FAQs


What does holistic mean?


Holistic healing is about taking a holistic approach when seeking treatment for imbalances in any part of your life and choosing to live a more balanced lifestyle. In my practice, that would mean that we would be addressing the mind, body and spirit; the "whole person." When there is dis-ease in any part of the being, be it the mind, body, or spirit, we would take a look at what is underneath the signs/symptoms. You and I together would uncover and heal the root cause. Holistic healing is an ongoing journey of discovery in an effort to live a healthier more wholesome life in all ways.


What is Hypnotherapy?

Zen-Tranquility

The term "hypnosis" comes from the Greek word hypnosis, meaning "sleep." Hypnotherapists use the breath and relaxation techniques to aid their clients in experiencing a deep trance or altered state of consciousness. In this state a client becomes highly suggestible, but this doesn't mean that the therapist has the power to control the client's mind or free will. In fact, this altered state allows the client to step into his or her power and to make the necessary changes in establishing a healthy shift in bodily functions and psychological responses. I personally was trained in heart-centered hypnosis, (utilizing age regression) which brings the client to the source of the issue being addressed.


How long will it take me to feel better/heal? How many sessions will I need?


I generally chuckle and my answer is always the same. How old are you and how long did it take you to get to the place you are in? At this point, the potential client laughs too! We can't put a time limit on how long it takes anyone to feel better, but I can say this," one session of age regression hypnotherapy can be worth 6 months of talk therapy." Another factor involved here is how committed the person is in feeling better. There are never quick fixes!


How are you going to be able to help me with my depression/anxiety? I have suffered for years and so have my family members. I think it runs in the family.


I don't happen to believe that anything runs in a family. Rather, I think that each of us may have a weak link or pre-disposition to a certain malady, but that it can be over-come when the root cause of it is addressed. What I believe is that negative thinking and unhealthy behaviors tend to run in families more so than disorders do. I have witnessed all kinds of miracles that have occurred in my practice and training. Once the past is unmasked, addressed and expressed through the healing modalities that I utilize with my clients, situations in the person's life take on a healthier spin. The client steps into his/her power and healing begins to take place. Just about anyone can change his/her life if the person sets the intention to do so. The key in healing is commitment, determination and faith that it is possible.

How does holistic counseling differ from traditional counseling?


Zen-Natural-Stones

Traditional therapy basically involves telling your story over and over, never reaching that place of making healthy changes. It's mostly about talking and intellectualizing the client's issues and is ineffective in aiding the person in creating healthier behaviors. Holistic therapy encompasses humanistic psychology (gestalt, TA) and addresses the whole person; body, mind, spirit and emotional parts of the client. Utilizing hypnotherapy, (age regression) emotional release, breath work and energy healing techniques exposes the sub-conscious mind where all of the repressed memories are stored. Bringing this information to the conscious mind opens the doors to the healing process. The client begins to see the parallels between his/her childhood and current behaviors/feelings. This process allows clients to embrace the dissociated emotions and the shadow parts of themselves. The above modalities are the most profound ways to reach and heal the inner child. Our present day dysfunctions originated in the past, and that is where the healing will take place.


What do you do at the classes that you teach?


First of all, it depends upon which class that you are attending. However, I will cover here some general types of activities that I might incorporate in most of my classes in addition to the relevant subject matter centered around that particular class. Kundalini meditation, sacred circle fire ceremonies, classroom lectures/discussion, healing exercises with partners, exploring native shamanic traditions, energy & soul work, master mind partner sharing, breath work, inner child healing, and chakra (energy centers) opening are just a few of the healing modalities that I utilize in my classes. No one is forced to participate in the above exercises unless he/she feels comfortable doing so. I create a safe, comfortable environment for participants to share and grow in.


What is Energy Medicine and what does it have to do with my healing?


StoneFormationSometimes we discover ourselves trapped in repetitive, painful patterns that don't respond to talk therapy. We feel like we are just spinning our wheels and not resolving the problems at hand. We continue to focus on the old, worn out stories and the physical signs and symptoms that accompany them. Does that sound familiar?

In the tradition of the Peruvian Inca shamans "Energy Medicine" Is rooted in the philosophy that each human form encompasses a luminous energy field that carries imprints of shock and trauma as well as unresolved issues and additional heavy energies. These imprints block our peace, happiness, and well-being. This is where energy work can be very therapeutic because it addresses the source of the issue by working with the energetic and creative parts of one's being. At this level of healing, blocks in the energy field can be dissolved so that a healthy, creative life can be resumed.


I am not a religious person, so does that mean that I cannot be healed holistically?


