JOImethod

HYPNOTIC SUGGESTIONS

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:45:00 +0000

In my last blog, I spoke about the first part of hypnosis – the hypnotic induction. Now, in this blog I want to talk about the second most important part of hypnosis – the suggestions. Most new and some experienced hypnotherapists spend an extraordinary amount of time focused on perfecting an induction… which is understandable considering that this is the way to help their client down the road to a hypnotic trance. However, without the proper amount of suggestions, an induction alone would be like the body of a car without its motor. This creative part of hypnosis is made up of words, metaphors, paraphrases, old folk’s tales, parallelisms or anything the hypnotist could think of to deliver a strong life-altering message to his or her client.

As a hypnotherapist, I never really know what words or set of words will be ‘magic’ for each client until I speak with him or her. Yes, I know what may have worked for others with similar issues but every person is different – they have various experiences, wants, needs and personalities. This is why hypnotic suggestions are the creative part of hypnosis and why all hypnotherapists should spend just as much time on these as on the induction.

Suggestions are so powerful that they can make the difference between just another hypnotherapist and a true healer!

John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

THE HYPNOTIC INDUCTION

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I receive many queries from both new and experienced hypnotherapists who ask my opinion about the best induction to use (or the easiest way to put a person into trance). They are concerned about which induction is more effective for their clients.

I discuss with them how the hypnotic induction is the single most important factor in hypnosis and if it is done right, the client will leave with a good perception of hypnosis— in addition to a positive feeling that he or she will achieve his or her goals.

Many inductions have been developed over decades. Some examples: the Dave Elman method, Erickson’s conversational method, the arm levitation, the pendulum swing/eye fixation, and the handshake method. The Instantaneous, Rapid or Shock inductions are some of the quicker inductions that many hypnotists may employ.

Since hypnosis is both science and art, every hypnotist has a different style – some want to go for the faster inductions, some like a conversational one and yet others feel the need to test the induction (or the level of trance) on the client such as in the case of the Elman method. Many hypnotherapists think that a light stage of trance as in the pendulum swing/eye fixation is good enough in most cases, and some would rather maintain a medium or deep trance.

In my opinion, many of the inductions out today are more hypnotherapist-driven instead of client-driven.

My theory on the induction is to keep the client in mind when selecting the appropriate induction. Think about it: if you were to go into the office of a hypnotherapist for a one-on-one session – not knowing anything about hypnosis or the hypnotist, would you want this stranger shocking you (rapid or shock induction), snatching on your arm (arm bar/levitation) or boring you into trance with some long, convoluted dissertation? Would you be comfortable enough to let someone shake your hand (handshake method) and shortly after immediately hear the word, sleep, screamed into your ear?! Do you feel you would go to sleep in this manner? Do you feel you would relax enough to be at ease or even speak positively to your friends about your hypnotic experience?

Because many inductions have little consideration for the client in a clinical setting, it is the reason I developed my own induction method – The JOImethod. The goal of this induction is to get the client to a state of somnambulism or deeper (around five minutes is a good speed for the client) in the most relaxed way (so he or she can enjoy the experience) and then install his or her goals while they are at this deep level.

The idea of a great induction is to place the client in a highly suggestible state (my theory is to do it in a comfortable way for the client) so that his or her mind could receive the goals (suggestions) that he or she came in for and leave with a positive perception of hypnosis.

John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

School Board Nixes Hypnosis for Basketball Team

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:45:00 +0000

Even though hypnosis enhances an athlete’s performance on the court/gridiron, a school board in St. John, Kansas decided against the practice for its varsity basketball team http://www.kwch.com/Global/story.asp?S=9791463

Hypnosis is still seen by many as magic or stage antics grounded in mysticism. Think about it: if your only concept of hypnosis is seeing an old man with a pocket watch walking across a stage seemingly controlling the minds of his volunteers (getting them to act a fool uncontrollably), you certainly wouldn’t want your son or daughter to participate in a school’s program even though the hypnotist may have given a glaring description of how hypnosis works.

What many parents don’t realize is that hypnosis is both science and art. It is so versatile, it is probably one of the only techniques that can be used by various professionals – athletes, dentists, general doctors, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, counselors, social workers, ministers, teachers, coaches, motivational speakers, magicians and stage hypnotists or anyone dealing with the mind. Its uses are many – as in healing mental and emotional issues, acquiring motivation to achieve goals, as an anesthetic/ to control pain, boost confidence/esteem, stop smoking, lose weight, or enhance one’s performance/talent…just to mention a few arenas of application.

Unfortunately it is the magician or the stage hypnotist – with a larger than life personality – who appears to use hypnosis in a ‘mind control’ type of way for jokes and laughter. Of course, he will receive many oohs and ahs from his audience but the damage in seeing a professional man walking around like a ballerina or a professional woman walking around like a sex crazed maniac is indelible to the minds of many.

In the criminal field, police would say that their job is to protect 99% of the population from the 1% of the criminals. The same can go for many professionals who use hypnosis to enhance their patients’/clients’ lives versus that 1% who uses it for shock value, fun and games.

Because of that 1% of showmanship, perhaps no other therapeutic technique has to defend itself as much as hypnosis has to.

But as the father of one of the St. John’s varsity team players said, “I don’t know how it works, but Jordan says he can feel a difference. He says he loves it.” Shouldn’t that matter most!

Maybe if the parents and the school board of the St. John’s basketball team were told that hypnosis would not only help their sons play better basketball, but it would also enhance their grades, build their confidence and esteem and help them prepare for their future… maybe the school board would have defended hypnosis instead of being against it.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

THE GREAT DIVIDE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN: HOW TO FIX IT AND BUILD SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:20:00 +0000

PART 2

In my last blog I discussed why relationships between men and women are so rocky in today’s world. Today, as promised, I will write about what makes men and women so different from each other and more importantly, how relationships can be successful despite these differences.

NOTE: Keep in mind that I am generalizing from my experience from studying both men and women individually and working with couples. You and your mate may have specific differences that I do not mention here.

MEN:

A man defines himself by what he does for a living or his career. And he is very simple in comparison to women. You can figure him out easily if you study his behavior - he goes to work, puts in his required hours, comes home, eats and does whatever he enjoys - watching television, playing video games, having a beer with the guys, playing with his toys (electronic gadgets, tools for his car or computer), repairing something around the house, talking to his wife (in certain situations this activity may be very limited for various reasons – see top ten reasons for divorce in Part 1)… and at the end of the day, he wants to be sexually intimate with his woman – of course, if there isn’t any arguing, fussing or fighting going on. Everything he does is simple and logical and this is where he puts his meaning and value.

He can do this year-in and year-out without change? Women may look at this as being boring – and it probably is after a while – but this is the way men are genetically wired and environmentally groomed.

Since guys are very logical, they like for things to go according to a logical plan.

Being the left brain types, guys generally cannot handle intense emotions – such as crying or being upset over small things or about what someone said to them or about them negatively - at least not for long. But because of his drive to have sex (a man is biologically designed to procreate), he will tolerate his mate’s emotions more than normal.

On Relationships:

Bonding: The more sex he has with his woman, the closer he feels to her. The less sex he has with her (because of arguments, fights, and emotional battles), the more his mind will wander – which ultimately draws him apart from her. Without the intimacy with his woman, his nature will build up - he can actually feel it in his nether regions - physically - and his thoughts may become stronger (daydreaming about sex, etc.). Thus, one of the top reasons for divorce may rear its ugly head: infidelity (number 1 on the Top Ten list of reasons for divorce).

Weaknesses: Because of his logic (doing the same things year after year), he is very limited in his tastes for clothes, food, conversation and culture. His idea of a night out on the town may be going to the local buffet for the all-you-can-eat menu –he loves to save money! After all, saving pennies is the logical thing to do, right? And he oftentimes may miss the subtle messages that his woman may be sending out about how she feels, which can be a cause for an argument.

