Can Hypnosis Help Me Get Over My Ex/Addiction/Regret? The answer is yes, but the type of hypnotherapy you choose matters

Do you have a nagging problem that you just can't seem to get over and hope that hypnosis can help you get past it? Maybe you have a habit you want to break. Maybe you are having trouble recovering from a break-up, or a professional set-back. Or you did something you regret and can't seem to get over it, no matter how hard you try. Many people who reach out to me are in this situation.

It's natural to want to finally be done with a problem, to hypnotize it away. Suggestion hypnosis was designed to be that magic pill. And, yes, sometimes suggestion hypnosis works wonders on these types of situations. There are plenty of skilled hypnotherapists who will offer suggestion hypnosis as a stand alone service. I am not one of them, and I'll tell you why.

For me, there is an ethical problem with suggestion hypnosis as a stand-alone cure; and, it is not often that I will take on a client who is expecting this type of quick fix. When you have a problem like the ones mentioned above, there is almost always something deeper at the root of the problem that will not be resolved when you hypnotize away the presenting problem. Having difficulty getting over a break up, for example, could be pointing to feelings of unworthiness, fear of abandonment, or it could be a symptom of past or current emotional abuse or trauma. If you don't work through and heal those underlying problems, what will happen when you enter into another relationship? You will very likely find yourself having similar relationship problems which will lead to yet another break-up that you can't seem to get over.

Or, maybe you are hoping some suggestion hypnosis will help you to end a drinking habit. Sure, it might help you stop drinking for now, but what will happen when you encounter the emotional triggers that you were avoiding by drinking? Even if you don't start drinking again when you encounter those triggers, you will likely develop another avoidance habit because you still haven't resolved the root cause of the habit.

In my years of experience as a Certified Hypnotherapist and Depth Hypnosis Practitioner, I have learned to reserve suggestion hypnosis to be used only as a supplement to deeper, ongoing work to heal and resolve problems at their root.

Depth Hypnosis will require more from you as a client than suggestion hypnosis would. The work is deep, and can take anywhere from weeks to months. When considering the amount of time it will take to work through your presenting problems, I encourage you to consider how much time, energy, and money your problems are costing you. Consider investing that time, energy, and money in healing, instead.

In Depth Hypnosis sessions, you will be held in a safe and supportive container while you uncover and heal those things that have been haunting you and causing your suffering. With the gentle guidance and care of an experienced Depth Hypnosis Practitioner, you will be able to heal your problems at their root, so that not only will you change your relationship to your presenting problems, but you will also be stronger and better equipped when you encounter situations that would have once triggered you.

If you turned to hypnosis in the hopes of finally healing a problem that's been following you around, why not invest a little more time to have much deeper and longer lasting relief? It truly is possible to heal, and there is a Depth Hypnosis Practitioner waiting to guide you through that process. Book a free consultation with me to see if Depth Hypnosis would be a good fit for you, or find one of many other skilled practitioners on the Association of Depth Hypnosis Practitioners website.

Science Supports the Mind-Body Approach to Treating Long Covid and CFS/ME

This article in The Guardian written by Carmine M Pariante, a medical researcher and clinician who specialises in the biological communication between the body and the brain, is a great read for anyone interested in the mind-body approach to healing physical illnesses like Long Covid and CFS/ME. I find it so encouraging that western medicine is starting to acknowledge the importance of mental and emotional health in the treatment of physical illness. I pulled the following quote from the article:

“Stressful life events, such as bereavement, unemployment, incidents of abuse and violence, poverty or discrimination, can precipitate or exacerbate both mental and physical disorders. These events can lead to hypertension, an autoimmune flare-up, a cardiovascular problem or depression. Why would we want to separate these health impacts and put depression, or any mental disorder, in a separate box to the rest?

Conversely, changes in lifestyle and behaviour, and psychological therapies (which work by challenging unhelpful ways we think about ourselves and world around us), have been shown to help patients with physical disorders including cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and stroke, to name just a few.

This point is particularly important in the context of CFS/ME and, more recently, long Covid. Offering lifestyle changes or psychotherapeutic approaches to these patients does not mean that their symptoms are “not real”. Medics routinely help cancer patients with these approaches every day, yet I never hear anyone accusing doctors of suggesting cancer is all in the mind.”