Holistic healing has little or nothing to do with religion. Energy medicine treats the entire person because we are whole beings with a body, mind and spirit. Each new client that comes to my practice has the opportunity to examine his/her basic beliefs in regard to religion or spirituality. No one is forced to believe anything, but rather is exposed and introduced to the universal energy that encompasses and surrounds every living creature, plant or being in this great universe. So, religion doesn't play a part in your healing process, because you are already a whole person, with or without a religious background. The energy medicine techniques that are utilized in my practice enable you to connect with the holism that resides deep within your being.


What is the difference between panic and anxiety?


Anxiety is a constant unsettling feeling that never seems to dissipate. There is an underlying feeling of unrest no matter what is going on in the person's life. Chronic anxiety interferes with one's everyday normal functioning and routine. Fear is the root cause of anxiety. There are several anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety, specific phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder and panic attacks. Together, anxiety disorders constitute the most common disorder in this country.

Panic attacks are marked by a general feeling of terror and encompass many crippling symptoms. They include a racing or pounding of the heart, heaviness or pain in one's chest, a light headed feeling, weak and tingling limbs, and problems with breathing. A victim of panic might also feel body trembling, clamminess or sweating and a general sense of losing control or going crazy. Panic attacks are very frightening and the person may fear that he/she won't survive. Panic attacks have no rhyme or reason. They can surface at any time for no apparent reason. They also can occur at times of high stress and can last for several minutes. Some people become agoraphobic (they avoid going out) because they associate the attacks with certain situations or places. However, panic has nothing to do with anything outside the person who is experiencing it. Its source is in the fearful thoughts that the person is experiencing. Therefore, panic is very treatable and involves healing the person's past where the fear originated.


How do I know if I have an addiction(s) and what approach should I take?


Zen-PeaceDon't feel alone with this one, the human race and addiction go together; however, we might refer to it as an 'Addictive Mind'. Throughout life each person has many traumatic experiences that are buried within the cell structure and energetic body of his/her physical being. All you are aware of are the feelings associated with such traumas and the unconscious need to repeat those feelings over and over again. We achieve this through the abuse of such substances as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, food, and self-destructive actions involving materialism, money, sex, and fear creation. The weapon you choose to use against these fears and dark emotions is not the addiction, but the roots behind it are. An "Addictive Mind" is all about emotions, so what we push against persists even stronger. Be courageous and accept your feelings, fears, and traumatic experiences head on, and only then will you be able to develop a new path. The approach is different for each person, but 95% of addictive minds do not need traditional rehabilitation. If you are unable to function at your job, with your family, or in your personal life you may want to look at an in-house program to get started, but most people need to face the 'fear state' by diving deeply into their emotional past, and uncovering the traumas there that need healing. This is done through approaches such as hypnotherapy, breath therapy, emotional weight-release therapy, panic-anxiety therapy, energy medicine, and other natural healing avenues. Moreover, you may benefit greatly from a 12 step support group in addition to private therapy.


Do you find yourself asking some of the following questions in regard to food, weight, and health?

HealthyVegetable

Why am I eating when I'm not really hungry?


Why do I feel like I have to deprive myself of certain foods?


Why am I never really satisfied after eating?


Am I an Emotional Eater and I'm just not aware of it?


Do I have an addiction to food?


Most of our eating is done unconsciously, and then we carry deep shame because we know that we shouldn't have eaten what we did and so much of it. We truly aren't present because there is an emotional craving that is attempting to be satisfied through the eating process. Generally speaking, when we eat when we aren't hungry, we are feeling angry, lonely, scared, or some other emotion that perhaps we aren't even aware of. The rule is, "whenever we consume food when we aren't hungry, there is an emotional hunger underneath the need to put something into our mouth." If someone craves sugar, (and that would include alcohol) the question one might ask is, "where is the sweetness in my life missing?" As you discover ways to heal your emotional needs, the food in your life will no longer be used as a drug, but rather as a way to fuel and nurture your body in a healthy way. A Heart-Centered approach to healing your emotions will lead you to wellness in body, mind and spirit. In Heart-Centered Weight Release we use hypnotherapy to access the subconscious mind and to discover the dynamics of the mind/body connection associated with food and our emotional state. Hypnosis works in aiding you in listening to what your heart is really hungering or thirsting for. There is no diet to follow because diets spell deprivation and for every diet there will always be an equal binge. This is why when people go the diet route; they always gain back the weight that they lost plus more. My class will aid you in unmasking the core issues underlying your compulsive eating habits and you will learn how to listen to your body and nourish it with healthy substances only when it is hungry. You will stop judging and shaming yourself and will learn to accept and love the current place that you are experiencing in your healing process.