Hypnotherapy is the practice of bringing a person (or self) into a less-common, deeper state of consciousness (there are 7) through guided relaxation techniques, then beginning therapy work.
Hypnotherapy is nothing like a hypnosis show. At Luma Theta, we practice Clinical Hypnotherapy. During a hypnotherapy session, a Clinical Hypnotherapist assists individuals to process information in a deeper state of consciousness.
The hypnotherapist helps to find maladaptive thought sequences and patterns affecting neural pathways and thought patterns and emotion sequences. These often come in the form of experiences and the way they were interpreted that changed brain development at different stages of life.
Then, the client is guided to facilitate change and healing int those maladaptive sequences and patterns, shifting the neural pathways into healthier, more desirable automatic conscious responses.
During a hypnotherapy session, imagery is vivid and emotions can be much more easily felt, identified, compared and understood than in a typical conscious waking state. Clients often describe hypnotherapy as a pleasantly dreamlike, spiritual and cathartic experience.
Many who have also tried alternate psychoactive drug therapies such as psilocybin, ayahuasca and DMT describe it to be a similar type of awakening experience, with no side effects or lethargic feelings later in the day and no need to alter your system.
With hypnotherapy, your body stays free from outside chemicals and learns to create the correct neural pathways needed to balance the chemicals in your brain and body.
Most people remember all of their sessions very vividly. If you take the time to journal your hypnotherapy feelings, understandings and memories, you will likely carry your experience with you for a long time and continue to benefit from it.
If you’re worried about being able to go into a state of hypnosis, don’t be. There are seven states of consciousness that every person passes through as they fall asleep each night and as they wake up each morning, so the body is already prepared to know what to do when we begin the relaxation techniques. You’ll find entering hypnosis to be a natural, peaceful process.
A common misnomer is that a hypnotist is responsible for hypnotizing a person, but in actual reality, each person hypnotizes themselves, or allows themselves to be guided through the hypnotization process while following queues from the hypnotherapist.
If you are unable to go into a therapy state of consciousness during your session, other emotional factors, subconscious or conscious concerns about hypnosis may be present and may need to be worked through before another session. If this is the case, we will not charge you for the full session.
15 Minutes – $0
See if you and your needs would align well will align well with hypnotherapy, have your questions answered, and get set for your first appointment
100-110 Minute Hypnotherapy Session – $250
If you haven’t been seen with our office before, this is the first session to start with, and depending on your goals and background, it may be the only one you need. Expect deep change during this session as we dive into exciting subconscious therapy work. These sessions generally include addressing root causes for clarity and healing purposes, then building positive neural pathways for future success.
Initial Session
2 Hour Intake & Hypnotherapy Session – $125
During the Initial Session, we work with first-time clients to detail their history, establish goals, and introduce our process before delving into the first hypnotherapy session. These sessions include addressing the root of more complex issues with healing work, then building positive neural pathways around the affected areas for future success.
90 Minute Hypnotherapy Session – $230
If you need more than a session or two for change, our Deep Healing Session is often that next step if a second session is needed, especially if you’ve had long-standing habits, emotions, or traumas we are in the process of changing. These sessions typically include addressing the root of complex issues, then building positive neural pathways for future success.
This session is also a great length to book if you’ve already cleared off one behavior or emotion, and you’re ready for your next level.
60 Minute Coaching or Hypnotherapy Session – $160
These sessions are for established clients with longstanding issues. Best for anxiety, depression, mindset and habit change needs if sessions are still needed. Your hypnotherapist will tell you if and when these 60-minute sessions are for you, but if you’ve already had a session or two on the same subject or goal, this is likely your next step to further deepen the change.
30 Minute Coaching or Hypnotherapy Session – $90
Best for mindset changes for established clients. these sessions are perfect for reinforcing neural pathways that have already been performing well and just need a little tune up. These sessions focus on building and deepening positive neural pathway growth for future success after root issues have been addressed.
The Renew Session is also a good fit for athlete acceleration, sales success, and changing habits after an initial intake session.
Clinical Hypnotherapy works to rewire the brain to change habits, feelings, fears and thoughts, but how does it work? Let’s look at one example and let’s say that a person who has had little experience with dogs reaches out to pet a dog and then is bitten. The cells of the brain, called neurons, store information about the new experience and learn firing patterns which connect them together into neural pathways.