Strengths: Being the logical type, he knows how to get things done. This helps his relationship in terms of paying bills, building the bank account, having the car repaired, fixing things around the house, and being good with time management. Since he isn’t fancy, he can stay with the same woman forever as long as she treats him right – which equates to less emotions/arguments and more physical intimacy. While he isn’t emotional, he has learned over the years how to cope with emotions when it comes to his woman.

WOMEN:

A woman defines herself by her relationship or her family. Because of her emotions and intuition, she is genetically wired and environmentally groomed to be in touch with her feelings and has a desire to be different. According to statistics, she speaks 20,000 words per day compared to man’s 7,000 words per day; because of these factors, this makes her the most complex species on earth!

Being the right brain type, she loves beauty, making herself pretty, and has a penchant for shopping. Women generally dislike boredom or doing the same things over and over again like men do.

On Relationships:

Bonding: The more she is moved – i.e., stimulated mentally and emotionally – by her man, the closer she feels to him. Without being shown attention and affection in her relationship, her nature will build up and her thoughts will begin to wander. She will daydream about romance, the need to hear how beautiful she is or how much she is wanted and loved. Because of her dislike for the mundane, she may easily think the 'grass is greener in other pastures' – and this sometimes may lead to infidelity (number 1 on the Top Ten list of reasons for divorce).

Weaknesses: Time management – since she is the right brain type, she is moved by how she feels/her own time and not by man’s clock. Because her emotions make her complex (and her complexity makes her feel unique about herself), she may cause drama in the relationship and hold on to an argument longer than her mate which ultimately causes her relationship more issues. She may use her emotions – intentionally or unintentionally – to control the relationship.

Strengths: She is a nurturing being. Without her love for beauty, culture, fashion, the need to keep up with current events and her penchant to talk, the relationship will become boring. She helps her man when it comes to selecting his clothes and helping him to become more cultured. Her decorations make the house more of a home. With her need to be sociable, she helps him come out of his shell when it comes to having fun. She is good with organizing events, trips and outings for the family.

So now it’s back to the original question: How can a relationship become better or more successful?

Women’s complexity and man’s simplicity may certainly present major issues in relationships. If neither are consciously aware and appreciative of each other’s differences, the relationship would inevitably suffer.

Yet, here’s the clincher: Instead of using your differences as a tool to compete and fight, you can use them as if you are both partners in a card game for high stakes competing against two other partners for the win.

We first have to stop seeing ourselves as separate from each other and embrace the other’s strengths and weaknesses. Because my partner is different than I am doesn’t mean that we aren’t meant to be soul-mates. She has abilities, skills and ideals that she brings to the table and so does he.

This, however, requires growing up and becoming mature! And it also requires… COMMITMENT!

Once we understand and appreciate the differences and ‘let go’ of our ego (it certainly gets in the way in a relationship), only then can we compromise with our wants and needs in relation to our mate’s wants and needs.

We all know we have our own issues and problems (drama, being overly emotional or too analytical, being negative, angry, hostile, competitive, having a need for control, or just natural differences between men and women) and it is these issues that cause our relationship problems. Since we know this, why do we hold on to them? If we have no intentions of letting go of our own issues (or at least move them out of the relationship’s way), why be in a relationship and make ourselves sick, our mate miserable and eventually, contribute to the divorce rate statistics?

John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

THE GREAT DIVIDE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN: HOW TO FIX IT AND BUILD SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:50:00 +0000

PART 1

”What you can do I can do better! No you can’t, yes I can, no you can’t, yes I can!”

This chant was in a commercial many years ago between the basketball great Michael Jordan and the soccer great Mia Hamm (Mariel Margaret Hamm).

Even though I loved this commercial, it pitted one super athlete against another in many different scenarios; unfortunately, this attitude also embodies how many couples behave in their relationship – as if they were playing a game to see who will be the winner.

In my practice I have worked with many couples. Such problems I hear of: ”Why does he or she behave the way he or she behaves? Why is he or she looking/ wanting to be with someone else? Why are we arguing all the time? I am ‘trying’ to love him or I am ‘trying’ to love her but he or she won’t cooperate. She does this that irritates me or he does that which frustrates me. It is just a constant battle between us!”

After all of the bickering and the going back and forth, and both telling me who’s to blame, ultimately, the question eventually comes to: How can we make our relationship better?

Before I get into that, I will share some information to get your gray cells spinning.

The divorce rate in America is about 50% (and that’s only for the first marriage). Men and women are constantly at each other’s throats over small things.

People, we have a serious problem and we (both men and women) are to blame – there is enough finger-pointing to go around.

Below are the Divorce Rate Statistics of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Marriages.
• Divorce rate in America after first marriage is from 41% to 50%.
• U.S divorce rate after second marriage is from 60% to 67%
• After 3 marriages the U.S divorce rate is from 73% to 74%
http://www.aboutdivorce.org/us_divorce_rates.html

According to a Healthy Living website, here are the Top Ten Reasons for Divorce:

1. Lack of commitment towards marriage, sexual incompatibility and infidelity
2. Lack of communication between spouses
3. Abandonment, alcohol addiction and substance abuse
4. Physical abuse, sexual abuse and emotional abuse
5. Inability to manage and resolve conflict
6. Differences in personal and career goals
7. Different expectation about household tasks and financial problems
8. Intellectual incompatibility and inflexibility
9. Mental instability and mental illness
10. Religious belief, cultural and lifestyle differences

http://women.ygoy.com/top-ten-reasons-for-divorce/

With the exception of point number 9 above, I have experienced each of these issues first hand with the various couples I’ve worked with over the years. By far, lack of commitment, lack of communication, inflexibility, and the inability (or desire) to manage and resolve conflict are the issues I have seen happen the most.

Think of this: why do we (both men and women) spend so much time, money and effort searching for each other – we go to clubs, pubs, and parties, dating services, blind dates and social groups – just to argue, fuss and fight when we finally get with each other? And if the relationship ends in divorce (heaven forbid), we do the same things all over again in search of the next companion, or should I say, the next competitive match. Many times we take our negative issues from one relationship to the next relationship.

Have you ever heard the saying, ‘I am looking for my soul-mate’? It is a very common expression.

What does that actually mean? Does it mean that only one person on the face of this planet has a similar soul as I? Does it mean that I am looking for a carbon copy of myself? Does it mean that if someone thinks differently than I do, I will give that person pure hell? Does it also mean that only 50% of the American population that is still married has been lucky enough to have found their soul mate…or have they just not mustered the courage to leave?

When I think of the word ‘soul-mate’ (by the way, this word is not on the Top Ten list of reasons for divorce), I also think of the word compatibility (and incompatibility is down the list at number eight). Finding my soul-mate is the same as finding someone compatible to me.

Let’s face it, men and women are the most intelligent creatures on this planet. We have the ability to adapt to any surrounding, culture, language, situation or environment; yet we complain about our mate (which means we complain about ourselves because we married or decided to have a relationship with the mate) or a potential mate who comes from the same country, state, town, city, schools, speaks the same language and has the same accent, the same or similar career, lifestyle, goals, educational background, religion, and finally, the same ideals. Could you get any more compatible?

If two people have all of this compatibility (in other words, he or she has found his soul-mate), why do we have so much divorce/separation in our society? Am I looking to date myself?

If I am looking for more of a carbon-copy of me, I need to consider first - have I not been upset with some of the choices that I have made in my life? If so, this would mean that if I find someone who is exactly the same as I am in every way, I will probably be upset with some of her choices as well.

Why wouldn’t I cut my mate some slack?

Here is a secret:

Successful relationships (like anything else) require work from both parties – especially after the Honeymoon Stage is over. This is the stage of the relationship between the time when you first met your mate until about a year or so later, depending on the couple. During this time, your new mate can do no wrong – he or she can walk on water in your eyes.

Do you still remember that time when you felt butterflies in your stomach when you saw, heard or even thought of your mate? The time when you were inseparable – talking on the phone for hours when you were apart, e-mailing and text messaging all day, holding hands, eating out of the same bowl, sipping from the same glass, taking showers together, giving each other massages, feeding each other grapes over a candle-lit fire – you know, those times?

