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You're Feeling Very Sleeepy
by Kathryn Sargent, Editor

     We've all seen them, right? The stage hypnotist, who makes his subjects act like braying donkeys, or monkeys? But comparing a stage hypnotist to a hypnotherapist is like comparing a karaoke singer to Whitney Houston! They are just not in the same league! According to hypnotherapy expert Barry Seedman, stage hypnotists don't really “make” their subjects do anything they don't want to do in some little part of their subconscious (and the subjects do NOT fall asleep!). It's impossible to make someone do something against their will or their morals while they're under hypnosis. The subconscious will simply reject the suggestion. Stage hypnotists sensationalize just a few of the ideas used in hypnosis for shock and entertainment. And they give hypnotherapists a lot of undeserved bad press.

     A hypnotherapist, as opposed to the limelight-grabbing hypnotist, will conduct an extensive interview with his client to determine what the client wants to accomplish with hypnotherapy. Does she want to stop smoking, lose weight, become more successful, attract the ideal relationship? Perhaps, she wants to release stress, become more positive, control chronic pain, or develop better working habits. In Barry Seedman's Basic Hypnotherapy workshop, he cited uses for hypnotherapy I would never have imagined possible, such as developing a photographic memory, easing the tremors of Parkinson's Disease, or helping a young man release his hysterical blindness (caused by witnessing his mother's rape as a toddler). In hypnotherapy, no one is caused embarrassment for someone else's entertainment. The client works with the hypnotherapist to control habits and make positive changes in his or her life. The sessions are deeply relaxing, comfortable, safe, and enjoyable. And I'm speaking from personal experience, here.

    Barry Seedman, founder and president of Albert University, received his Ph.D. in Clinical Hypnotherapy from American State University. He has won many awards in his field, including the National Guild of Hypnotists' 1993 Instructor of the Year, the International Association of Counselors and Therapists' 1995 Therapist of the Year, and the International Network for Alternative and Intuitive Therapies' 1997 Educator of the Year. I have found him to be a gifted storyteller who keeps his audience entranced as much by his verbal skills as his hypnotherapy skills. His workshops are entertaining and highly informative.

     In the Basic Hypnotherapy workshop, students learned to hypnotize each other and the room buzzed with excitement afterward. We were taught the theory behind hypnotherapy, how it works, and when it might not work (if the client is fearful or set in their ways). Seedman demonstrated how to work with a client who wants to lose weight, how to program success for a client, and how to work with a whole group of clients on smoking cessation. He taught many induction techniques (pretty much the same as a guided relaxation script, but going deeper); convincers (like convincing someone that they can't pull their clasped hands apart, used to convince them that they were, in fact, hypnotized if they were doubtful); and deepening techniques. We learned about techniques to vanquish fears, release anger, forgive, and boost self-esteem. And, although the students included people with medical and scientific backgrounds who were not necessarily of a metaphysical bent, we learned about the uses of past-life regression.

   I found it interesting that Dr. Seedman incorporates aromatherapy and Reiki with his hypnotherapy sessions. More than once, the delicious aroma of lavender wafted across the room as he used it with a subject. He would always clear it with them first, asking if they liked lavender, and if they would like to use it in the session. According to aromatherapist Shirley Price, in her new book, Aromatherapy and Your Emotions, lavender is a sedative that can help relax a stressed mind, help disperse hurt and grief, and bring emotional wounds or anger to the surface. A key ingredient that Seedman always includes in a session is to address any unresolved anger and hurt with forgiveness not of the act itself, but of the person who offended. He believes that forgiveness is the cure for many ills. He also uses Reiki to monitor the subject's energy field, locate blocked energy, send energy when needed, and to brush away negative energy from the chakras. (Reiki Mastership is required of his more advanced students.)

    Students who are considering making a career of hypnotherapy will discover that, even in this basic level workshop, Seedman offers them much information on the practicalities of hypnotherapy as a business. He gave strategies for business promotion, guidelines for setting rates, guidance on legal ramifications, and other practical advice. Albert University, of which he is founder, offers programs leading to a Doctorate in Clinical Hypnotherapy (DCH) or Alternative Healing (DAH) or a Ph.D. in Clinical Hypnotherapy or Alternative Healing, so that students can continue their studies and broaden their expertise in their field. Whether you choose to use hypnotherapy purely for self-hypnosis toward meeting your own personal goals, or if you choose to become a professional hypnotherapist, Barry Seedman and his Albert University faculty members will provide you with a first-rate education in this exciting field and loads of fun along the way!

Kathryn Sargent, editor of Aquarius,
is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
and Usui Reiki Master.