You can think of neural pathways like trails in the woods made deeper by people traveling over the same spot , but in the brain, the neural pathways are formed out of experiences, thoughts, and feelings and they become stronger and more dominant the more they are recreated, thought about or felt. Neural pathways also direct the brain and body to release and memorize a blend of chemicals specifically formulated to match the feelings felt during the experience.
Pathways can become dominant very quickly when fearful or painful feelings are present, like in the case of the person bit by the dog. When a neural pathway becomes dominant, it’s likely that it will be triggered to fire any time the person thinks about anything surrounding dogs, even if it’s not about the bite. Months or years after being bitten, the person may consciously want to engage with dogs again comfortably, but the maladaptive neural pathway, operated by the subconscious mind, may be too dominant for the person to avoid, despite the conscious desire to enjoy dogs.
It’s also important to know that when the conscious mind and the subconscious mind are not in alignment with the goals they are programmed to achieve, in addition to the negative chemicals being emitted by the maladaptive neural pathway, the interpretation delivered to the conscious mind from the unconscious mind can also create uncomfortable feelings such as anxiety symptoms, fear, brain fog, restlessness, inability to focus, sadness and depressive symptoms.
That’s where clinical hypnotherapy comes in. In deeper states of consciousness, the brain is able to slow down and allow subconscious feelings and thought connections attached to the maladaptive neural pathway to come to the surface. The hypnotherapist helps a person to change the pathway by aiding them to process and release the emotions connected to the original experience. The pathway is stimulated in order to locate it; then as feelings and habits are consciously processed, the old, trapped emotions are able to be easily accessed and released. The neural pathway is broken up and the chemicals stop being emitted from it.
Clinical hypnotherapy generally takes between 4 and 8 sessions to work through one issue, but that can vary depending on the individual and the circumstances. You will receive some welcome videos after you schedule your first appointment which will introduce you to the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy, and what we do in the office you will benefit from by watching before your first clinical hypnotherapy session.
When you come in for your first session, you’ll discuss your challenges and goals with your hypnotherapist. During the session, the hypnotherapist will help you to change the maladaptive neural pathways that have been keeping you at odds from the goals you’ve wanted to achieve and/or the emotions you want to experience. New neural pathways, created by ideas and emotions you’ve experienced in your session, will be reinforced many times during the session and you’ll be creating new neurosomatic experiences in your mind and body.
Between sessions, your therapist will give you exercises so you can maximize your progress and minimize the number of sessions needed. You’ll get notes from your session to take home and use in your personal affirmations, and you’ll take time to visualize your learnings from your session and apply them to your daily life so your new neural pathway stays active and strong. Make sure you do your exercises in the morning and evening each day, for 1-3 weeks, or until your next session. Your progress will be enhanced additionally when you use this time period to really focus on what you learned in your session.
To get the most out of your sessions:
After 1-3 weeks, come back in for another session where we will discuss your progress and continue your healing process.
A common misnomer is that a hypnotist is responsible for hypnotizing a person, but in actual reality, each person hypnotizes themselves, or allows themselves to be guided through the hypnotization process while following queues from the hypnotherapist.
Working with traditional cognitive/talk therapist and a hypnotherapist helps to maximize the benefits of both, especially if you do not plan to use your Clincial Hypnotherapist as a coach. A hypnotherapist helps you quickly locate the source of a problem and its solution, and the traditional therapist can help you further process your hypnotherapy experiences and make a plan to gain from them.
With your permission, we are happy to review records and share our approach and findings with your traditional talk therapist so we can ensure we are working for the same goals.
We work with clients of all belief systems but if religious affiliation is important to you in a therapist, we value that and want to honor your beliefs. We specialize in working with clients who are familiar with a Christian or LDS background. Please feel free to have your bishop or clergy member give Erin a call at 435-429-2560 and she will be happy to explain the hypnotherapy process and spiritual benefits to your clergy member and answer any of their questions.
The Positive Mind Management program is founded on Christian and LDS beliefs and has been instrumental in stopping pornography use and inappropriate sexual behaviors. It’s also been successful at readying hundreds of LDS missionaries for the field.