Hypnosis can be the most rapid and effective way to achieve change, it is has been proven as a highly effective and drug–free alternative way to change thoughts and behaviors or altering to a positive mindset and enhanced perception. In this interview we learn more from Nora Yolles Yong at Young Hypnotherapy about how hypnosis works and the benefits of this therapy.
When did your passion for helping and healing others begin, and what made you decide to become a hypnotherapist?
That is a fabulous question. I’ve always been a person that was interested in a connection with the spirit realm. I was obsessed with ghosts as a kid, and I was always contemplating the nature of the soul. Fast forward to the birth of my first child, and it became clear that I needed to deepen my access to my extrasensory capabilities. It was clear early on in my clairvoyant training that energy healing came naturally to me. My entrance into the healing arts was hands-on healing following training in the tradition of Barbara Brennan. About a year or two into my private work with clients, I discovered the work of Dr. Michael Newton, who wrote about his discovery of Life Between Lives Therapy in his game-changing book Journey of Souls. In essence, Newton used a regressive hypnotic technique to guide clients to the space in-between life incarnations. That fact that this was something that could be done was mind-blowing to me. When I read the book, I knew this was it. I had been unconsciously seeking a way to bridge the spirit and earthly realm to benefit people. This pivoted my professional focus to the field of transpersonal hypnotherapy. My soul resonated with supporting people with shifting their consciousness to improve the quality of their lives. I was hooked! The rest is history.
Do you have a specialty of focus or help clients with a range of issues?
I have the skill set to work with most clients. However, my preference is to work with people who are having a spiritual awakening. People are finding their consciousness awakening in ways that can feel overwhelming. My job is to help them understand that this is a good thing, and we get to work healing what needs healing, and then raising the bar of what is possible in their lives. I’ve found that 3 of the hallmarks of a spiritual awakening are: Anxiety, stress, negative self-talk, fear of being judged, Issues with focus and hyper-sensitivity to the energy of others.
How does it feel to be hypnotized?
Ah, this is where I get to dispel a common myth. I can tell you what being in a ‘hypnotized’ state does not feel like. It does not feel like you’re under anesthesia or totally unconscious. In practice, hypnosis describes a type of focus that is different than an intellectual, executive focus. People naturally cycle through natural states of hypnosis throughout the day. It occurs when we’re waking up, falling asleep, on long drives, watching tv, daydreaming or worrying. Worry is actually a type of negative hypnotic trance.
People may have a misconception about hypnotherapy from watching stage hypnosis. What are some of the most common fears around hypnotherapy and can people be forced to act against their will?
Great question! The biggest fear and concern that clients come with is that they can be controlled in this process. In stage hypnosis, the hypnotist’s goal is to entertain. So, they want hypnotizable people. In a hypnotic show, you’ll see the hypnotist sending people quickly to their seats for one reason or another. What’s happening is a kind of vetting process. The ones being sent to sit down are the people who are demonstrating subtle signs of their unwillingness to be hypnotized. People who are open and willing participants make the best hypnotic candidates. This goes for hypnotherapy as well. My advice, only work with a hypnotherapist that you trust and have a rapport with.
Could hypnotherapy be more beneficial than regular therapy sessions?
Hypnotherapy and regular therapy sessions are different, and they complement one another. My favorite clients are people who have been in therapy for a while and are looking for something that offers more of a deep dive into their consciousness. That being said, I love working in partnership with other therapists and wellness practitioners. I envision a day when working with a team of mind, body and spirit practitioners will be commonplace.
I read an article where hypnosis was used to cure psoriasis, are there other instances where hypnotherapy can be used for medical conditions?
Well, there is a legal issue there. As practitioners, we’re not at liberty to state that we cure, heal, or diagnose yet some things have happened in my office that I consider absolutely miraculous. Not long ago, a client came to me with fibromyalgia pain. Something that she’d been suffering with for many years, but it had a clear and spontaneous onset. She was on a number of medications to manage her pain and before I worked with her, I made sure she understood that the approach I was going to take was more metaphysically oriented. She was on board and felt certain that she needed to work specifically with me, so I agreed. During the session, I guided her to the origin of the fibromyalgia in her body. She went to a moment while gardening at the house she’d recently moved into and suddenly gasped. I asked her what she was experiencing, and she was able to see that the spirit energy of a little girl with leg braces attached herself to my client’s energy body. We assisted this little girl to the other side, where loved ones met her. The effect of this experience has enabled my client to go off the fibromyalgia medication and she is now pain free. An interesting tidbit, later my client was asking a neighbor about the family that lived in the house before her, and they confirmed that there was a little girl with leg braces that lived there.
Is there a single case that comes to mind that has been the most rewarding or inspirational for you?
That one is pretty inspirational for me. Helping people to access their soul essence and consciousness to achieve their goals and even raise the bar of what they thought possible is my mission and my happy place. It’s work that nourishes my soul. All of the people I work with are people that I love and care deeply about. I only work with people I feel drawn to work with and feel are a good match. It may seem cheesy, but all of my cases inspire me.