But what happens after the Honeymoon Stage when the couple begins to ‘settle’ in and REALLY get to know each other? Believe it or not, however, even though the Honeymoon Stage may have worn off, the relationship isn’t over – there is still fun to be had.

To make our relationships run smoother, we must first understand who we are and who we are dating or married to. To do this, we need to take a look at the basic differences between men and women to help us appreciate each other more.

But time’s up for this blog – so tune back in next week to learn about what makes men and women so different and how, despite these differences, they can make a relationship work!

John Owens
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

The Most Challenging Client

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:04:00 +0000

Oftentimes I receive questions – whether from a client, a friend, family member or from someone at a social event – on what type of client is the most challenging?

When I am asked this question, I’ve gathered that the person asking is usually talking about the most difficult person to hypnotize. After I find out if this is indeed what he or she means, I let them know that I have no problems hypnotizing anyone. In fact, inducing or hypnotizing someone is the easy part!

Many of these questioners are often surprised when I say this because they have this erroneous view that hypnosis is a mental challenge between hypnotist and client instead of a cooperative relationship.

After I explain what hypnosis is to them, I then let them know that my challenges would come from the Negative Emotional client.

Of course their next question is: how so?

I go on to say: when a person displays Negative Emotions (here I am talking extreme cases or near extreme such as years of depression/suicidal tendencies, obsessive compulsive behavior/thoughts, and eating disorders), his or her nasty habits are so entrenched, I would have to work with them on many sessions (six or more) just to balance out the emotions first. Once their emotions are balanced, inner peace and harmony injected into the mind and emotions just to offset the ‘war’ that is been waged inside of them, only then could we work on their other goals that they came in for.

Where I could see a major difference in a non-emotional or a client with balanced emotions in one to three sessions, the client who suffers from Negative Emotions are so locked in to how she ‘feels’ that she may miss the change. And even if she can see or feel some change, those negative emotions or the experience of anger, guilt, humiliation, shame, embarrassment or some other feeling that have become habit may be reaching in from the past preventing her from enjoying the change.

How did this client get this way? I cannot speak for all of them but I can say from my experience that many of them would have missed a wonderful experience in childhood and instead suffered abuse, neglect or some form of other mistreatment. Or some of them could have lived in a household without strong and supportive parental guidance or with parents/relatives who experienced years of depression or some other Negative Emotion and this behavior ‘rubbed’ off on them.

Because of the years of havoc and turmoil, many of them have little social and career skills – this is another reason why this client is so challenging. With this in mind, I don’t only use hypnosis; I also use advice, mentoring/coaching and encouragement in both their personal and professional lives.

In essence, this client is challenging because I would have to dismantle the dysfunctional mental and emotional system and rebuild a new and functioning one (inner peace, balance, harmony, self esteem/confidence and focus; social, organizational and career skills).

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Are you Hypnotizable?

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:49:00 +0000

I receive many calls from potential clients who think they cannot be hypnotized. They are actually under the impression that to be hypnotized means that one relinquishes mental control to another. In other words, some people think it is a test of will between the hypnotist and the client in a hypnosis session.

This is far from the truth. There are no mental wars or battles between hypnotherapist and client – at least there shouldn’t be anyway.

Some questions potential clients have are: Can I be hypnotized? How do you know if I can be hypnotized? Am I weak if I am hypnotized? What types of people are easily hypnotized?

These questions are asked as though hypnosis or trance is some mystical consciousness that only ‘weak minded’ people can be transformed to. ‘Strong minded’ individuals however, aren’t affected as they may think.

The answer I provide oftentimes surprises them. I tell them, ‘If you can sleep, you can be hypnotized.’ I usually get silence on the other end of the line when I say this to many callers. I go on to tell them that hypnosis is a state of consciousness between being awake and going to sleep. With my induction (The JOImethod), I attempt to get my clients as close to sleep as possible. I do this for a couple of reasons. First, it is very relaxing to the client when they ‘let go’ of their stress and whatever problems they are working on at the time and ‘doze off’ for an hour or so – it is like receiving a mental massage, a release of mental and emotional tension and pressure. Secondly, the closer I get the client to sleep (therefore moving the conscious mind out of the way), the easier it is to layer in their goals (that is, the programs I give to the client according to their specific request).

Would every client go to sleep while in session? No, they will not. I usually get about 98% of my clients into this level of trance. I cannot speak for other hypnotherapists. Even if the client doesn’t make it to this deep level, he or she is still deep enough to have the goals programmed in for success.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

HYPNOTHERAPY BY TELEPHONE

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:45:00 +0000

When I first considered working with clients outside of my home area, I had ambivalent feelings. Yes, I wanted to be able to help people anywhere in the world with their challenges and their goals, just as I did in my office; yet at the same time, I thought no one would ever feel comfortable doing a session over the phone as they would in person.

Let’s face it, fraud is running rampant in the world; people are holding their money close to their chests and I cannot blame them. Even though the world has become smaller due to the Internet, international travel and globalization of businesses and mindset, many people still share an old school philosophy when it comes down to their personal choices made toward resolving an emotional or career issue.

When I get calls from potential clients for phone sessions, they are usually concerned if the session would work just as well over the phone as in person. They would wonder how in the world one could be hypnotized over the phone if they couldn’t see or be seen by the hypnotist. After I generally explain to them how hypnosis works in conjunction with their mind and specifically how my induction works, they become more comfortable with the thought of a phone session.

Furthermore, I would let them know how easy it would be for them to do hypnosis sessions in the comfort of their own home and not have to worry about rushing through traffic to make the appointment and take time away from their home duties. Even different time zones won’t cause any problems with phone sessions – I have worked with clients on the west coast (I am on the east coast) and even in other countries. Moreover, after a relaxing session one can simply sit back and sleep if they wanted to, rather than have to leave my office, get in the car, and drive home. Because driving – or doing anything that requires one to be fully alert – is the last thing one desires to do after a session of deep hypnosis!

Phone hypnosis is certainly in line with the latest article on WebMD http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20080923/phone-psychotherapy-fewer-hangups?ecd=wnl_day_092508 regarding psychotherapy over the phone. In this article, it was discussed that the attrition rate for phone psychotherapy was lower at 7.6% when compared to that of traditional psychotherapy – 46.9%. In other words, these phone clients are less likely to ‘drop out’ of therapy than a face-to-face client because they didn’t have to deal with the issue of finding enough motivation to attend a session. This is so especially if the client suffers from problems such as anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, panic attacks, a fear of driving or some other emotionally based issue which may even preclude them from getting out of their home to go to the therapist’s office.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

101 Lessons I Learned From My Clients

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:25:00 +0000

I am happy to present my newest book released just in time on my new remodeled website (www.hypnotizeanybody.com). Book 1 in the Lessons Learned Series contains little sayings/teachings I learned or used at some point as an individual and alternative health professional. As a hypnotherapist and coach, my clients gave me the opportunity to recall these long forgotten lessons – at the appropriate time – while in session with them. These analogies (scenarios, metaphors, old folk’s tales and common sense stories) allowed me to communicate with my client’s subconscious mind, to indirectly affect change in their lives for the long haul.

These little lessons are meant to entertain and educate, and it doesn’t matter whether the reader is a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, personal coach, motivational speaker, alternative healer or layperson. In my field, they were invaluable to me and the people I worked with. They often helped me place my clients in a ‘waking trance’ while mulling over these analogies. When their conscious mind is busy going over the parallels between these tales and their lives, the subconscious mind is being programmed (persuaded, influenced and motivated for change) with the acceptance of the logic contained therein.

You can learn more about the book or you can purchase it by clicking here: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com/books_101lessons.asp

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Medication on the rise; Psychotherapy on the decline

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:25:00 +0000

Don’t be surprised the next time you are in for a visit with a psychiatrist and you are offered anti-depressants instead of psychotherapy - according to a study report covered in the Los Angeles Times regarding psychiatry.