— The Guardian

Hypnotherapy Brings Support to Covid Long-Haulers

As a former sufferer of CFS/ME, and now a hypnotherapist who works with clients with the same illness, I thought I saw something familiar when I first looked at the list of symptoms long-term Covid sufferers, or long-haulers were experiencing: severe debilitating fatigue, fibromyalgic pain, flu-like symptoms, tachycardia, and the list goes on. Now, I'm seeing that my intuition was on to something. Some people appear to be developing CFS/ME after Covid infection.

What I have always suspected and have seen evidence of in my practice is that there are certain commonalities that make some people more vulnerable to long-term illness than others. Likewise, I find that there are some commonalities in the effects long-term illness has on people that keeps them trapped in a cycle of recurrence. I go into detail about some of the common things that come up around CFS/ME here.

While it is terrible news that so many people are having CFS/ME symptoms after Covid infection, the good news is there is support available. Hypnotherapy, and Depth Hypnosis in particular is a really helpful tool for exploring and resolving many of the problems that CFS/ME brings to the surface. With Depth Hypnosis, you will get a blend of talk therapy and hypnosis sessions to help you resolve underlying traumas, anxiety, depression, negative thinking patterns, and other problems that could be keeping you in a state of physical pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has been struggling with long-covid and/or CFS/ME and want support, I encourage you to reach out. I have been working with CFS/ME clients for over three years and before that, I resolved my own 10+ year case through a combination of help from a Naturopathic Doctor and a Depth Hypnosis practitioner. I can't promise that you will be cured the way I was, (5 years without symptoms) as each person's healing journey and relationship to illness is unique, but I can promise that at the very least, you will make progress in healing, you will be supported while you navigate your personal path to healing, and you will learn tools to help you get through some of your toughest symptoms. If you’re interested in learning more, Contact me or schedule a free 20 minute consultation to talk about whether Depth Hypnosis might be helpful for you.

Hope for the weary: How Depth Hypnosis helps heal CFS/ME

Since I first shared my personal journey to healing CFS, I have gotten a lot of inquiries from people with chronic illnesses like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. I thought I would dedicate a post to explaining how I use Depth Hypnosis to support the healing process for CFS/ME and other chronic illnesses.

In Depth Hypnosis there is an understanding that when someone has a problem that goes unresolved on a spiritual level, it becomes a problem on a mental level. When someone has a problem that goes unresolved on a mental level, it becomes a problem on an emotional level. When someone has a problem that goes unresolved on an emotional level, it becomes a problem on a physical level. This understanding has been supported by many studies on trauma and its effects on physical health.

With this understanding, Depth Hypnosis treats physical illness and pain as though it were a map which points to the places where someone has unresolved problems or trauma. Some of the underlying things that commonly surface for CFS/ME sufferers either as a cause or as a result of chronic illness are: 

• Disconnect or misunderstanding of what their purpose or needs are (presents in depression, anger)

• A lack of boundaries around those needs (anger, frustration, relationship problems)

• Various traumas or misguided understandings from childhood or young adulthood resulting in a state of power-loss

• Dissociative behaviors

• Negative thinking patterns (with origins both before and after illness)

• Self-criticism/perfectionism

• Self-sacrificing behaviors

• Resistance to healing or restorative care AND/OR:

• Trying many new healing and restorative practices without dedication or commitment 

• Cycling energy in draining emotional and mental processes such as anxiety

I take a holistic approach to these presenting problems through inquiry, somatic-based regression hypnosis (letting the body and presenting symptoms guide us to the root causes and introducing resolution and healing at the root), mindfulness training, feedback and suggested approaches to various lifestyle modifications, and the careful introduction of gentle movement and physical strength building. Occasionally, I will also employ suggestion hypnosis to help clients who are deeply impeded by certain symptoms like pain or difficulty sleeping.

Treatment length varies widely among clients depending upon their level of illness, their relationship to illness, and their relationship to healing. I recommend beginning with weekly sessions with the possibility of spacing them out more as  progress is made. For those that are unsure or doubtful about finding resolution with Depth Hypnosis, I always say, "You will make progress. I can't promise that you will be 100% cured, though that is a possibility. But, I do promise that you will make progress and gain valuable insights on your healing journey and will be in a better place than when you started."

If you would like to make an appointment to see whether Depth Hypnosis would be a good fit for you, contact me or book a free 20 minute phone consultation.

Have You Tried Yoga? When this question is helpful, and when it isn't for CFS Sufferers

Have you tried yoga? This question is notoriously annoying amongst people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME). Well-meaning and clueless advice givers often suggest yoga when they discover that a friend or colleague is suffering from CFS. What they don’t understand is that the very nature of chronic fatigue makes it very difficult to do any sort of exercise, and often leaves people feeling worse for days.  

