Altered State

Get hip to hypnosis for healing

First things first: No, hypnosis is not some kind of woo-woo mind control—and, no, it doesn’t involve a swinging pocket watch. And it’s high time we shed those silly Hollywood stereotypes. “There’s a lot of misunderstandings, which is unfortunate because hypnotherapy is such a simple and effective way to make meaningful change for yourself,” says Susanne Morais, owner of Raleigh’s Journeys Hypnosis. “Many people feel stuck in life and want an alternative that will allow them to feel better.”

So then what is hypnosis, really? “Believe it or not, the state of hypnosis is something we all experience frequently,” Morais explains. “Watching a movie is a hypnotic state—while staring at the screen, you are awake and aware, but just deeply focused on the movie itself and everything going on around you kind of fades away.” Who would’ve thought?!

As a certified hypnotherapist, Morais facilitates this deep state of focus and relaxation in both her online and in-person sessions, helping clients quiet the analytical mind and connect with the subconscious to create change. Whether it’s moving on from past traumas, breaking habits or conquering fears, hypnotherapy is a natural approach to overcoming barriers so that people can begin to live a more confident and purpose-filled life. “The client’s subconscious is ultimately leading the session,” Morais continues. “Like a personal trainer during a workout, I’m there to coach the client on how best to deal with events or emotions that come up within the subconscious.”

Not only is hypnotherapy a total game-changer when it comes to determining the root cause of an issue and addressing it, but it works fast. In fact, Morais says that many of her clients experience some sort of shift after just one session. And the process of hypnosis can be so subtle that sometimes clients don’t realize a change has occurred until they are faced with a real-life situation.

“I worked with a client who was extremely fearful of dogs. She had a very difficult time even talking about them,” Morais shares. During the session, the hypnotherapist picked up on slight changes in the client’s language pattern that indicated the phobia was no longer an issue, although the client remained skeptical. “Two days later, she emailed me a thank-you, along with a photo of herself with a dog in her lap,” says Morais. “She adopted a dog!” 

As we normalize convos about mental health, more people are seeking support—and hypnotherapy may be the answer for those seeking a more holistic form of healing. “Just as we are capable of making ourselves sick due to worry or stress,” says Morais, “we also have the power within to make ourselves well.” Healing through hypnosis? Worth a try. journeyshypnosis.com 

Deep Dive

Past Life Regression

While Morais mostly facilitates clinical hypnotherapy sessions for emotional issues, her specialty is transpersonal and spiritual hypnotherapy—in fact, it was the Past Lives Podcast hosted by Simon Brown that attracted her to hypnosis in the first place. “These are fascinating,” Morais says of past life regressions, which are typically three-hour sessions. “This is where a client can regress to a previous lifetime (or what is perceived to be a previous lifetime) to address an issue impacting their current life.” For example, are you someone who has trouble with relationships? “It’s possible you made a promise in another lifetime to never love again,” she explains. “You can clear that promise during a past life regression.” 

Law of Attraction/Manifesting Coaching

“This is incredibly powerful as my clients learn how to manifest the ideal relationship, career or income for themselves,” Morais explains. Combined with hypnotherapy, these sessions teach clients how to adopt a mindset where they can push past fears and limiting beliefs in order to set their intentions on whatever outcome it is they desire. “You should see what people can do for themselves!” says Morais. “You believe it, you trust it, you know it, you attract it. It’s so cool.”  

Custom Group Hypnotherapy

What’s better than hypnosis? Hypnosis with friends. Morais can design sessions for organizations—or women’s retreats, triathlon training groups, or just about any group at all—looking to address struggles, realize strengths or set goals as a team. “It allows a company to be able to push through some of the mundane stuff,” she says. “And then you can come together after that visioning happens to create
meaningful conversations.”