Anti-depressants are one of the largest-selling classes of drugs in the medical industry and insurance companies, not the psychiatric professionals, are calling the shots in determining their use.

From 2004 to 2005, 28% of patients received psychotherapy compared to 44.4% of patients between the years of 1996 and 1997. This 15% drop is largely due to the insurance reimbursement policies. Quite frankly, the insurers subscribe to the notion that it is easier and more cost effective to drug you up than to talk you up. Doctors are provided a better financial incentive for a 15 minute medication management visit than a 45 to 50 minute outpatient psychotherapy session.

The report also said that psychiatrists who provided psychotherapy only for their patients dropped to 10.8% in 2004-2005 from 19% in 1996-1997.

Is this decline in psychotherapy only happening because of these money grabbing insurance companies or are the patients partly to blame in searching for a quick fix? This is what Dr. Mark Olfson of Columbia University Medical Center asks/suggests.

Whatever the reason for this increase in psychoactive medication – financial incentives or the impatience of our society or both – just be aware of the changes in how psychiatrists do business.

Medication Increasingly Replaces Psychotherapy, Study Finds
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/healthlawprof_blog/2008/08/medication-incr.html

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Who’s the happiest – men or women?

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:35:00 +0000

Although I haven’t delved into this area in my work, ABC News reported the results of a research study and got me thinking about it. Many of my clients have battled many different negative issues in their lives – in other words these clients were unhappy – and they are both men and women.

I cannot say one way or the other which gender is happier. But what I can say is that since 2000, I have had more female clients who called me for hypnosis sessions because they suffered depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, obsessive thoughts and relationship issues than men. These women were composed of students, corporate types and housewives.

The majority of the male clients that contacted me wanted to deal mostly with enhancing their confidence in their professional life, goal setting, and jumpstarting the motivation to start or grow their own business. Only a handful of men who called me battled depression, anxiety or had relationship issues – and those were usually the artistic, emotional and/or right brain types.

Generally speaking, I have found that men focus more on external factors (career oriented, learning something new and gaining material things) and women are focused more internally (feelings, relationships, health, concerned about their looks and/or aging).

From my experience, unwillingness to change, not accepting life, having difficulties in snapping back from adversity, strong sensitivity and negative emotions are some causes for unhappiness.

An article on the New York Times discusses different studies that were made precisely on this topic. One point I found of interest is that in the 1970s women “reported being slightly happier than men. Today, the two have switched places.” Perhaps the answer is here:

“Since the 1960s, men have gradually cut back on activities they find unpleasant. They now work less and relax more. Over the same span, women have replaced housework with paid work — and, as a result, are spending almost as much time doing things they don’t enjoy as in the past. Forty years ago, a typical woman spent about 23 hours a week in an activity considered unpleasant, or 40 more minutes than a typical man. Today, with men working less, the gap is 90 minutes.”

However, some researchers who have studied the use of time contend that:

“Women are not actually working more than they were 30 or 40 years ago. They are instead doing different kinds of work. They’re spending more time on paid work and less on cleaning and cooking.

What has changed — and what seems to be the most likely explanation for the happiness trends — is that women now have a much longer to-do list than they once did (including helping their aging parents). They can’t possibly get it all done, and many end up feeling as if they are somehow falling short.”

This trend is even visible among high school kids. Apparently 25% of males vs. 22 percent of women report being happy. More males are becoming happier while the percentage of “happy” females remained the same since the 1960s.
One researcher mentions that perhaps women were happier before because they did not have as many ambitions as they do today. Some people, the research says, have not caught up with the “gender revolution.”

Nonetheless, I have women come to me who work and those who do not work and are supported by their significant other. Some that do not work cannot accept the dependency while others take it for granted. I see a huge problem with self-esteem issues, which is a topic that is not mentioned in the NYT article nor the ABC News report.

Living only inside of one's own world without accepting life around him or her is what I have seen to cause unhappiness in many. Locking into an idea and not ‘letting go’, living in the past, battling anger issues, or being argumentative will also cause unhappiness in either gender.

Below is the clip from the ABC network mentioning which gender is happier.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=9075328

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Why Affirmations Work?

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:28:00 +0000

Tools needed:
1. Affirmations (general affirmations provided below)
2. Conscious mind - the 'chef'
3. Subconscious mind - the 'big pot' on the stove

When people experience hopelessness in their lives, they usually drop into a state of mind called depression. This depression, if left intact long enough, will cause the decrease of those feel-good chemicals inside of the brain. Depletion of those positive chemicals just makes life intolerable – with the lack of energy, isolation, a feeling of dejection; in essence, one’s life becomes miserable.

How does a depressed person offset this state of mind? Some commonalities depressed people share are an inactive lifestyle and engaging in negative self-talk. To get outside of this state of mind, the depressed person should become active (walking, dancing, biking, bowling, etc) and use positive self-talk (Affirmations) to change that negative chatter that goes on in the back of the mind.

Becoming active is really a no-brainer; however, the affirmation part may take some convincing as to why this would work.

This is how affirmations work:

Think of your subconscious mind as a big pot sitting on the stove and your conscious mind as the chef that fills the pot with different foods. The chef can put anything in this large pot, in addition to the water for cooking, then turn the stove on and let it boil. The pot can contain chicken soup, veggies, corn or potatoes or any food that requires boiling and any food that the chef wants to put into the pot. The chef can even put some rocks, dirt or sand in this pot (it's the chef's choice!) along with water and the pot then contain boiled rocks, dirt or sand.

But would anyone want to consume these ‘negative’ things (rocks, dirt or sand) even though the chef put them in the pot? The interesting thing about this pot on the lit stove is that it doesn't reject, argue, debate or complain with the contents the chef gives it (even though the rocks, dirt or sand aren't good for cooking or consumption). The pot’s job is only to cook what the chef put inside it with no questions asked. At the end of the cooking, the chef gets the contents back in a different form; typically, an edible form only if he/she put in the right contents.

Your subconscious mind is the same as the pot on the lit stove...it doesn't reject, argue, debate or complain with the contents your conscious/chef (even if the thoughts were negative) gives it. If your conscious mind gives it negative thoughts or negative experiences it will cook these thoughts/experiences for you and feed negativity back to your life; and potentially cause a host of issues such as: overloaded emotions, depression, anxiety, guilt, stress, anger and/or poor health. In essence, this means a hard life for you. If your conscious mind gives your subconscious positive thoughts, it will cook these thoughts for you as well and feed positivity back into your life with happiness, inner peace, fun and good health - a much easier life for you.

Now, you have to ‘consciously' make the choice as to what you want your 'subconscious' mind to cook - positive thoughts or negative thoughts, a good life filled with inner peace, happiness and enjoyment or one filled with anger, depression, fear, obsessive thoughts or ill health...this is your life and this is your choice. No one else can make this decision for you!

Your subconscious mind is a tool/gift you were born with and you can use it as you see fit. It is very powerful if we know how to use it and it is very powerful even if we don't know how to use it – it is just the way it is designed. The very nature and relationship between the conscious (chef) and the subconscious (pot) mind can make our lives miserable or it can make our lives peaceful!

These general sayings (or the specific ones you create) below will help your conscious mind (your chef) 'program' your subconscious mind (your pot) and your subconscious mind will never reject the 'positive programs' (affirmations) in the same way that it doesn't reject the 'negative programs' (anxiety, anger, depression, fear, guilt, obsessive thoughts and panic) that many people give their minds each day.

The affirmations are designed to keep your chef/conscious mind busy and out of your own way while you are ‘programming’ your pot for happiness and success.

If you say your affirmations each and everyday, your chef (conscious mind) will put positive contents in your pot (subconscious mind) and you will receive positive thoughts in your life which will eventually change your behavior and outlook on life!

I know it sounds easy and it really is as long as you do your affirmations - please read them aloud to yourself for stronger effect.