In my hypnotherapy practice, I work with a lot of people suffering from chronic illnesses like (CFS/ME). Anxiety, depression, dissociation, negative thought patterns, lack of boundaries, and trauma are often linked to chronic illness and are commonly a big part of what needs to be resolved for these clients on their path of healing and recovery.  I find that as these problems are resolved, clients are able to start moving away from their contracted, isolated way of being, and step into a new, more active, more fulfilling, and healthy lifestyle.  

The problem with chronic illnesses like chronic fatigue syndrome is that while people are suffering, they have to limit their physical activity so much that their bodies weaken. This physical limitation is necessary while they are ill, but as their mental, spiritual, and emotional health improve, their physical capabilities often lag due to weeks, months, or even years of a sedentary lifestyle.  

As they progress through their healing processes in Depth Hypnosis, many of my clients reach this point where they are ready to return to a more normal life, but they still don’t trust their bodies to sustain their endeavors. And the reality is, they really do need to take it slow in order to avoid an injury caused by their weakened state. This turning point when my clients have reached a place where they are ready to move forward, but are limited by their bodies is when I love to ask, “Have you tried yoga?” After we have a good laugh at the irony of the suggestion, I explain why I think they might be ready for it, and why I think it’s a great gateway to a more integrated lifestyle.

People recovering from chronic illness need to take small steps toward strengthening their bodies. Even going slightly beyond physical limitations can cause injury and discouragement. Gentle, mindful yoga can be an excellent way to learn to really listen to the body and give it exactly what it needs.  The mindfulness of a yoga practice teaches people to know their bodies and recognize when they need rest or recovery. It helps people with a history of dissociation to learn how to stay present through challenging emotions. It helps people know where in their bodies they are storing their emotions. A regular practice gives a grounding place for those who struggle with stress and anxiety. The stillness and focus can bring forth very powerful insights. At the same time, a regular practice enables someone who is weak of body to slowly build strength and flexibility. All of these things make yoga, in my opinion, the ideal tool for those who are the path of recovery.

There are some things to keep in mind when deciding to adopt a yoga practice. It is imperative when begining yoga to be mindful not to push past physical limitations. I encourage my clients to take baby steps and build their practice slowly over time. Yoga is most effective when you have a consistent, regular practice, take breaks when you need to, rest when you need to, and modify poses to avoid overextending.  Yin yoga can be a good place to start, and more vigorous practices would not be appropriate. Self-paced home videos or private instruction would be ideal.

If you are interested in beginning yoga after chronic illness, or as a companion to Depth Hypnosis, I have a recommended place to start. Adriene Mishler is an online yoga instructor who has hundreds of free online yoga videos to suit every mood and level of experience. Adriene's motto is "Find what feels good." She is very good about reminding you to check in with your body and only go as far as is comfortable for you. You can pick and choose from her many videos, or if you sign up for her email list, you can get monthly calendars with curated and recommended videos for each day. Whether you are building strength after a prolonged illness, or are looking for ways to be more present in your body and life, yoga is a great place to start.  

Sleep Like A Husband: A Mom's Guide to Self-Hypnosis for Quality Sleep

Sleep is the number one thing people ask me about when I tell them I’m a hypnotherapist. This guide is written with sleep-deprived mothers (and fathers) in mind, but it can help anyone who is struggling with falling and staying asleep.

I always knew that the first few months after having a baby would be difficult. I knew I’d spend many sleepless nights with a crying infant. What I didn’t know was how dramatically my sleep habits would shift. As a breastfeeding mother, I had to awaken every two to three hours for the first eight months of my daughter’s life. In those early days, I would look forward to the days when she would start to sleep through the night. I promised myself that it would happen soon and that sweet sleep was waiting for me, just around the bend. And then, one miraculous night, she finally slept though. I woke up at 5:00 AM in a panic, convinced something horrible had happened, only to find her peacefully snoring. This happened again the next night, and again for several nights after that. I was thrilled that she was finally sleeping, but was horrified to find that while she slept, I continued to wake every 2-3 hours throughout the night. My sleep rhythms were broken.

