Understanding Hypnotherapy: How It Works & Who It Works For (Leah Leynor - Only)

Hypnosis is a technique that allows for complete relaxation and access into your subconscious mind. When you’re in a tranquil state, I offer suggestions that enable you to adjust your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors so you can better understand and address a variety of concerns. These include weight loss, smoking cessation, fears or phobias, pain management, increasing self-esteem, stress management, personal empowerment, grief resolution, academic concerns, and more. Hypnosis can effectively unlock several concerns, thoughts, and emotions that have been holding you back. If you’re ready to make meaningful changes, hypnotism can lead you toward deep healing and growth. 

The practice of hypnotism itself hasn’t changed for millennia. Much like daydreaming, hypnosis is an inherent and universal trait, shared and experienced by all human beings since the dawn of time. However, our understanding of it and our ability to control and use it as an effective natural medicine has evolved tremendously over the past century. In the United States, Psychologist Harry Arons was one of the biggest contributors to the widespread acceptance of clinical hypnosis. He spent 40 years training doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists across the country on how to use this modality and lead their clients to new breakthroughs. Now, research indicates that hypnotherapy can effectively improve both emotional distress and medical conditions. It’s often used as a complementary therapy that blends conventional and unconventional medicine to alleviate stress, anxiety, and improve overall mood levels. Hartman and Zimberoff’s groundbreaking research found that the unconscious mind’s ability to communicate what the body could never before put into words opens the door to meaningful healing. Medical hypnosis, hypnotherapy for anxiety, hypnosis for weight loss, hypnotherapy for smoking, and sleep hypnosis are among the most common forms of this modality, although it may also be helpful for many other issues.

Does Hypnosis Work On Everyone? 

Yes and no. Theoretically, most people can be hypnotized; however, if someone resists, it may be difficult for that particular individual to relax enough to enter a true hypnotic state. I can assure you that clinical hypnosis is a safe, alternative medicine. In the state of North Carolina, only medically-trained personnel, licensed mental health clinicians, and licensed clinical psychologists can practice as hypnotherapists.

During The Session

Our sessions together will last approximately one hour. During the initial session, we will go through an intake interview to carefully discuss your concerns and address any of your remaining questions. We need to carefully establish your goals and gauge your comfort level before we begin. From there, you will choose where you would like to relax. Once you’ve found a comfortable position on my recliner, couch or chair, you will close your eyes and listen to me with or without relaxation music (your choice). Then you will enter a relaxed state as my suggestions guide the meditation. At the end of the session, we will review a short self-hypnosis exercise that will become your homework until our next appointment.

The overall goal of hypnotherapy is to help you overcome whatever issues are causing you pain and improve your overall health, wellbeing, and life. Hypnosis therapy can effectively aid people of all ages in achieving personal growth. It’s also a skill that you can take with you outside of session and incorporate into your everyday life. Robert McBrien’s research indicates that employing self-hypnosis at least once a day results in the client’s ability to have more control over thoughts, feelings and images, and experience more satisfied feelings of daily achievement and positive mood.  

If you’ve tried other medicines, relaxation techniques, or therapies before to no avail, hypnosis might be what you need to move forward. I’ve used hypnosis in my practice to help clients with a variety of ailments and issues, including teens with behavioral and academic problems and adults with anxiety, weight issues, and other general stressors. Depending on your personal goals, I can provide hypnosis in conjunction with anxiety counseling, depression counseling, ADHD counseling or family counseling. When you open yourself up to new opportunities for expansion and growth, you can find long-lasting, transformative results.

My Background With Hypnotherapy 

The power of the mind is incredible, and we don’t realize how much power it has until we explore uncharted territory. Our subconscious mind is 30 times stronger than our conscious state. When you’re able to access the buried, lingering memories, and experiences that are holding you back, it’s possible to move toward your goals with less fear and anguish. 

I began studying alternative forms of healing (in addition to traditional psychotherapy) during graduate school. I found that, when people find themselves stuck and frustrated, simply using another approach and utilizing alternate perspectives can make all the difference. After graduating from school with my master’s in family counseling, I pursued my hypnotherapy certification with Sarah Gewanter, who is a certified hypnosis instructor through the National Guild of Hypnotists with over 30 years of experience. 

I, myself, practice self-hypnosis daily and am regularly hypnotized by a certified hypnotist. In the past, I have undergone hypnotherapy for a variety of personal concerns. With all my experience, both professional and personal, I vouch for the profound effectiveness of this modality. 

Schedule An Appointment 

If you’re located in Cary, NC and are interested in hypnotherapy, please call our office manager at 919-268-2182 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. If you have lingering questions, please check out my hypnotherapy FAQ page  or call to discuss how hypnosis can address your needs.