Let me guess the image that comes to mind when you hear the word "hypnosis."  Does it involve being a chicken or dancing like a silly person? Of course, it must involve not having a clue of what you did after you "come to."

The above is a fun trick, called stage hypnosis. There are a variety of other forms including forensic hypnosis (helping someone bring up forgotten memories) and hypnotherapy (hypnosis used in conjunction with counseling).  Hypnotherapy is the topic of our discussion, and it is the technique I use in my practice. 

Why use hypnotherapy?
Because change is hard! Many people know what they 'need' to do, but they don't do it. Hypnotherapy is a way to speak with the subconscious and bring about longer lasting change in behavior and health.

What is hypnosis? 

There are various stages of hypnosis.  When you are completely captivated by a movie or driving home on autopilot, these are all times of light trance.  Hypnosis or trance is a state of shifting your focus. Meditation shifts your focus to your breath.  Yoga shifts your focus to your body. Trance can be used to shift focus away from unpleasant situations or to decrease sensations of pain.  Hypnotherapy can also be used to come out of the trance of the everyday routine and align more closely with your health! Quit smoking, lose weight, etc!   

What is it like?
A hypnosis session is akin to a deep relaxation or that state of lucid dreaming where you are very relaxed and creative but still aware of everything that is going on. You are more focused on the issue at hand.  This is the perfect state to address the and reprogram the subconscious. 

To your health,

Kira Baum ND, LAc

Dr. Baum will be offering consultations at Alliance Healing Arts beginning in October. Call 206.632.5500 to make an appointment.