As a Human Development Coach with expertise in hypnosis, I work with people in a number of ways. One of my favorite ways to help people is to help them with “new beginnings.” We all have times when we feel the need to make a change and start something new. Coaching and hypnotherapy are outstanding ways to facilitate a change. This short article features four ways I help clients to let go of one thing and to replace it with another that upgrades and better serves them, changing lives.
Hypnotherapy for Anxiety
Helping patients with anxiety in one form or another is a significant part of my business. Most of us live rather or very stressful lives, and so it is no surprise that many of us have excess anxiety. Anxiety has shown up in my practice in many different ways. Some clients have a general kind of anxiety that can be situational or present all the time. Other clients are dealing with anxiety around a very specific situation, such as an upcoming surgery or an intimate relationship.
Often, hypnotherapy is a successful approach for these clients. In hypnosis, I can help the client get deeper into their subconscious and find and heal broken thinking or past trauma. For many of these clients, I teach and recommend using self-hypnosis to overcome limiting anxiety.
Here is what one of my clients said about our work in anxiety: “Michelle is an absolutely amazing, talented and caring person that has helped me from terrible anxiety to complete calm and independence. When we first met, I was unable to drive, go to my favorite places and or even visit with friends. I am now completely relaxed, driving, working, exercising and enjoying every minute. She is gifted and her hypnosis is so healing. Every session was calming and healing. I am so grateful I met Michelle. - Deb C.
I love helping clients with anxiety. I love seeing them break free of what’s been holding them back and retake their lives.
Hypnosis for Behavior Change
Another way I love helping people is to make changes in their behavior. I have seen clients for a number of behavior changes including hair pulling, weight loss / sugar control, reducing alcohol consumption, facial tics and smoking cessation. Hypnosis, alone or in conjunction with other behavior change techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy, opens doors to a new life where the undesired habit is changed.
Not sure how believable this is? Science has been taking a look at hypnosis. Check out these recent findings1:
For smoking cessation, hypnotherapy was found to be as effective as other forms of behavioral support
In weight management, hypnosis improved weight reduction and eating behaviors during and after treatment
Hypnosis is also a promising standalone treatment for sleep disturbance, potentially avoiding the need for pharmacological intervention
Here are three reviews from clients I have worked with for behavior change.
“I'm so grateful to Michelle for supporting me to quit smoking!! Day 16 without one now and no desire to smoke. I feel rejuvenated. She stuck with me through a very challenging time and did it with a lot of care” - Judy
“My goal (for hypnotherapy) was to address my alcohol consumption, particularly in social settings where it's easy to overindulge. Admittedly, I approached my first hypnotherapy session with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. To my amazement, the session had a significant impact. It's as if a switch was flipped in my brain, turning off the "alcohol mode." I've regained a focus and energy that I didn't realize were being dampened by my previous drinking habits. I'm grateful for her guidance and highly recommend her services.” Paul N.
“I was stuck on a sugar/dessert overindulge for months and months. As hard as I tried, that voice in my head would consistently win, time after time, day after day. So, I decided to try Michelle’s “SOS! Stop Overeating Sugar” class. It turned that voice down – way down! It’s been 3 weeks now. What a great feeling.” - Sonia C
Hypnocoaching for Decision-Making
My interest in the power of the mind and how we make decisions goes back to the beginning of my own career. In the mid 1990s I worked for a Decision Analysis company, where we helped Fortune 500 companies use a structured methodology to improve the quality of their strategic decisions. This methodology is robust enough to use for both multi-million dollar investments as well as personal decisions like which job to take or which passion to pursue.
I help clients by teaching and helping them work through tough decisions by blending the Decision Quality framework and their subconscious to make decisions. I use this framework at the conscious level in some of my classes, like “SOS! Stop Overeating Sugar.” I also work with clients in hypnosis to talk to the subconscious to help with decision-making.
For example, last summer I saw a gentleman who was struggling with how to focus his time. He had several topics on his mind. One was cementing his long-term relationship with a marriage and wedding ceremony. Another was growing his business. A third was his interest in starting a non-profit. In hypnosis we were able to determine what his subconscious, in this case his heart, wanted to focus on. The process brought him much needed clarity and helped him feel lighter and more energized.
Coaching and Hypnocoaching for Personal and Professional Development
Individuals and companies are increasingly turning to coaching. Why? Because it works. Consider these stats2. A study of Fortune 1000 companies using coaching showed these percentages of executives reported the following benefits from the coaching they received:
An increase in productivity (by 53%)
Increased customer service (by 39%)
Increased retention of senior people (by 32%)
Reduction in costs (by 23%)
Increased bottom line profitability (by 22%)
I’ve worked with many clients seeking to up their professional game. One way I help is with coaching and hypnosis to help with sales anxiety. I helped another client ease his way back into work after having been out of work recovering from cancer. Another client was curious about changing careers, and we used hypnosis to help her successfully transition from online marketing to real estate. Here is what one of my clients had to say about our work:
“Michelle is truly exceptional, and I’m so grateful that our paths crossed! I’ve struggled with anxiety for years, impacting both my personal and professional life. With Michelle's guidance, I was able to unlock and understand memories and experiences from my childhood that have influenced my adult life in ways no other therapist has ever managed to do. Her work has been transformative, helping me break down the barriers that were holding me back from reaching my full potential. Michelle is not only easy to work with but also makes it comfortable to speak openly. She’s also provided invaluable coaching that has helped me navigate some tough business decisions. I wholeheartedly recommend Michelle to anyone seeking meaningful change in their life.” Adam N.
In Summary
New beginnings are empowering. They release, uplift, and elevate one’s moods, life, profession and relationships. Is there a part of your life where you would like to make a new beginning? If there is, let’s talk.
About Michelle
An imagination advocate, Michelle Walters writes and speaks on themes associated with the power of mind, leadership, positivity, and the law of attraction. Michelle is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Executive Coach and Author. Michelle helps her clients by sharing her expert knowledge of human nature, identifying and elevating client strengths, and facilitating personal and professional transformations. She is the winner of Oakland Magazine's Best of Oakland Best Professional Business Coach of the Year 2024 and author of the upcoming book "The ABCs of Conscious Leadership."
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