OC Hypnotherapy

The days are gradually getting shorter, the year is coming to an end and we get to set our sights on 2024. The Year Compass is an excellent tool for self reflection and intention setting! It helps you notice your “wins” from the past year (along with the challenges) so you can set clearly defined goals for the coming year. I’ve been sharing this with my ongoing/coaching clients as we have worked together through their end of the year sessions & thought I’d pass it along here as well!

YearCompass YearCompass | The booklet that helps close your year and plan the next one.

Halloween is an interesting time to think about "fear." Sometimes our fears are rooted in actual scary events, and other times, they are rooted in a moment in time that was scary given the wisdom and knowledge of a child, but isn't actually a danger. When I was in 2nd grade, we all got so scared walking past a particular house on the way home from school. The stories flew- it was haunted, a witch lived there and she'd kindnap us. We'd dare each other to go inside. In the end, it was probably just an abandoned house, but boy was it scary at the time. As you celebrate today, I hope you take back your power over unnecessary fear! Wishing everyone a happy Halloween week!

A client brought me this beautiful orchid today. It ended up working perfectly into a metaphor- orchids seem so delicate, with their curving flower spikes, but with a little bit of support, they can grow quite tall and last for years.

There are really great lessons to be learned from trees. The palm tree thrives in warmer climates, and in our area they need to withstand the fierce Santa Ana winds, so their trunks are bendable and flexible. They “go with the flow,” no matter how hard they get hit by the winds! in what ways do you find it helpful to go with the flow and be flexible so that you can bend rather than break?

I thought this was a fun picture to share this week as we head toward the Summer Solstice- the time of the year when the hours of daylight are at their peak. Some people notice that they have more energy during these longer days- maybe they feel more energy to exercise after work or to cook outside on the grill. This week is a great time to take note of what kind of energy you are experiencing throughout your day.

Did you know that one of the best ways to manage the feeling of stress in the body is to get up and get moving? And what better way to get moving than to play! Blowing bubbles, spinning in circles, doing a little dance break are all great ways to get your body moving in a fun way.

Many years ago a colleague approached me for guidance to help her with a trend she was noticing with her clients who lived in a major metropolitan city. As she joked in her question to me, “it’s not like there are saber toothed tigers running around the city.” With a 24 hour news cycle feeding breaking news alerts to us, social media connecting us to the world, working from home, parenting, caring for elderly family members, etc, etc, etc, the truth is the modern version of the saber toothed tiger is our phones. What do we do when we can’t trying outrun the tiger because we rely on it for important elements of our modern life?

Perhaps “the tiger” in your life is something else. Either way, in our modern life it’s time to talk about chronic, ongoing stress and how to manage it. I am currently reading Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski. The book presents a modern approach (with current pop culture metaphors), yet it is grounded in traditional psychology research (they definitely make learning about studies of rats more interesting to read).

This book is especially helpful for people who are in positions of caring for others (personally and/or professionally), and those involved in social justice.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

I see people in various stages of life here in the hypnosis office, but in my spare time I've probably learned more about "middle age" and perimenopause/menopause than any other. For the month of May, I decided to share some resources and insight each week.

This week's book is "Come As You Are, The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your S*x Life," by Emily Nagosaki. I really want to share this book because it has some of the best information about the stress response that I have read in a long time! Nagosaki does an excellent job explaining how the stress response impacts the s*xual response by applying the brakes- stopping just when we think we want to press on the gas and go. She is a s*x and health educator, and she brings the combination of science, stories and some sprinkling of pop culture to help keep the reader engaged and interested, so while it is a long, dense book, it is easy to read and process the information. If you're interested in learning more about the stress response and you're also interested in learning more about how that might help your s*x life, this is the book for you!

Come As You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your S*x Life Come As You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your S*x Life

I see people in various stages of life here in the hypnosis office, but in my spare time I've probably learned more about "middle age" and perimenopause/menopause than any other. For the month of May, I decided to share some resources and insight each week.

This week's book is "You Are Not Broken: Stop 'Shoulding' All Over Your S*x Life," by KJ Casperson, MD. I found this author as I was learning about hormone therapy for menopause. She is an MD Urologist and has also trained as a life coach, so she offers well researched information on multiple aspects of the mental, physical and emotional impact of the menopause transition.

One of the important insights I had as I read this book was the reminder “how you do anything is how you do everything,” so while the book has a focus on s*xuality, I highly recommend it for anyone who feels like they’ve “lost their groove” in other areas of their lives. It’s time to find your spark again!

You Are Not Broken: Stop "Should-ing" All Over Your S*x Life You Are Not Broken: Stop "Should-ing" All Over Your S*x Life

I see people in various stages of life here in the hypnosis office, but in my spare time I've probably learned more about "middle age" and perimenopause/menopause than any other. For the month of May, I decided to share some resources and insight each week.

I am always talking with my clients about the idea “if I knew then what I know now…” During this month of menopause awareness, I’ll tell you that I wish I would have known earlier how little awareness there is about the years that precede “menopause,” which is the stage of “peri menopause.” To put it extremely simply, menopause is the destination and peri menopause is the marathon journey to get there. Menopause is achieved one year after the final menstrual period. Peri menopause consists of years of hormonal changes and fluctuations that indicate a slowing down, and sometimes years of wondering when the final menstruation will take place. As these hormone fluctuations occur, the body experiences changes expressed in a large number of symptoms. I truly believe in empowering people with this information and preparing for this stage of life to manage symptoms, strengthen the body and ease the nervous system, which leads to this week’s resource: "Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too," by Amanda Thebe.