I asked around and discovered this sad tale was one that many other new mothers were also experiencing. It seems that as mothers, we not only become conditioned to wake up during the night, but we also wake up fully. When I would wake in the night, I would immediately have a hormonal wave go through me like a rally cry, banging at my mind, yelling “WAKE UP, THE BABY NEEDS YOU! CHECK THAT SHE’S STILL BREATHING!” After checking that the baby was breathing, I should have gone right back to sleep, but I’d be wide awake with a renewed expectation that surely the baby would cry soon and I’d have to get up all over again. And so, the pattern of not sleeping persisted.

Luckily, I had the presence of mind to try applying hypnosis to my predicament. I decided I would try a bit of self-hypnosis and see if I could shift out of my night-waking patterns. And…it worked! Full disclosure: it only lasted for about a week and then my daughter got sick and I had to start all over again. So, through my experimentation, I discovered that self-hypnosis works for changing sleep patterns, but it does require more than one session and some maintenance to bring continued relief.

Here’s how it’s done. As you’re lying down to sleep for the night, take a moment to relax your body, checking in with your head, your face, your shoulders, arms, hands, back, legs feet and toes. Release any tension you feel in any of those places. Then shift your focus to your breath. Follow your breath as your breathe in and as you breathe out. When you’re feeling sufficiently relaxed, start saying affirmations surrounding the changes you want to implement around sleep. Speak these affirmations in your mind, slowly and lullingly like they are a boat drifting on a sea. You don’t have to have a planned script, you can just say things as they come to you and repeat them as often as you like:

I am relaxed and ready to sleep. Sleep is going to come quite easily for me tonight. I will find myself relaxing more and more every night and falling asleep easier and easier. As time goes on, sleep will come more and more naturally to me. I will find that it becomes easier to relax and let go of my thoughts. I will relax more and more deeply. The more I relax, the more easy it will become to rest and sleep. I will know that my baby will be okay while I’m sleeping. I know that even though I will be sleeping very deeply, I will find it easy to wake up if he/she needs me. If I wake up, I will also find that it’s quite easy to return to a deep sleep and I will be able to sleep even deeper than before. I will continue to sleep very deeply and soundly for the rest of the night. Every time I wake up, I will remember that I can return to a deep sleep and will relax. The more I relax, the easier it will be to sleep. I will save all worries for tomorrow, and will find peace in my sleep…

You can continue on with other affirmations that you would like to implement. As in the above example, always keep them phrased as positive affirmations (avoid words like “not, no, won’t”). I would recommend that you practice this every night when you first go to bed. Continue on with it until you actually fall asleep. If you notice other thoughts arising, let them drift by and gently return to your boat on the sea of sleep affirmations. If you wake in the night, repeat the process until you are asleep again. In time, you will likely find that you don’t need to practice as often because sleep will begin to happen more naturally. I would also highly recommend that you try recording yourself and listen to the recording when drifting off, or even at other times in the day for added support. If you try this practice, let me know how it worked for you in the comments.

If you would like additional support with falling and staying asleep, or have some other problem you’d like to work on, I encourage you to reach out to a Depth Hypnosis practitioner or book an appointment with me.

A Mantra For Overwhelm and Stress

We’ve all been there: Your alarm didn’t go off, so you had to rush. You spilled coffee on your shirt because you were rushing. You got to your car to discover it was out of gas, so you had to stop, making you even more late for work. And the day just got worse from there.

Even the most calm and centered beings can experience times of overwhelm and stress. A common reaction to stress is negative thinking. This negative thinking often spirals until there’s a sense of overwhelm, panic, or doom. My clients have been reporting success in managing their stress with a mantra I’ve given them, so I thought I would offer it here so my readers can try it, too.

The mantra is called It’s Okay. The focus of the mantra is acceptance and perspective. Often when we are feeling overwhelmed or anxious, we are throwing our energy into a sense of doom, or that everything is definitely not okay. In reality, the universe is very big, and we are very small and insignificant. Does it really matter if you’re late to work today? Are you going to remember this moment a week from now, a month from now, a year? Probably not. Your shirt is ruined from the coffee spill. Are you lucky enough to have others? The goal of this mantra is to retrain your thoughts to accept the situation and then introduce an alternate, more positive perspective. In saying the mantra, you are giving everything in the universe permission to be exactly as it is. This mantra can be used at anytime, even in a meeting. Just take deep breaths and say the mantra in your mind.

