Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy

Since the British Medical Association and the American Medical Association approved the use of clinical hypnosis in the 1950s, thousands of people have found hypnosis to be an effective way to stop smoking, lose weight, calm anxiety, and otherwise improve their lives.

The old myths and misconceptions about hypnosis have given way to proven, scientifically sound applications. Today the use of hypnosis is seen in a variety of fields - medicine, dentistry, law enforcement, professional sports, and education.

Our minds work on two levels - the conscious and unconscious. We make decisions, think, and act with our conscious minds. The unconscious mind controls our habits. In the relaxed state known as hypnosis, we can communicate directly with the unconscious mind and change habits of a lifetime.

Most people can achieve successful results using hypnosis. Almost everybody is hypnotizable, that is, any person with an IQ of at least 70, and no severe mental disorder.

Hypnosis is completely safe. You are aware and in control at every moment, and can terminate the session at any time. Hypnosis is not sleep, nor can you get "stuck" in a state of hypnosis. You cannot be made to do something against your will.

Visualization and Imagery are an integral part of hypnotherapy. Imagery is the language of the arts, of the emotions and of the deep consciousness. Guided Imagery is the general term, which describes the use of a range of techniques commonly used in hypnotherapy to guide the client through visualizations, suggestions based on images, storytelling and metaphors. Guided imagery is used to lead clients into a state of relaxation, to relieve symptoms, to manage pain, and to access inner resources and creative solutions.

Through guided imagery, the client may experience thoughts in a very concrete way. During a hypnotherapy session, not only is it possible to see images but also to hear, smell and taste. Most importantly, experiencing images helps in creating the desired reality and changes in one's own life.

Direct suggestions are an equally effective technique in hypnotherapy in situations where a straightforward approach is more appropriate.

In my hypnotherapy practice, I ask my clients to fill out a simple suggestibility questionnaire, which allows me to evaluate which hypnosis technique is more appropriate for each client.

Advanced Parts Therapy

Advanced Parts Therapy is one of the services that I offer in my hypnotherapy practice. Based on sound neurological and psychological research, Parts Therapy contends that our personalities consist of several parts or sub-personalities, which organize themselves around a central leading personality. While most of our parts (or sub-personalities) tend to cooperate with the main leading personality and contribute in achieving the goals set by such central personality, there will often be at least one or more parts (or sub-personalities) which sabotage its intentions and actions. The origin of such rogue parts of the personality usually resides in traumas.

In Advanced Parts Therapy, after explaining the procedure and obtaining the client's permission, we use hypnotherapy to trace back the origin of the part, which is sabotaging the goals of the main personality. We, then, start a work of integration of the traumatic experience by assigning new constructive roles to the rebellious sub-personality and by linking such new roles to pleasant and positive memories and sensations.

Advanced Parts Therapy is particularly effective in weight loss programs, smoking cessation, achieving goals and, in general, in removing blocks, which would be otherwise too difficult to detect and overcome in just a few sessions.

Medical Hypnosis

Medical Hypnosis is a general term designating all the possible applications of hypnosis in dealing with health issues. Even though hypnosis should never be used in place of proper medical care, it can alleviate several physical and emotional disorders.

• Pain management is one of the most common uses of medical hypnosis. The main applications of medical hypnosis are in recognizing the emotional and spiritual causes of the disease and in changing the attitude toward the experience of pain. Although it is important to recognize the role of pain in alerting the patient of an underlying problem, hypnosis can lessen the intensity of pain or even eliminate the experience of discomforting sensations. This can be achieved through various forms of guided imagery and visualizations.
• Another common application of medical hypnosis is in preparation for surgery and in the post-operative phase. Hypnosis can help patients in overcoming anxiety before surgery. It can instill confidence in the successful outcome of the surgery through imagery, which allows the client to visualize the end result. After surgery, hypnosis can help the patient in reducing pain and enhancing healing.
• Smoking Cessation (see Smoke Cessation section) and Weight Reduction (see Weight Loss section) are among the most common application of hypnosis. My smoking cessation program consists of one session and one possible back-up session. The weight reduction program consists of a package of several sessions. Unlike more traditional methods, hypnosis does not rely on the use of patches, gums, and pills to help clients quit smoking. It relies, instead, on the client's subconscious mind to replace the cigarette habit with healthy habits. The weight release program does not consist of a specific diet. Hypnosis helps clients to get in touch with their physical and emotional needs and establish a sane relationship with food. This will give lasting results.
• Stress management is another important aspect of medical hypnosis. Because stress is a recognized cause of a host of physical and mental illnesses, its management is central to good health. Hypnosis is used to induce deep relaxation, a sense of well being and self-love and also to teach the client self-hypnosis for daily personal use. A component of stress management is to help the client reframe their anxiety.
• The Cancer Protocol involves a series of sessions designed to assist cancer patients undergoing medical treatments. In this case, the purpose of hypnosis is to create relaxation, alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, and enhance healing through visualizations and guided imagery. Maria has also been working for many years in a cancer facility as a Reiki practitioner (see Reiki section).
• Chronic Illnesses, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Asthma, Diabetes, Allergies and Hypertension can also be helped by medical hypnosis. In particular, hypnosis can remarkably improve the quality of life for people suffering from chronic illnesses and in some cases even reverse the process of the illnesses.
• Psychosomatic Illness is a term that covers a host of physical disorders caused by traumatic experiences. Hypnosis can be complementary to a series of psychological treatments.

About Me

Maria Marotti received a certification in Advanced Parts Therapy from the Institute of Hypnotherapy (New Jersey) in 2005. She received a certification as Medical Hypnotherapy Specialist from the Alabama Hypnotherapy Center in 2007. She is certified by the American Board of Hypnotherapy and the International Hypnosis Federation. She has been practicing hypnotherapy in Santa Barbara since 2000. She is also a Smoke Cessation Specialist, certified by Smoke Free International (see the Smoke Cessation section). In her hypnotherapy practice, Maria has worked especially with clients with weight loss issues, clients suffering from anxiety and insomnia, clients seeking to achieve goals, cancer patients, and smokers who want to kick the habit.