FAQ

WHY HYPNOSIS?

Life can feel like a mystery.

You can go for years, re-reading the pages of your life’s story, searching for answers: “How did I end up here? Why does it feel like I can never really improve my situation?” But no matter how many times you revisit those pages, you can’t seem to find your way to turning over a new leaf.

Why?

Because you’ve been trying to solve the riddle with your conscious mind.

That’s the thinking part. It’s limited, procedural, and easily caught in the weeds. When it finds a story it doesn’t like, it tries to change it using sheer willpower. But when you’re stressed, stuck in a routine, or just plain exhausted, it’s all to easy too fall back into the same patterns. Before you know it, the next chapter looks just like the ones that came before.

Thinking alone isn’t the answer. In order to make the desired change, you have to feel things in a different way.

And it’s your subconscious mind that holds the answers.

It’s the feeling part, and it is unlimited. It’s where the emotions and beliefs live that are driving your story. Getting in on that subconscious level, it’s possible to efficiently break out of old beliefs that are holding you back.

But how do you access it? That’s where hypnosis comes in.

Hypnosis is like handing a highlighter pen to your subconscious mind, so you can cut to the chase and get to the good stuff. Together, in hypnosis, we will:

  • “Highlight” key information — making it easy to spot the emotions and beliefs that have been driving your actions.

  • Release old narratives — learning from the past, but letting go of what no longer serves you.

  • Establish your new chapter — driven by new emotions and beliefs that are naturally aligned with your highest vision for yourself.

Using this process, it’s both possible and safe to stop rehashing the same old stories, and start writing the one you truly want to live.

Hypnosis is the way to finally break through to a brand new chapter.

  • Hypnosis is a powerful state of focused awareness that can be used to uncover and dissolve the root cause of many issues people suffer from every day. Hypnosis allows you to access all the healing resources inherent within the subconscious mind, promoting natural healing from within.

    Hypnosis is used to help people discover the subconscious reasons for their symptoms, behaviors, or habits. When they are discovered, certain tools and techniques are used to help release them and relearn a new positive way of thinking, subconsciously. This is called hypnotherapy.

    Hypnosis has been sanctioned and used by the medical community since 1958 to help patients overcome chronic pain, create anesthesia, and heal psychogenic illnesses.

  • Hypnosis works by achieving a level of focused awareness, and at the same time bypassing the analytical aspect of the mind. Another way to describe the analytical aspect of the mind is that it is a comparing mechanism. When new information is introduced to the mind, the comparing mechanism compares the new information to what it already believes is either true or false. This is a protective aspect of our mind.

    This is why changing habits by willpower alone is so difficult - we often already believe we cannot change, so thinking about making the change happen (using willpower alone) is ineffective. Hypnosis is powerful because, with focused awareness, the analytical aspect of the mind is bypassed, and new, healthy and beneficial suggestions can be made directly into the subconscious, without the comparing mechanism rejecting these new beliefs. So the change we want to achieve in our life is accepted by the subconscious mind as true, and we see results quickly.

  • Hypnosis is safe — it's a perfectly normal and common state of mind we go into naturally every day. You enter hypnosis regularly when daydreaming, watching a good movie, or reading a book. During these activities you remain consciously aware and in complete control, just as you do when a professional hypnotherapists assists you in entering into a state of hypnosis.

  • Hypnotherapy is the applied use of hypnosis. Hypnosis is used to help people discover the subconscious reasons for their symptoms, behaviors, or habits. When they are discovered, certain tools and techniques are used to help release them and relearn a new positive way of thinking, subconsciously. This is called hypnotherapy.

  • Absolutely. You've already been hypnotized anytime you watched an enjoyable movie, or read a good book. Hypnosis is a normal and natural state of mind that everyone has already experienced. Actually, it's such a normal state of mind that most people don't realize they are hypnotized.

    All you need to do to go into a state of hypnosis when having your session with Highlight Hypnosis is be willing and able to follow gentle instructions for reaching a state of focused awareness.

  • Gwen Thomas is a highly qualified professional. She is registered with the National Guild of Hypnotists and the State of Washington.

    In addition, she has achieved extra certification in the advanced hypnotherapy system called 5- PATH®. Rest assured that she will treat you with respect, and that your visits are completely confidential.

  • Most people start noticing positive changes after the very first session, and on average, 5-6 hypnosis sessions will effectively address most issues.

    Each hypnosis session generally lasts about 90 minutes (+/- 15 minutes). 

    Sessions are generally scheduled once a week, so I help my clients over 5-6 weeks, on average.

    As your hypnotist, I will be guiding the process, but it's important to understand that you make the changes by actively participating and using the power of your subconscious mind.

    We will always start off with a hypnosis consultation, where I can get to know you and the issues with which you'd like help.

    From there, if I believe I can help you, I will let you know how many sessions it will take to get you results, and the total cost for all sessions.

  • Anxiety

    Stress

    Unwanted Habits

    Mood Concerns

    Relationships

    Fears

    Childbirth

    Motivation

    Procrastination

    Public Speaking

    Pain Management

    Anger Issues

    Recovery from Painful Past

    Confidence

    Shyness

    Concentration

    Test Anxiety

    Academic Performance

    ...and much more!

    Hypnotherapy is also extemely effective for weight loss, smoking cessation, and substance abuse issues! Temporarily, we are not accepting clients for these concerns but we would be happy to refer you to a hypnotherapist who is highly qualified in these areas.

    Also note that Highlight Hypnosis does not take any clients under the age of 18 at this time.

  • I do not accept insurance. Most companies won't pay for hypnosis, but a few do, including Blue Cross. All sessions are an out of pocket expense.

    Clients are advised to check with their provider first, because not all consider hypnosis a reimbursable expense, and you may have to repay it. I do provide all invoices and receipts to make it easy for you to get recovery from your insurance provider if they accept it.

  • HIGHLIGHT

    Use hypnosis to focus in on key information, spotting the emotions and beliefs that have been driving your actions.

  • RELEASE

    Learn from the past, but release old narratives and patterns that no longer serve you.

  • EMBARK

    Establish your new chapter, driven by new emotions and beliefs naturally aligned with your highest vision for yourself.