In a captivating interview with MysticMag, Maria-Pilar Gonzalez shares the enthralling story behind Beacon Hypnotherapy, a practice that has become a beacon of hope and transformation for many.
Her journey, which began in the late ’90s with a personal exploration into hypnotherapy, has blossomed into a distinguished career in Miami, guided by an unwavering passion for metaphysics and a deep commitment to personal growth. Through her collaboration with MysticMag, Maria-Pilar delves into the nuances of her practice, revealing how her diverse certifications and a bespoke approach to each session craft a unique healing experience.
Her narrative is a vivid testament to the power of tailored therapeutic encounters, ensuring that Beacon Hypnotherapy stands out as a sanctuary for those seeking profound, personalized paths to wellness.
Please describe the story behind the Beacon Hypnotherapy: What sparked the idea, and how has it evolved so far?
I began this journey when I did a few sessions myself back in the late 1990s. It was fascinating how much insight I got from these sessions. I was also studying metaphysics and it all tied in. I found a certification course locally and I found my calling. I shared an office at first but then I opened my own practice, Beacon Hypnotherapy Institute. I have been practicing for over 23 years now in Miami, Florida.
Along the way, I obtained a Life Coaching Certification, REIKI Master Certification, and Return to the Light (DRALL) Certification, which is a special part of my practice in which I help attached entities (disincarnate souls) return to the light. I specialize also as a Stress Management Consultant and Spiritual Hypnosis Practitioner.
How do you tailor hypnotherapy sessions to address the unique needs and goals of each client?
In the first session, I always like to take my time to listen carefully to my client’s needs and expectations. I also explain in detail how hypnosis works and how it will be used to resolve their issues and/or meet their goals. I finish the first session with a hypnotic induction with positive affirmations and visualizations.
Follow-up sessions are never the same with my clients. Every person is different and unique, and so are the issues we need to address. I use certain techniques, or a combination thereof, as needed, for the client to find the solutions and realizations that are within each individual. I never do sessions in “cookie-cutter” fashion. The client leads the session with his or her needs and then I apply whatever is needed. Whether it is a session of affirmations and visualizations, a regression to find the root of the issues, or even to see if there is an attached entity, sometimes we check the Akashic Records.
Can you provide examples of successful outcomes or testimonials from clients who have benefited from your hypnotherapy sessions?
In the many years I have practiced there are so many cases to recall, and so many that have amazing results. I think I can do this work for 100 years and it will still amaze me what we can achieve with hypnotherapy.
One young girl who was in middle school was brought by her mother because she began to have difficulties in school and her grades were dropping. She had been a straight “A” student until then and had been moved up to a gifted program as a result of her good grades. After she began the new program though, she began to have problems in her classes. She wasn’t completing her assignments on time and therefore her work was not completed and her grades were dropping. She also began to not do so well in exams.
Her mother had a suspicion that it may be due to her change into the honors program, but couldn’t understand why. All the teachers were convinced she was a great candidate for the honor program and there was no reason for her to not do well.
We did a few sessions and this young girl wasn’t aware herself of what was happening. She was happy to attend the new program and she liked the classes and teachers, but she was a little worried that she may not do as well as everyone expected. The main issue, which even she didn’t know why it was happening, was that she was unable to finish her work on a daily basis.
After a few sessions, we were able to find the root cause of it all. We had worked in the first couple of sessions mostly with affirmations and other techniques for her to feel more confident. They seemed to work and she was more encouraged and felt better but she was still unable to complete the work.
The session that cleared it all up, was when she went back and remembered, under hypnosis, hearing a teacher speaking to another mother, and telling her that most kids are smart enough to keep up in class, but sometimes, they fell short because they could not keep up with the assignment. When I asked her while hypnotized, what that statement had to do with her situation, she explained that because she was afraid to fail, she began to slack off with her work. Not completing her work, didn’t mean she was not smart, it just seemed to give her a perfect excuse to get out of the program without taking the blame for not being smart enough.
