helped me to put the power back into my own hands. Words cannot express how grateful I am for all that you have helped me to accomplish. I feel like I am ready for anything now."

Dielle Meyer
Atlanta, GA

Client Testimonial: Anxiety & Fear of Death

Got this email from a client yesterday. We did three sessions focused on her persistent fear of death, and the resulting anxiety it caused. Here are her unedited words:


"I was living my life in a state of constant worry, fearing death at every turn. My phobia was becoming a crippling force in my life, leaving me nervous, exhausted, and unable to focus on the things that matter most. I wasn't sure what to expect with hypnosis, but working with Sean has helped me immensely. 


Letting go of some of my fears has been like a weight being lifted from my shoulders. I'm now able to channel my extra energy into my relationships with the people I love, projects that fulfill me, and generally much more positive thoughts. I now know what life feels like for people who don't have a fear that deeply haunts them, and I only wish I had tried hypnosis sooner. 


Re-listening to the sessions has the result of weeks of psychotherapy within only a few minutes. In some senses, you're allowing yourself to relax and reprogram in your brain whatever it is that's been wired wrong in the first place. And most refreshing of all, unlike what TV would lead you to believe about hypnosis, you feel more in control over your own thoughts than ever before."


-A.R. (Atlanta, GA)

Client Feedback: 1-Year Anniversary As a Non-Smoker!

Here's a message from a client who came to me to stop smoking exactly one year ago today.  This is great!

"Dear Sean,

I wasn't sure I'd see it myself, but here I am. TODAY. One year, smoke-free!

What a difference your hypnosis made in my life, and the lives of my husband and children. Gone are the stresses and side-effects of maintaining a relationship with cigarettes (and it is just that)... and my whole family is happier for it.

It was completely and totally hassle free and easy. I know. It sounds like it cannot be true and it's stunning to hear myself say it, but it's true. I can count on one hand the number of times over the last year that I've had even a passing thought about a cigarette. And in those cases, it's been more reminiscent, than a craving. More an acknowledgement -- "Now, see, BEFORE, I would have smoked at this event" -- than anything else. And even that thought or comment didn't trigger a craving. I have been floored the whole way through.

Other cessation products and programs just don't get to the heart of the matter the way you did. The way you flipped in my brain my response to short- versus long-term gratification was the key, I believe. Not a patch or a gum, and CERTAINLY not a self-supervised cold-turkey plan, can address the mental dependence on nicotine. I've tried them all and I am living proof.

There are other benefits: the amount of money I've saved is staggering. Probably three times the cost of the hypnosis - just this year! Everything smells better: my car, my clothes, my hair. Everything tastes better. I could go on and on...

So thank you for helping me change my life. It's had an awesome ripple effect in this house and I am grateful.

Wishing you and your future clients all the success in the world.

Sincerely,

Jenny"

Amazing Feedback from a Client

People sometimes wonder if the testimonials on my site are real, or if I just made them up. Well, I can tell you I'm simply not creative enough to make this stuff up!

The following are the words of a current client I've been working with on several issues that have been bothering her for years... some since childhood. After a couple sessions, the change has been so powerful that she's felt a need to express it in messages to me and other friends of hers. Below is a mix of what she wrote to them, to me, and on her blog. Take a look...

"I am FASCINATED!

I was as skeptical as anyone could possibly be... and positive that there was no way I could ever relax like that. It is not as bizarre as it sounds nor as terrifying to be "out of control" (which you are not) as I thought it would be. Friends of ours know Sean socially so I asked... got excellent feedback and took the plunge.

Sean is really fun and funny.

One of my fears is the phone. Sean called this morning to confirm due to ice on the roads and I called him back. No big deal?

Easy for you to say! I could answer a call most of the time, but returning a call was like pulling teeth. I saw the message, hit the button without thinking (or panicking) and called Sean back. Be there in 5 minutes, the roads are fine. I noticed how easy that was. So far so good....very good.

Unfortunately, in 5 minutes I was sliding backward on the steep, icy hill at his entrance. Had to call again (good grief...was this a test?) and ask if Sean could come rescue me.

Superman Sean came to my rescue and while "listening to the sound of his voice", he talked me down the hill. This is the "when pigs fly" moment. Shyness and stage fright were only the start of things... performance anxiety had a way of literally paralyzing me. In fact, the day of my first session with Sean, I could hardly make my way to his big comfy chair... with Sean pointing to it.

(In the past) when performance anxiety kicked in I simply could not function... there was no following directions, no appropriate response, just nothingness, as if frozen... as if drawing an enormous blank. Sliding down this hill, with two parked cars mere feet away, was a disaster waiting to happen in every sense.

When Sean arrived and explained how to get out of this mess we had the kicker: No panic attack, no shaking, no blanking out, no fainting or freezing, except from the cold. Nothing short of miraculous.

This was big... really BIG. What on Earth had just happened?
From the start I wondered how I was going to know this was working. I wondered what life would be like without being gripped by that powerful sensation of fear. What would "not panic" feel like? What does the absence of anything feel like? Would I recognize any change if it happened?

Tentatively, I would say it feels good. It feels safe. I feel grateful to the point of tears which feels odd... the tears part. I can see that there is more than a glimmer of hope... so much more.

This feels like Relief... quiet, very calm, relief.

The coolest thing is that it is effortless. I feel as if someone has reached down, pulled me up out of a deep pit and set me on my feet.

Strength, plus hypnosis, now have me skidding happily toward yet another great adventure. Yahoooooooooooo! Feel as if I am conquering my world!