The below affirmations are general. You can use them ‘as is’ or modify them or just create your own. If you need to, print them and carry them with you at all times or until you don't need to say them anymore - say them in the morning, noon and night or any time you feel less than stellar.

For how long should you say them? Scientists say it takes about 21 days to create a habit. I say, use them until you begin to see positive change in your thinking/behavior.

1. I love myself and enjoy being with myself each and every day
2. My self-esteem and self-confidence will increase each and every day
3. I will remove negative thoughts and negative people out of my life
4. I will always seek inner peace in my life
5. I will make a commitment to myself to seek fun and happiness each and every day
6. I will bring in more positive activity into my life each and every day
7. My health gets better each and every day
8. I will breathe in positive energy and let go of all negative energy each and every day
9. My family brings me happiness
10. I bring myself and my family happiness

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

NIRVANA

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:40:00 +0000

“To cease blowing” (as when a candle flame ceases to flicker) is the literal translation of this Sanskrit word. Many people may search for it through spirituality, meditation or some form of spiritual exercise such as yoga or tai chi. This practice is an integral part of Eastern philosophy. Other people, especially some of us in the Western world, aren’t aware of its existence or may have heard of it but don’t really know how, or even have enough time to attempt to, experience it. And then there are others - the skeptics - who would deem it absolutely ludicrous to even think of this concept, let alone having it play a role in their lives.

In our society, we have been groomed to work hard and study hard without being given an understanding of how to relax and take off the stress on the road towards success. For this reason, many experience the problems which come from an overloaded brain and a too harsh, oftentimes rigid and clinical, lifestyle.

So what does Nirvana mean to you? I think it may have different meanings to different people. Some of these meanings may include a desire for: inner peace, relaxation, bliss, clarity, and compassion for others.

As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words – but a video is on another level.

Watch how this brain scientist -- Jill Bolte Taylor -- found Nirvana in her life.
Hopefully it moves you towards your search for Nirvana as it has me!

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/229

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Dedication to LOUISE HAY

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Despite being a high school drop out because of a pregnancy at age 15, Louise Hay went on to become one of the best selling authors in history; she owns her own publishing empire and perhaps affected the New Age community like no other.

I ‘discovered’ her accidentally. A few years ago, my wife was on a trip to her home in Europe when she met a friend who told her about Louise. This friend was battling breast cancer and incidentally, Louise had suffered cancer as well.

I received a call from my wife one day while she was on her trip. She told me that I needed to get a book called “Heal Your Body” by Louise L. Hay. I said, “Louise who?” as I was writing down her name. She said that her girlfriend, the one with the breast cancer, had this book and it had helped her tremendously in her thinking, helping her become more positive.

So I went out to look for this book and was surprised to find that it was so small and thin – less than one hundred pages. I also found that the whole book was about affirmations from a mind/body perspective. In other words, Louise discovered that our mind or our thinking could affect our body in certain ways; the same way she found out that her cervical cancer stemmed from not ‘letting go’ of the abuse she suffered as a child.

I had heard of mind/body communication but more so from books and journals of science – never from an ‘affirmation’ point of view. When I read over the many ailments listed in Hay’s book, along with probable causes of the ailment and associated affirmations or new positive thinking, I thought to myself – no way!

I know I am not from the ‘Show me’ state of Missouri but I wanted proof. Yes, I read many of her testimonials but I wanted to experience it first hand. So what better way for me to do this than to try it out on some of my clients who were battling emotional and/or physical pains.

This is how I did it: I would get a call for a session appointment -- let’s say the client was suffering from constipation. Typically the way I would work with this type of issue (before reading Louise) was through general suggestions about the flow of nature and balance. After reading “Heal Your Body”, I would ask the client during the consultation if she had any of these issues: “Refusing to release old ideas. Being stuck in the past or sometimes like to keep what she has and not share with others.” To my surprise, the client would agree to all of the above. Since this was the case, I would tailor the suggestions around these affirmations. This particular case actually happened and this approach caused the lessening of her constant bouts of constipation and today, she’s happy to tell me, she is doing much better.

But I didn’t stop there. Even though Louise had one point in her win column (on Constipation, that is), I wanted to test it on another client. I got a call from a client who had suffered from lower back problems for years. She had gone back and forth to chiropractors, general medical doctors, and even had surgery. So I asked her if she ever worried about money or felt that she didn’t have financial support (Louise’s mind/body connection for lower back pain). The client agreed, surprised that I had guessed all of this, and I made my suggestions accordingly. It eased her pain tremendously. In fact, she reported to me years later that she was still lower back pain free.

Of course I tested it on others as well and each time, the client would agree with the mind/body communication and causes of their ailments. So I have to say, this little book has been a gem for me and my clients.

Now I cannot guarantee that anyone else will receive these results by reading this book and practicing the affirmations but I can say that they worked for me and some of my clients.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/magazine/04Hay-t.html?_r=1&ref=books&oref=slogin

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

THE PROCESS OF CHANGE

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Sun, 25 May 2008 15:38:00 +0000

When people walk into a mental health professional’s office (be it a psychotherapist, psychologist, counselor, or hypnotherapist), they are seeking change in their personal or professional life.

Also, even though they may have a desire to break habits such as smoking, addictions, overeating, anorexia, anger, fear or need relationship help, more often than not their issues may be more ‘emotion-based’.

This means that while the mental health professional is busy working on helping with a client or patient's weight loss, an eating disorder, or depression, there is usually an underlying culprit for these conditions that is hiding behind the scene. If these emotions are not handled or at least discussed, the mental health provider may be ‘barking up the wrong tree,’ and ultimately the client or patient may walk away saying that ‘therapy’ or ‘hypnosis’ doesn’t work.

We are not all created equal – what may mentally, emotionally or physically affect one person may not affect another or at least not in a similar way. Some people are more sensitive than others whether through genetics or they have been made that way by social factors – parents, guardians, peers, colleagues, intimate relationships or the person’s own personality or proclivities. Some people are so emotional that just getting them to think and operate logically is a challenge, and to guide them towards functioning consistently can be like pulling teeth.

This work in The Process of Change is not only left up to the mental health provider. Much of the responsibility of change lies with the client, and the first thing this individual must do to change is precisely to ‘embrace change’. This is so important, so I will say it again. The first thing a person must do in order to change is to ‘embrace change’. This means that the client must make a conscious decision and then put forth effort to change and also to maintain the positive results of the change until it all becomes second nature – which is the ultimate goal.

I have heard and seen clients go into different therapists’ offices and later come into my office with the idea of ‘change me’ and ‘change me’ today—without ever giving much thought that the onus of this change, at least in part, relies on them. Yes, the therapist has many tools in his or her tool belt to bring about change for his clients. But at the end of the day, again, the client must be willing to change or at least make the necessary adjustments in his or her life just as much, perhaps even more so, as the therapist wants to help make the change in the client’s life.

This concept is similar to a football coach giving a play on the sideline to his quarterback for execution. The coach may draw up the plan, advise the best way to run the plan, even give a plan ‘B’ if plan ‘A’ doesn’t work; but after is all said and done, it is up to the quarterback to make it happen on the field.

When I hear about some people who have been in therapy for 10, 20 or more years for the same issue, it makes me wonder if the client is not ‘embracing change’ or if there should be a ‘change’ in the therapist who is working with them.

Without ‘embracing change’, we are left holding ‘a bag from the negative past’. Yes, I know, change doesn’t come easy. How do I change a ‘feeling’ or ‘behavior’ I have carried around with me for years – maybe even since childhood or my teen years? Facing the ‘unknown’, even if the ‘unknown’ is good for us is a difficult task – it is uncomfortable. Holding on to a ‘known thought, behavior or mindset’ even if the ‘known thought, behavior or mindset’ is negative may be ‘comfortable’ for us because it is all we know.

