Frequently Asked Questions

Hypnosis (or trance) is a natural state of focused attention and relaxation that most people drift in and out of every day without realizing it. It's the same kind of state you slip into when you lose track of time reading a good book, watching a good movie, or driving a familiar route home. In a session, I guide you into that state on purpose and use it to help you make the changes you want. 

No. You're awake, aware, and able to hear me throughout the session. People often feel deeply relaxed and a little dreamy, but you can think, decide, and stop the process at any time. If I left the room, you wouldn't stay "under," you'd just open your eyes. 

Yes, almost always. Most clients remember the whole session clearly. Occasionally someone drifts so deeply that they don't recall every detail, but the work happens whether you remember every word or not. 

No. Stage hypnosis is entertainment with willing volunteers who've agreed to be funny when going on stage. Clinical hypnosis is a private, collaborative session focused on what you want to change. No clucking like a chicken. No swinging pocket watches. 

No, and this is the most common worry I hear. You're in control the whole time. If I suggested something that didn't fit your values, your subconscious would simply reject it, and you would probably snap out of your trance. Hypnosis works by partnering with your goals, not by overriding them. 

Almost everyone can be hypnotized to some degree. If you can relax enough to fall asleep at night, you can go into a trance. People who are highly analytical or skeptical sometimes take a little longer to settle in, but with practice the depth tends to increase. It's a learnable skill on your end as well as mine. 

Yes, when done by someone properly trained. Hypnosis has been used in clinical settings for decades and is recognized by medical and psychological organizations as a legitimate therapeutic tool. I'm a certified hypnotist trained through the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy. Mike Mandel has been practicing hypnosis since 1975, with close to 50 years across clinical hypnotherapy, forensic work with Canadian law enforcement, and corporate training for clients including Microsoft, Scotiabank, and the U.S. Department of Defense. The Academy's certification is recognized by the International Certification Board of Clinical Hypnotherapy (ICBCH) and the International Hypnosis Association (IHA). I follow established clinical protocols for each condition I work with. 

Please continue with both. As a certified hypnotist, I'm not a medical provider, and hypnosis isn't a substitute for therapy, medication, or any treatment your doctor has prescribed. Never stop or change a prescription based on our work together. That said, many clients find that as hypnosis takes hold, their symptoms ease, and their need for medication can shift. If you start to feel that's happening, then a conversation with your prescribing provider is warranted. They can review your prescriptions and adjust them safely. I'm glad to work alongside your existing care while your medical and mental health providers handle anything outside the scope of hypnosis. 

Yes. What you share in your Discovery Call and hypnosis sessions stays between us. I don't discuss client cases with anyone, including your other healthcare providers, without your written consent, except as required by law. You can read the full details on my privacy policy page. 

Hypnosis can help with a lot. On the self-improvement side, I work with self-confidence, self-esteem, removing limiting beliefs, weight loss, sleep, and productivity. For relief from symptoms, I work with chronic pain, anxiety, phobias, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue. As a certified hypnotist, I'm not a medical provider, so for any medical conditions, my work supports your experience of symptoms rather than treating the condition itself, and I'll ask you to consult your physician first. If you're not sure whether your situation is a good fit, that's exactly what the Discovery Call is for. 

That depends on the condition and the person. Some clients notice a real shift after a single session, especially with situational anxiety or a specific phobia. Most phobias resolve in a handful of sessions, and chronic pain and IBS usually need a structured program over several weeks. We'll talk through realistic expectations during your Discovery Call rather than promising a timeline that may not fit your situation. 

If you come to hypnosis with an open mind, the odds of seeing real change are strongly in your favor. The Discovery Call exists to make sure hypnosis is the right fit for what you're working on, so you don't spend time or money on something that isn't going to help. If it's not a match, I'll tell you on that call, and we won't book anything further. If we do move forward and after a few sessions we're not seeing progress, I'll tell you honestly and either adjust the approach or recommend you look elsewhere. I won't keep selling you sessions that aren't working. 

Yes. The therapeutic effect of hypnosis doesn't depend on physical proximity. What matters is the quality of the connection between us and the quality of your setup at home, which is why the camera, lighting, and headphones all matter. If we decide to move forward after your Discovery Call, I'll send you detailed instructions on how to set up your space so we get the most out of every session. 

Every session starts with us talking for a bit about how you're doing and what you'd like to focus on. Then I'll guide you into a relaxed state using your breathing and your imagination; there's no swinging watch. Once you're settled, I'll use techniques tailored to what we're working on, which might include calming imagery, suggestions for change, or working with how your mind represents the problem. At the end, I'll bring you fully back to an alert state, and we'll take a few minutes to talk about anything that came up.  A first session runs 60 to 90 minutes. Follow-up sessions are 60 minutes. 

I need to see your face clearly throughout the session so I can read your responses and adjust what I'm doing. A phone screen is too small for that, and it's too easy for the phone to slip or for you to drift out of frame. A laptop or desktop with the screen at eye level gives both of us what we need. 

The sound of my voice is one of the main tools of hypnosis, and headphones make sure you hear every word without room echo or background noise. Lighting in front of you (not behind you) lets me see your expressions and your breathing, which tells me how you're responding. Both make a real difference to the work. 

No. I'm a certified hypnotist, with certification recognized by the International Certification Board of Clinical Hypnotherapy (ICBCH) and the International Hypnosis Association (IHA). I don't diagnose, treat disease, or provide therapy. What I do is help you use hypnosis to work on the goals you bring to our sessions. 

I spent over 30 years as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, including 26 years of uniformed service: six years as a U.S. Army officer, followed by twenty years as an officer in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS), where I retired as a Captain (O6). I came to hypnosis because I wanted to help people directly, and because I have always believed in the power of the mind. Decades of reading scientific research, where the placebo effect kept showing up as something researchers had to account for, taught me that the mind's influence on the body is real, measurable, and reproducible. Hypnosis builds on that same mind-body connection in a deliberate, structured way. I completed certification through the Mike Mandel Hypnosis Academy, and I'm building my practice around the conditions where hypnosis has a strong evidence base. 

No. I'm a certified hypnotist, not a licensed clinician, so under Arizona regulations, my services aren't billable through insurance, and clients can't submit receipts for reimbursement. Payment is due in full at the time of booking.