We worked on her seeing the situation from other perspectives and she realized that she did not need to be afraid of failing, that she was more than capable of finishing all the work in time, and that no one was pressuring her. The mother called me 2 days later and said that her daughter was suddenly finishing all her work not just in time, but with time to spare. She seemed also happier and came home cheerful.
Another case was one young woman who was 30 years old. She wanted to quit smoking, although her habit was only a couple of cigarettes a day. I usually do 3 sessions as a package to quit smoking, to take the pressure off if they don’t quit right away. Either way, it always helps to reinforce the fact that they quit on the first session with follow-up sessions.
Sarah came in excited and looking forward to quitting. The session went well and I expected her to return as a non-smoker.
When I met Sarah in the waiting room on the 2nd session a week later, I could smell the smell of cigarettes even from 4 feet away. This was totally unexpected, as this usually only happens with chain smokers or in first sessions when the person just smoked the last cigarettes before walking into my office. When I asked how she was doing, she replied “Not well at all”. Once inside my office, the smell of cigarettes just wasn’t getting any better. I’d get waves of tobacco smell as we talked about what happened since the last visit.
She explained that her urges to smoke had gotten worse, she had really never had those urges to begin with. The first day was fine but by the second day, she went and bought 2 packs and was now smoking 5 cigarettes or more. I began to suspect something and asked her “Who smoked in your family?” She answered, “My father” and began to cry. This confirmed my suspicions. That strong smell of cigarettes around Sarah wasn’t hers, it was her deceased father’s. She told me he had died a couple of years ago of a heart attack. He had had several heart attacks before but had never stopped smoking. Sarah and her father had had a falling out before his death, and they had never made up. She was very sad about that.
I proposed to her to do a session, where we would address her deceased father, who I suspected had not gone through to the light, and explained that it was the strong smell that had me suspecting he was around her. She gladly agreed and proceeded with the session. Her father was there and he was present because he was just as sad that they never made up. Sarah and her father accepted their mistakes, made up and both let go of the guilt. They said their goodbyes and he went peacefully into the Light.
Sarah felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her chest and was smiling and looking much brighter. When she returned a week later, she had not touched a cigarette since our last session. She wasn’t even thinking about it. Sarah said she wanted to come back for the last session just to enjoy a nice relaxing session.
What techniques do you commonly use to induce a state of relaxation and receptivity in your clients during hypnosis?
In general, I use progressive relaxation. As mentioned before, I ask the client in the first session what they expect from hypnotherapy and I listen to their needs and their situation. Then I proceed with a detailed explanation of what hypnosis is how it works and how we can apply it to their situation, including the different modalities I use along with hypnosis. Then I finish the session with a hypnotic induction, followed by wonderful and positive affirmations, suggestions, and visualization.
This helps the client get a really good feeling of being in that hypnotic state and feel comfortable with it. Their reaction after this first induction is always very positive because they feel extremely relaxed. Any aches and pains are gone, and so are the worries they may come in with. This sets the stage for a very successful follow-up session. That is why I take more time with the induction in the first session. By the second session, the induction is much faster, as the client had a great experience the first time.
In what ways do you empower clients to maintain the positive changes achieved through hypnotherapy outside of the session, fostering long-term success?
Because hypnosis works on the unconscious mind, any changes that happen are already permanent or long-term. This is always the case when we do regressions, whether it is to a past life or to a memory from the past. By changing the view or the outcome we’d like to have had in a situation, the unconscious is already registering it as a “good outcome” or “a positive” change.
Of course, emphasizing any of these new ideas, thoughts, feelings, or situations with the proper affirmations, suggestions, and visualizations, aids in rooting it all stronger from the get-go.
I also make a strong point for my clients to recognize and celebrate any positive change they see, no matter how small. Even if they have a fallback, the fact that they do recognize it is already an awareness. Each time they are aware will help in the process of making positive change. Awareness is everything – the client’s awareness is key!
Find out more at: www.beaconhypnotherapyinstitute.com