The first thing you must do to ‘embrace change’ is to strongly dislike your ‘comfort zone,’ especially if this ‘comfort zone’ promotes a negative lifestyle, causes you depression, arguments in your relationship(s), health problems, has you living in the past, brings setbacks to your world, or even destroys or limits your quality of life. The second thing you must do is to put aside your stubbornness or unwillingness to do things differently – hard-headedness will prevent change from happening. Having an ‘I am right, they are all wrong mindset’ doesn’t help. Third, if you find a good therapist, please listen to the advice, take it to heart and implement it in your life. And fourth, bring fun into your world. Find something that brings you happiness – a hobby, art, music or discover your creativity or something new about yourself; join social groups or anything that will make life lighter and take your mind off the negative. If you look for negativity in any part of life, you will find it; just as if you look for the positive in life, you will find it as well.

Once you religiously follow these steps, concrete, effective change is around the corner.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

HYPNOSIS AND GOD

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:35:00 +0000

Sometimes I receive calls from potential clients who are active in their religious community (primarily, but not exclusively, of the Christian and, to a lesser extent, Muslim persuasions). The main question these people had for me related to the fact that they wanted to know if God would approve of hypnotherapy.

They would go on to tell me about all of the negative things they had heard about hypnosis from the church… things such as: it is associated with devil worshipping or witchcraft and if you allow someone to “play” with your mind, you may be inviting demons to reside inside you. They would also say that their pastors would not approve of hypnosis or that hypnosis is not mentioned in the Bible.

I even had some clients come and tell me that they visited their pastors before contacting me and talked to him about it. I was amazed, just as much as the clients themselves, at the response they received. When they would tell their pastor that they were considering hypnotherapy for their personal issues, they either received a reaction of laughter, a near chastisement, or a berating of hypnosis. One response none of my clients received from their pastors is something like: “How can this hypnotist help you overcome your problems? What did he say he could do for you?” So even though the pastor warned them against hypnosis, he didn’t provide any solutions. And here’s the way all of this sounded to me: it was like watching a person have a heart attack on the street, and simply standing there, watching, without making a move to call an ambulance.

Yes, there may be many myths about hypnosis and how it has sometimes the practice of it has been abused (e.g., the antics of stage hypnosis, a Svengali type of hypnosis as portrayed in movies and NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming in television commercials). These are actions you or I may not approve of, but one cannot defame hypnosis and, for example, ignore the mishaps of members of other professions. Our news is full of stories of doctors charged with malpractice for giving the wrong medication and/or ordering the wrong procedure; teachers abusing their students, corrupt police officers who were sworn in to serve and protect the community and instead indulge in corruption, brutality and abuse of power; and pastors and priests accused of defrauding their flock, or committing infidelity and/or pedophilia. Does this mean that we should condemn all of the members of these professions because of a few bad apples?

I don’t profess to have a direct phone line to God or pretend to know all of the answers in regards to what he wants us to do every minute of every day – but I can say that after analyzing some of his creations, such as humanity in the form of man and woman, I have formed my own conclusions.

Since man has been (and is) walking around with a piece of high tech equipment (his brain) on his shoulders that is great enough to build computers, cars, airplanes, large skyscrapers, furniture, iron and concrete bridges, and the very churches and mosques in which Christians and Muslims pray, I would suspect that God would want us to understand his creation much more than we actually do.

Without understanding the capabilities of the brain and the nature of emotions, our prisons, drug rehabilitation centers and mental institutions will continue to fill up with destructive, fragile and confused men and women. As I said before, I am not an expert on God’s thinking but I would suspect that he wouldn’t want to see his creations go to waste with negative thinking and poisonous emotions. Yes, praying is a blessing which would certainly help a person in need. But to paraphrase an old biblical saying: “You can give a man a fish and he will eat for one day but if you teach him how to fish (in this case, teach him how his mind and emotions work), he will eat for a lifetime.” Also: “God will help you if you help yourself”. Any of this sounds familiar?

These clients who sought help from their pastors first and were denied came to me for hypnotherapy sessions in the end and they told me afterwards they were happy they did. My method involved the simultaneous use of multiple techniques, such as behavior modification, coaching/mentoring, career and personal advice for the conscious mind and hypnosis for the subconscious mind to affect both sides of the brain – the left, which represents logic, and the right, which is the seat of emotions. I help my clients move themselves out of their own way which is often their biggest issue.

Hypnotherapy is not here to replace the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, the pastor or priest, or to take away anyone’s self control. It is designed to allow a man or a woman to take charge of their life by embracing logic, balancing life, and accepting who they are; thus, getting in control of their “self” instead of letting the mind and emotions control their life. In my humble opinion, this will allow any person to appreciate God’s gifts to them!

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

CAREER OPTIONS

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:08:00 +0000

With the economy being as depressed as it is today, job hunting may present challenges for career seekers. Finding a good paying job or a promising career is like searching for quick silver – it is very hard to acquire and harder to maintain.

It saddens me to hear about out-of-work professionals who struggle just to make ends meet. Layoffs through mergers and acquisitions, job attrition or doing more with less, as well as positions moving overseas and corporate greed and corruption have taken their toll on our economy. Many people, some of my clients included, often wonder where to turn for their next pay check.

With the many years experience some may have garnered over time, it just may pay off to strike out on their own as an entrepreneur or seek a new market altogether; constantly beating the pavement littering the same tired market with résumés and applications can become depressing.

Yes, I know what you may say: “I have invested so much time and effort into this industry; I wouldn’t know where or how to start over”. In answer, I would say to that: if your job experience is not currently paying off for you, it may be time to move on to greener pastures.

Others may say, “But I only have skill in one area”. I would say to that: it may be time to think about searching for a different field. Sometimes an industry can change causing opportunities in a certain field or occupation to ‘dry up’ whereas such areas may have been profitable in the past. The car manufacturers, such as General Motors and Ford Motors, come to mind. Because of the subprime loans, the real estate industry, in certain states, is another market that is also seeing many challenges.

One thing to keep in mind is: The only constant in life is change! If your economy, environment, or job market change, I say that it is time for you to change as well.

Do your research and find out what’s going on in the various industries in your locale. If you seek to provide a service, in other words, start your own business, do your homework well in this area.

If you are blessed enough to have financial support from a spouse, mate, family member or friend, take this opportunity to update your skills. You may have to do something that you aren’t necessarily in love with just to make a living.

From experience and observation, I have noticed that there are three occupational areas that, it appears, can withstand the tests of time – education, health care, and security. No matter the state of the economy, jobs in these areas are always needed in one form or another. You may not receive a six figure salary starting out but they can provide consistent income; oftentimes that is all required just to put food on the table. This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list, and I’m sure there are other types of occupations that can prove consistently lucrative. However, one has to start somewhere. The important thing is not to lose hope.

Here are two useful links I thought to share:

http://www.thejobmarket.org/jobseekers/choose_steps.asp

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-6_signs_your_job_may_be_in_jeopardy-371

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Side effects of Hypnosis?

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:54:00 +0000

Headaches, stomach aches, nose bleeds, insomnia, frequent urination, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a host of other side affects are what you may hear at the end of a pharmaceutical advertisement on television. There’s a voice which quickly lists all these ailments—like an auctioneer who takes the bids in an auction—as if they don’t really want you to really hear it. By the end of it all, you are dazed and confused. These medications’ side affects are so numerous and intrusive, it makes me wonder who would ever take a drug after hearing THAT kind of roll! Phew! Gives me a headache just listening to it, if you ask me.

I would imagine that doctors have a difficult time explaining the side effects of a particular medication to patients because they are so numerous. Then again, they may not think much of it because they’re trained to do it. Of course, when people need healing, they would pretty much do whatever it takes to achieve better health in spite of the possibility of numerous after effects. They may take a similar position to: “yes, I know there may be at least five side effects in taking this medication to relive my arthritis, but if my pain is lessened, I will tolerate these other ailments.”