Here’s how it works: When you notice you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious, you start to break down the thoughts that are contributing to this overwhelm, and then responding to them with, “It’s Okay.” With each “It’s Okay,” take a big breath in and then imagine you are releasing the stress as you breathe out. Here’s what that would look like using the example above:

Inhale, Exhale: “It’s okay that my alarm didn’t go off- I’ll be late today, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be late tomorrow.

Inhale, Exhale: It’s okay that I’m running late, sometimes life requires a different pace.

Inhale, Exhale: It’s okay that I’m feeling rushed, I’m allowed to feel that way sometimes.

Inhale, Exhale: It’s okay that I might get to work late, tomorrow I will do better.

Inhale, Exhale: It’s okay that I spilled my coffee.

It’s okay that I have to change my shirt.

It’s okay that I don’t like this shirt as much as the other one, it is only a shirt, I am lucky to have others.

It’s okay that I’ll be running late, we all run late sometimes.

It’s okay that my boss doesn’t like when I’m late, she is allowed to feel that way.

It’s okay that that I’m angry with myself for failing to get to work on time.

It’s okay that I’m feeling stressed.

It’s okay that the car is low on gas and I have to stop…

You get the idea. Ultimately, most of the stress, anxiety, and overwhelm we experience is a result of very temporary situations. These things are all going to pass. Everything that is happening is okay. You will get through this time, and then you will even forget about it. It’s okay to let it go.

If you would like additional support with anxiety or stress management, or have some other problem you’d like to work on, I encourage you to reach out to a Depth Hypnosis practitioner or book an appointment with me.

How Hypnotherapy Helped Me Get Rid of Chronic Fatigue for Good

People often ask what made me decide to become a hypnotherapist and Depth Hypnosis practitioner.  There were a lot of things in my life that pushed me in that direction, but I think the primary reason was my own experience using hypnotherapy to recover from chronic illness.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), or  Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) as it's sometimes called is an often misunderstood debilitating chronic illness. Its symptoms can invade every part of the body and it's not the same for everyone, but the primary symptom is bone-aching, soul-crushing, life-destroying fatigue that goes on and on for days, weeks, months, or even years. This fatigue will often let up, only to return a few weeks or months later.

The medical community has very little knowledge about the origins of this illness or how to treat it.  There is currently very little most western medical doctors can do for patients with CFS/ME. The diagnosis is often made once a number of better understood illnesses have been ruled out, leaving the patient feeling as if the doctor just gave up their search for the root of their problem.  Even worse, when asked what to do about it, many doctors will recommend exercise or rest, not understanding that a person with CFS/ME can literally do nothing but rest, and exertion of any kind would leave them completely bedridden for days to months. Possibly the most discouraging thing that happens to many patients with CFS/ME is they are told by their doctor that they are simply depressed and should see a therapist.  Of course they are depressed! Writhing in bed with flu-like pain and fatigue for weeks on end with no hope for a cure is depressing. But depression is a symptom, not the cause. The dismissal of the entire illness which causes very real physical mayhem including hair loss, inability to moderate body temperature, migrating joint pain, muscle fatigue, brain fog, slurred speech, and on and on, as simply an emotional state is so infuriating and disempowering for sufferers.  Which is why many do not pursue therapy as a healing modality. I was one of those people. I was filled with a special kind of fury at the dismissal of my entire illness as being an emotional state; so, I never considered therapy as a means to an end of the illness. Let me tell you how I accidentally recovered from CFS/ME by seeing a hypnotherapist.

I began having severe symptoms of CFS/ME and was first diagnosed with it when I was in my early twenties.  I can remember telling the doctor at the time, “I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't feel exhausted.  I wake up exhausted, I go to bed exhausted.” As is standard, I was told to rest more. Eventually the symptoms became less severe, and I went back to living a somewhat normal life.  But, the fatigue would return and fade every six to eight months over the next decade, and it was worse each time it returned. Then, about four years ago, I had the worst flare-up of symptoms I'd ever had and it wouldn't let up.  I would wake up and move from bed to the couch, spend my day there, then return to bed at night. I was freezing all of the time, and had horrible joint and muscle aches. It was just like having the flu. At its worst, I said to my husband, “This isn't sustainable.  If this doesn't let up, I can't go on. I feel like I'm dying, and if this doesn't let up, I actually want to die.” The symptoms went on for months until I finally decided to try seeing a naturopathic doctor (ND). The ND put me on a very restrictive anti-inflammatory diet, and loaded me up with supplements, vitamins, and tinctures.  It took time, and a lot of trial and error, but eventually the symptoms began to recede. I can't say for certain it was the naturopathic treatment that helped, or if that flare-up of illness had simply run its course. But I believe the treatment helped. If anyone would like more details about this, email me and I will be happy to share what worked for me to clear that flare-up; however, I would highly advise that you only take supplements under the guidance of a naturopathic doctor.  