No matter... high-five, fist bump, big hug and THANK YOU, Sean."

Ann Russell
Roswell, GA

PODCAST: How To Know if You've Been Hypnotized

Here's Part 2 of an interview I did with another Atlanta-based hypnotherapist, Dr. Wesley Anderson. Here, we discuss some of the characteristics of the hypnotic state, so you can determine whether or not you've experienced it during a session.

Interview with Dr. Wesley Anderson of Trance-Formations - Part 1: Misconceptions

I've just done a series of podcasts with my good friend and fellow hypnotherapist - Dr. Wesley Anderson of Trance-Formations. In this first installment, we discuss some of the common misconceptions about hypnosis, and share some of our own experiences.

There will be at least three more installments from this interview, so be sure to check back here soon for updates.

Client Feedback: First Week After Hypnosis

Just got this email from a client I saw this week. As always, I received her permission before posting it here. This gives a good example of what you can expect during the first few days:

"I just wanted to give you an update, its been 96 hours and NO SMOKING!!!!!! I am so happy, I'm not going to say that I have not thought about smoking, but that's just it. When the thought comes into my mind, it goes out just as fast. I have had NO withdraws or thoughts of giving in. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.... YOU are Awesome!"
-Amy Whisnant

VIDEO: My Clients - In Their Own Words

Client: "I completely forgot about smoking"

Last week a client of mine (and 35-year, every day smoker) was kind enough to do a brief interview with me about her experience since using my Stop Smoking Hypnosis program a little more than four months ago. I have to admit, her feedback was impressive... even to me!

I'll have a full audio interview with her posted this week, but in the meantime, here are a few of her very own words in print:

"I was a die-hard smoker. I never really thought I could quit.

I was hoping and praying that this would work. I just didn't know how easy and effortless it was going to be... just completely effortless.

I kept thinking 'I'm forgetting something... I don't know what I'm forgetting, but I'm forgetting something.'

I didn't even think about smoking. It didn't even enter my mind. Within a week or so, I truly forgot about smoking. It was just amazing. It was a miracle.

It's been four months and I know I'm never going to smoke again. I don't even think about smoking... it's the last thing on my mind. It's just not a part of my life anymore."

Jan Madajewski
Flowery Branch, GA

Success Story from WHD Stop Smoking Seminar

Here is some feedback from someone who attended my Stop Smoking Hypnosis Seminar on World Hypnotism Day - January 4th, 2009.

"Hi Sean! I wanted to give you a update on my experiences since your seminar. First and foremost I am smoke-FREE! I have been since the group seminar, and I've gone through some really challenging times in the last two months. I had tried every method to quit before, and with your help I have kicked this thing once and for all!

Thanks for all you do, it has really worked for me!"

Kristin Zimmermann
Atlanta, GA

How I Helped an Iraq War Vet

This is an email I received today from an Iraq War vet I worked with just before Christmas 2008. It's nice to be of service to someone who's been of service.



Take a look:

"Hey, Sean. I'm not too entirely sure you remember me, but I had a visit with you just before Christmas. I just want to thank you so very much for everything. I still listen to our session every night just prior to falling asleep, and it totally helps me get in the right frame of mind to leave all of the day's worries and anxieties behind me.

Just recently I made the decision to completely stop taking the meds prescribed to me for sleeping/anxiety/hypervigilance, and I'm not lying when I say that I haven't slept this well in what seems like forever.

Crowds aren't as much of a problem for me, and I actually give other drivers on the road the benefit of the doubt instead of losing my mind!

When I left your office that day, I felt a high and a peace that I believe helped me start a new chapter in my life.

Thank you so much for doing what you do, man."

Taylor Michel, US Army Soldier
Fort Belvoir, VA

Lose Weight, Not Sleep

I wanted to share an eye-opening story with you that could help jump-start your weight loss.

A recent client of mine responded extremely well to hypnosis. Immediately following her first session, her eating habits improved. She began eating smaller amounts of healthier foods... even planning her meals in advance due to her intense travel schedule and the amount of time she spent on the road in hotels.



Week after week we worked together on various aspects of healthy eating and exercise, and each time she reported feeling better and overall, excellent results.

There was just one problem... she wasn't losing any weight.

To her credit, she maintained a positive attitude. After all, she did realize that she was feeling better, and that her choices were completely different than before.

Once in a while, I'll run into a client like this. What I've learned is that there are often other aspects of one's lifestyle that can have an affect.

I asked her about her workload, and she replied that during the past couple months, she was working 14-16 hour days. Furthermore, she was only sleeping 2-5 hours per night.

Having read many articles and scientific studies that demonstrate a link between sleep deprivation and weight gain or obesity, I suggested that she begin sleeping at least 7-8 hours per night. Now, this wasn't easy, but she did it.

One month later, I saw her again. At first, she spoke about how her last week had been a bit more stressful, and that she could have done a bit better with her food choices. Then she calmly mentioned that, during the previous month, she had lost 11 pounds!

Here are just a few recent articles about sleep and weight loss:

Snooze and You'll Lose: Rest Can Be a Secret Weapon
Sleep May Be the Critical Factor for Weight Loss and Health
Sleep Loss Contributes to Weight Gain

Being healthier is about more than just taking in fewer calories. Your body needs nutritious foods, plenty of water, sunshine, fresh air, rest and sleep. Make these key changes in your life and your body will heal itself... in addition to shedding any excess weight.

You've got nothing to lose but... well, you know.