Occasionally, I receive calls from people asking me about the side effects of hypnosis. These potential clients want to know what type of problems they may come across once they undergo hypnotherapy. Initially, when I first started my practice, I used to tell them—and I would say this proudly—that hypnosis has no side effects. I would go on to say that if one is hypnotized to increase self-confidence, for example, one will only eventually experience a change to reflect the results they are looking for, that is, an increase in confidence. Nothing else.

Today, after many years of practice and feedback from my clients, I had to change my opinion on how I view hypnosis and its possible side effects.

My clients have come to me for many different reasons and in the process they have discovered added value, as an after effect, in different areas of their lives they never imagined possible.

For example, I had a client who wanted to increase his stage performance. I helped him with his self-confidence and enhanced his “persona” on stage which added to his self-value – in the process, he also let go of the habit of smoking marijuana, because that was one of the things he used to hide himself behind. Smoking marijuana made him feel less disappointment about his lack of self-image. After we worked together during our sessions, he found he did not need that particular tool anymore. He had everything he needed right inside of him.

Another time I worked with a client who was having relationship issues with her husband. After we ironed out these issues, her level of self-confidence increased as a result and she began taking classes, received a certification and made her own living instead of only relying on her husband’s salary.
I worked with yet another client on her self-esteem issues (yes, lack of self-esteem is a HUGE problem that affects many people and stunts their growth). After we got her esteem to a healthy level, she bought a new home, new car and opened a clothing boutique.

In another case, I worked with a client to help him sort out his life – it was topsy-turvy and he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. After he received clarity in his life, he started a new job in a new town where he always wanted to live.

There are many more stories like this but to prevent from boring you, I will move on and wrap up. Hypnosis does have side effects, yes—but they are all positive! So if you are one of those who are concerned about this, you now have your answer – you can go into a hypnosis session with one goal in mind and leave with much more!

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

CAN ONLY WEAK-MINDED GET HYPNOTIZED?

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:06:00 +0000

Many people may wonder if they can be hypnotized. I even receive calls from potential clients wondering if they can be ‘put under’, as they call it. There have been some to think they are too mentally strong to be hypnotized and they can resist any outside forces to put them in trance. They think hypnosis is for weak minded people. Where would they get such a thought? Much of it comes from television programming and stage hypnosis shows that you can now see on YouTube. When you see a person walk across the stage seemingly like a zombie or doing things that you feel he or she wouldn’t ordinarily do, you may get the impression that this person is mentally weak. Therefore, no wonder you would want to separate yourself from such “types”.

Contrary to these beliefs, however, clinical hypnosis is beneficial for everyone. There is a difference with what you see in stage hypnosis and what is practiced clinically. The stage show is strictly for entertainment purposes just as any magic show would be. You pay your money, you are impressed with different stunts, you laugh, ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over the feats of the entertainer and you leave walking away feeling as though you got your money’s worth – hopefully, at least.

What types of people volunteer for stage hypnosis? Since I am not a stage hypnotist, I can only speculate on the personality of a stage show ‘subject’. These shows may take place in a comedy bar, club, high school, college or at a corporate event. Mass psychology (individual boldness born from the dynamics of being in the midst of a group of people) probably has a lot to do with it. A little booze to cloud the judgment may have its place in the scheme of things, as well.

Nevertheless, I would think that these types of subjects are more interested in the entertainment part of the show rather than having a personal or professional issue resolved through hypnosis (as in clinical hypnosis). If they are ‘lucky’ enough to be left on the stage after the filtering process (that is, the process the hypnotist conducts of weeding out the ones who will not go into deep hypnosis in five minutes or less) of all of the volunteers, I would also say that they are probably a ‘good subject’ or a person who can easily be hypnotized – in the industry lingo, we call this type of subject a ‘natural’ or ‘true’ somnambulist. These types of volunteers are the bread and butter of the show and what stage hypnotists comb the audience for.

It is interesting that since 2000, I may have had less than a handful of my clients who have been a ‘volunteer’ in a stage show. If they have, they would tell me that it was many years ago when they were in high school or college and liked to do things on impulse.

Now, all the above considered, I must stress that clinical hypnosis is neither for weak minded people nor for anyone who would want to relinquish their control. People use clinical hypnosis to enhance their lives. This goes for my clients as well. Some of the types of issues that people seek to resolve with this form of hypnosis are: addiction, anger, allergy problems, confidence issues, depression, fear, memory enhancement, panic attacks, smoking cessation, sports/talent enhancement, motivation to start a business and weight loss/management.

Want to do something fun? If you would like to know if you are hypnotizable, you can go to this link on my website and take the free test: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com/hypnoprofile.html

"Second picture courtesy of How Stuff Works".

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Dream Interpretation

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:40:00 +0000

Many of my clients ask me to interpret their dreams when they come to a session. When they ask about their dreams, they usually think that these interpretations will provide answers to key issues in their lives. They have normally consulted or looked up one of the various books on dream interpretation or some radio program they may have heard where the subject was discussed – a dog means this, a cat means that, and a nightmare could mean many things depending on the many views of the writer.

As for me, I don’t take this type of approach when I am analyzing someone’s dream. The reason why is because a dog, cat, or horse, and even nightmares, have different connotations for different people. For example, some people grew up loving dogs while others grew up fearing dogs – the same applies to the image of cats and other animals that may appear in your dreams. Nightmares, on the other hand, are a whole different ball game.

My approach to dream analysis involves a more scientific basis – it is a communication between the conscious and the subconscious mind or the interpretation of the outside world by your mind’s internal world. According to scientists, we have at least three dreams per night for approximately 90 minutes. These dreams are comprised of processing, predictive and venting dreams. The first dream of the night is the processing dream. At this stage, we process all of the information that filtered through our brain that day. If we watch a scary movie one evening before we go to sleep, for example, it may flash through our mind in the form of a dream or nightmare. The second dream of the night is a predictive dream. This type of dream’s meaning is just like it sounds – it predicts. Have you ever treasured a thought, person or thing so long or so often that it came up in your dreams? This is part of the predictive dream which means you may be predicting something about your future or something you want to happen in your future. The last dream of the night is a venting dream. With this type of dream, the subconscious mind may be dealing with a negative thought from the past in the form of blame, guilt or emotional pain, a thought that is “bothering” it. This dream – which often manifests in the form of a nightmare – may reoccur night after night unless it is consciously acknowledged and the issue is resolved or accepted.

Some specialists who use this form of interpretation as described in the previous paragraph may focus primarily on the venting dreams. My method is different especially if the client isn’t experiencing some type of pesky dream. What I primarily focus on is the predictive kind of dream. Instead of being so concerned about what my clients dream at night, in fact, I am more interested in finding ways to trigger their dreams. Why is this, you may ask? If my client’s goal is to become a successful portrait artist, I would program his or her mind to dream not only at night about it, but also to start daydreaming about being a successful artist. The idea behind this technique is that the more you eat, sleep and ‘dream’ about a goal, the closer you will be to transforming this goal into reality.

So if you have an aspiration, stoke your desires and dream big, because In Descartes' words, "Desire awakens only those things that are thought possible."

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

FEAR

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:14:00 +0000

We all experience fear at one point in time or other in our lives. Some people’s fears may be temporary and could surface in certain stressful situations, such as when taking a test, making a speech, or going out on a date. Other people’s fears may stay with them like a constant, throughout their lives. A person could be afraid of many things, such as, for example, the fear of certain animals, which list may include snakes, birds, dogs or of cats. Some fears eventually turn into phobias – which are a graduated level of fear where the person becomes immobilized by a particular stimulus.

Though it is not presented to me this way, most of the calls I receive are from people who are experiencing the fear of success. This type of fear is easily identifiable because it is often revealed through the lack of confidence, an overly shy or introvert nature in relations with the outside world, or through holding on to something that prevents them from ‘seeing’ the light.

Why do these fears exist? Regrettably, many adults still view life out of the eyes of a child. They were either never taught how to make it on their own, someone (parent/guardian) always gave them the solutions instead of allowing them to take the responsibility, they were often abused and berated instead of encouraged and appreciated, or they were just overly sensitive to words and situations.