Although I was feeling much better from the treatment, I continued to live in fear of another flare-up.  I never knew when the next one might come and as those with this illness know, it is so hard to make plans or commit to any goal when you're living on the edge of debilitating illness.  But I really wanted to have children. And I was getting older. I was terrified of having CFS/ME as a parent, but I knew I'd never be happy if I didn’t have children. My husband and I decided to take the risk and began to try for a child.  But, months and then a year passed without any luck. Discouraged and distraught, and feeling strongly there was something deeper keeping me from conceiving (more on that in another post), I began to see a hypnotherapist and Depth Hypnosis practitioner.  

As we began work together, she took me down a lot of paths I didn't expect to go down.  I had come in for help with infertility, but we were often addressing other things in session.  One thing that came up was my CFS/ME. I had started to have a flare up and tried to cancel my appointment, but my therapist encouraged me to come in anyway.  She offered a drum healing, which to my surprise seemed to help lift the brain-fog. Then she helped me to explore my subconscious mind for the roots of the illness.  I got a lot of unexpected answers in that process. It became clear to me that while the physical suffering I was experiencing was a result of disease, the disease had roots in unhealthy subconscious emotional and spiritual patterns and habits.

As I learned this information about the roots of my illness, my hypnotherapist guided me through healing different aspects of the problems which had contributed to my susceptibility to illness.  This could look very different for different people; but, for me, as a life-long empath, treatment included learning how to stop taking on the suffering of others. It also included processes to subconsciously remove the negativity I had accumulated from a lifetime of being open and willing to suffer for others by feeling their emotions.  All of this therapeutic work which extended over several months combined with an anti-inflammatory diet left me feeling better than I had in years.

Then, one day after I had finally begun to feel truly well, I noticed something.  I was standing in line at the supermarket, and I suddenly heard my inner voice. And it wasn't pretty.  It was saying something like, “I don't want to be here. This is awful. This line is so long. I feel terrible. Can't these people see that I'm sick? No one knows how miserable I am, my whole body hurts. I can't stand in line like this for much longer. Maybe I should just put this basket down and go home.”  It was disturbing to suddenly notice this extremely inaccurate and negative inner dialogue, but it was also a wonderful realization because I now knew what was happening to me. I had negative residue from the chronic illness knocking around in my mind, trying to make me sick again. These thought patterns were something I had picked up while I was sick.  Now that I was feeling better, they should have gone away, but were still there. Something in my gut told me that if I could change these thought patterns, I could beat CFS/ME for good. Luckily, I also had the resource I needed to accomplish that in hypnotherapy.

Armed with my new awareness, I returned to Depth Hypnosis for help in shifting my negative self-talk.  It took several sessions and a lot of diligence in between, but I eventually was able to make the transformation.  That was three years ago, and I haven't had a CFS/ME flare-up since, despite getting pregnant, having a difficult birth, and raising a baby for a year.  Each of these things on their own would've triggered a flare-up in the past, so I feel pretty confident that I've finally overcome the illness. I no longer feel as if I'm waiting for something bad to happen.  It's a wonderful life, and that's one of many reasons I decided to become a hypnotherapist and Depth Hypnosis Practitioner, myself. I hope to bring this method of healing to others who are suffering from chronic illness and pain.  I want to offer hope to those who are feeling hopeless. While I believe naturopathic treatment was one part of my healing, I also now know that in order to put the illness behind me, I had to break the negative patterns I had continued to cycle after recovery.  Only then was I able to truly be free from the cyclic disease.

My hope is that in sharing my story, I will reach others who are struggling with CFS/ME and similar chronic illnesses like Lyme disease, Fibromyalgia, and chronic pain.  Even those who have been in treatment for cancer or who are in remission could use hypnotherapy to help release the negative residue such an experience can leave behind. May this story bring hope to those who are suffering.  There is help and there are people out there who want to support you. For more information about how Depth Hypnosis supports those recovering from CFS/ME, click here. If you would like to explore Depth Hypnosis for yourself, I see clients in my office in Berkeley, CA and worldwide via Zoom. You can also find other practitioners on the Association of Depth Hypnosis Practitioners website.