Most people become exhausted from experiencing these life shattering emotions but don’t have anyone to help them battle these fears. They need someone to help them build their confidence, take on more responsibility with ease, or come out of their ‘shell’.

John

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

Negative Self Talk

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:28:00 +0000

“Negative chatter” flowing in the back of your mind is how I describe lack of optimism to my clients. I usually get, “yeah, that’s it,” or “that’s me,” or something to that effect as a response. Many people refer to this as “negative thinking”.

Many of my clients have had this negative self talk going for most of their lives – it has become habit. Unfortunately, these terrible messages they are sending their own brain place road blocks in their path or derail their success. These people see the glass as half empty, rather than half full, and the world as a cold, harsh place. They also talk themselves out of progressing in their lives because this negative behavior is their comfort zone.

How does it all start?

From what I have observed over the years from my clients, most of this “negative chatter” started in childhood either with hearing negative words thrown at them by parents, teachers, friends and/or the many failures (before they reached success) that come along with learning how to orchestrate life – such as walking, talking, riding bikes, swimming, skating, learning how to speak, write, and school work.

Some people are more sensitive than others (whether through genetics or environmental factors) and it is often these types of people that I see in my practice.

This “negative chatter”, if left unchecked, may turn into feelings of hopelessness and eventually perhaps to something worse, such as depression. This is why it is important to recognize it for the danger that it is.

Image courtesy of http://overcoming-depression.org/

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

The Restless Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:44:00 +0000

Last week's blog was about sleep and why it is so important that we get the recommended hours of rest each day. So I thought to write this week's blog about what happens when many people cannot get to sleep – basically, when they suffer from insomnia.

"What are you thinking when you should be asleep?" I ask after an insomniac comes to their first hypnotherapy session. Oftentimes, the sleep clinic they attended didn't find anything wrong physically while monitoring his or her brain. After I pose this question, I usually get a surprised look as though they want to say, "How do you know I was thinking about something while I was lying in bed trying to sleep?"

Eventually they would tell me about the issues they’d be dealing with – personally or professionally – which is primarily the culprit for all the sleepless nights. Oftentimes their problems with insomnia started when they began having these issues. They do everything to fall asleep: 'count sheep', read to bore themselves into a slumber, undergo acupuncture, take some herbal remedy or 'old folks' potion or a combination of the above. Some of these techniques may work for a while – if at all – and then they go back to the rhythm of “not sleeping”. This is because the real problem behind their inability to sleep was never targeted.

As their hypnotherapist, I usually go after the mental and emotional reason why they are not sleeping as opposed to the strictly scientific or medical method—going after the condition of insomnia and dealing with it by itself. Once I find out what their problems are, literally those that keep them up at night, I consciously coach them or use behavior modification to solve their problem, which may be career related or otherwise. After we determine a plan to correct it, I hypnotize them on the spot and give them the much needed rest (many go to sleep because they are so sleep deprived) they deserve.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

SLEEP, why is it important?

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:36:00 +0000

Do you remember the times when your parents used to tell you that it was your bedtime? But you were afraid that if you did go to sleep, you would miss out on something important. Sleep was boring to you back then and you felt you didn’t need much of it. So you would say, “I am not sleepy,” or “Can I stay up for a little while longer?” Yeah, there were times you could barely keep your eyes open but it was just something you took for granted and you felt it wasn’t important. If you are like many people, the more you stayed awake as a child, the more you created the habit of staying awake as an adult. But why would you need to ‘rest your eyes’ so much? You have so much to do, so many people to see and so many places to go, right?

Why is sleep important? Sleep is good for children’s growth. It also helps fight weight loss and diabetes and increases those gray cells for enhanced productivity.

Lesley Stahl of the hit television show “60 Minutes” researched the importance of sleep in her piece – The Science Of Sleep. In this study, she found that the purpose of sleep is not just to rest our eyes but also, more importantly, to improve our health and well being. Furthermore, she discussed that memory is improved after one learns a new task and later goes to sleep – after sleep, memory actually registered 20 to 30 percent improvement.

We all think we need to stay awake so we can get more done, but this study goes against the grain of this old thinking. In fact, staying up late each and every night may have more negative effects on a person than just being a detriment to memory capacity.

One issue discussed on the program was that of Diabetes – in fact, the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who slept only five hours a night were 2 ½ times more likely to have diabetes as those who slept seven or eight hours.

Another issue is Growth – ‘beauty sleep’ or deep sleep allows the secretion of the growth hormone to help repair and rebuild body tissues like muscle and bone.

Here’s another one…Lack of productivity – when a person is sleep deprived, getting less than eight hours each and every night, the brain may become dysfunctional and not operate at its optimal level.

I like to tell people this – “Please do not operate heavy machinery if you are sleep deprived!” And this is not a joke – I’m perfectly serious when I give this warning! It has been said that many of the world’s manmade disasters have been caused by the lack of sleep – Exxon Valdez oil spill, Chernobyl disaster, The Three Mile Island disaster and many others.

One other factor which is negatively affected by lack of sleep is Weight. The lack of sleep lowers the level of leptin (a hormone which suppresses appetite) and raises grehlin (a hormone which increases the level of food intake). The result of this would be often undesired weight gain.

The illustrative image above (courtesy of the WHO Regional Office for Europe) demonstrates the effects of sleep and the lack thereof. This picture is posted under an article on the organization’s website on ‘Noise and Sleep’. Does it ring a bell? So the next time you want to stay awake to see that late night movie, depriving yourself of rest just because you don’t want to sleep, think about your health!

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com

PERFECTION - trying to get it right!

noreply@blogger.com (John Owens - Joimethod Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:17:00 +0000

In my opinion, “perfection” is one of the most unattractive words in the dictionary. Why do I think this, you may ask? As a hypnotist, I see many of my clients carrying around this perfectionist thinking. This type of thinking typically started out in their childhood and now wreaks havoc in their adulthood. Some of these perfectionists are usually dealing with specific types of problems – OCD (minor issues), lack of confidence, strained relationships and procrastination. But after breaking down their situation, I discovered that either one or more of these type of behaviors was part of the underpinning of this problem—the pursuit of “perfection”.

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a compulsion to do it right every time – be it washing, cleaning, organizing or many other compulsive behaviors. However, daily life changes so much, this pursuit of getting it right is very frustrating and will drive a person senseless.

In their pursuit of perfection which almost never comes, one must continue doing one act over and over again until they feel that it is as should be. Fact is, this person doesn’t know when to stop because perfection never arrives. And let’s say for argument’s sake that perfection does arrive – the person is so confused and so entrenched into their compulsive behavior that they may miss their golden moment – perfection!

Confidence stems from completing tasks on a consistent basis and after that, moving on to bigger and brighter things. Perfectionists have a hard time completing tasks and moving on because they are too busy ‘trying’ to get it right.

Perfectionists take issue with their relationship because their mate is not perfect (in his or her look, their love for them, their cleanliness, etc), which eventually puts a muzzle on the relationship and causes divide.

Procrastination, or putting things off, has a perfectionist foundation. It takes valuable time to get things right – hours in certain cases. Sometimes, these perfectionists have so much to do; they know how much time and effort it takes to put into a task and putting it off seems to be the best answer until they feel they have sufficient time to devote to making it perfect. In a busy life with a tight schedule, ‘sufficient time’ is a rare thing to come by – thus the act of procrastinating often.

Another underlying factor with many perfectionists is control. They love to be in control – at all times. Psychologists, in their research in an Australian university, polled 252 participants and asked them questions like “I think of myself as either in control or out of control” and “I either get on very well with people or not at all.”

If the participants answered favorably to the questions of being in control, they were more likely to display the type of extreme perfectionism that lead to mental health problems.

John
Clinical Hypnotherapist & Life Coach
Hypnosis & Self-Enhancement Books & CDs: http://www.hypnotizeanybody.com/
Hypnotherapy Services: http://www.hypnotherapy4health.com/
Joimethod: http://www.joimethod.com/