I especially appreciate Amanda’s book because it covers several aspects of the menopause journey, from symptoms to solutions. She is able to carefully navigate the line between personal sharing of her journey along with data based information.

As a fitness expert, a major part of Amanda’s focus is on adjusting exercise objectives to improve strength, balance and resilience. I think it fits nicely with the work that I do in the hypnosis office helping people achieve mental and emotional strength, balance and resilience!

Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too

I see people in various stages of life here in the hypnosis office, but in my spare time I've probably learned more about "middle age" and perimenopause/menopause than any other. For the month of May, I decided to share some resources and insight each week.

Earlier this week I shared the book "What the fresh hell is this?" by Heather Corinna. Today I would like to share a bit more from Heather. On their website, there are additional resources that speak to the varied needs and experiences of people going through peri/menopause. I really wanted to share this website because it includes podcasts, facebook support groups and websites for lgbtqia+ and people with disabilities (if it has historically been hard getting information about menopause in general, it is especially hard for these populations, as I have seen in my work with clients, so I was thrilled to find these resources).

Fresh Hell's Delirium Home Companion: Online Edition - Heather Corinna Resources from What Fresh Hell Is This?, the book on perimenopause, menopause and more of all this hideous nonsense you've been screaming you want for years.

I see people in various stages of life here in the hypnosis office, but in my spare time I've probably learned more about "middle age" and perimenopause/menopause than any other. For the month of May, I decided to share some resources and insight each week.

This week's book is "What the fresh hell is this? Perimenopause, menopause, other indignities, and you," by Heather Corinna. Heather is a q***r feminist activist, educator and author. They took advantage of their own challenging perimenopausal experience to help others through this book. It is irreverent and funny, yet it addresses the main important information on symptoms and self care. It's a very good overall peri/menopause resource. Heather also includes inclusive language as much as possible.

When managing the symptoms of menopause, Heather consistently reinforces the importance of managing stress during this very stressful period in one’s life (and they tap into the challenges of managing stress while living in a chaotic world that runs without space for ourselves). Utilizing hypnosis helps clients clear out unnecessary old stressors and helps clients manage the current ones.

What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You What Fresh Hell Is This?: Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You

I see people in various stages of life here in the hypnosis office, but in my spare time I've probably learned more about "middle age" and perimenopause/menopause than any other. For the month of May, I decided to share some resources and insight each week.

This week's book is "The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health With Facts and Feminism," by Dr Jen Gunter. After years of talking with friends and clients about perimenopause and menopause, gathering and sharing bits and pieces of information, I stumbled across this book, which provided a lot of well researched information that I found really helpful. I especially want to recommend this book because it touches on how to mentally and emotionally embrace the stage of peri/menopause rather than fear it. In addition to the philosophical information, the book is a good place to start to know what to expect with symptoms and how to begin making lifestyle changes to manage them.

I'll be recommending other books throughout the month that might be a better entry point into learning about peri/menopause, but this one is definitely a helpful overall resource.

I’m the meantime, I’ll add that every single book emphasizes the importance of managing stress during this very stressful period in one’s life- and that’s where hypnosis can be a helpful solution.

The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly." This month's theme is embracing change... change can be very exciting and lead to all kinds of wonderful things, but it can also be scary. What if things don't turn out the way that we intended (but what if it could be better than we expected, like the story of the caterpillar). Through my hypnosis program, I work with people through a transformational process where we move through the fear of what could happen and open up to possibility. Are you ready to make an important change in your life but need help getting beyond the fear? Hypnosis can help! Please feel free to reach out to learn more about one on one sessions.

I spent the morning with the psychology students at Saddleback High School today! Their teacher (my husband) taught them about states of consciousness, the nervous system, and test anxiety/performance improvement, and I did a group session to help them experience hypnosis and get a confidence boost to prepare them for their upcoming exams. It’s always fun when I can help our local students succeed in achieving their goals!

This month's theme is "embracing change." While each one of us is a unique individual with capacity to make our own changes in life, it is important to remember that as members of a community and members of a society, our lives are often significantly impacted by other people's choices/changes- sometimes even by people we don't even know, and most certainly people who haven't thought about how their choices/changes might impact others. Today's example is a personal one- one that has been taking place at my office building. I recently arrived to work on a Monday morning to see that all of the trees had been cut down, and all of the greenery removed. It was a shock to see such major work done so abruptly. It was also a little sad because I really enjoyed feeling like I was in a treehouse when I looked out my second floor window. As I've watched and waited to see what will happen next, I've regularly reminded myself to embrace the possibility that this change could be a good thing. Gradually, I've been rewarded with more open sunlight, and slowly but surely new things are being planted. Ultimately, this work is necessary to the infrastructure of the building and also to entice new renters in offices left vacant after the pandemic- so the silver lining is out there waiting to be revealed. Do you need support embracing and accepting change in your life (whether it's your own changes or the impact of others on your life)? Hypnosis can help! Please feel free to reach out to learn more about one on one sessions.

This month's theme is "embracing change." While each one of us is a unique individual with capacity to make our own changes in life, it is important to remember that as members of a household, family, work/school environment, or other group of individuals, our lives are often significantly impacted by other people's choices/changes. I work with a lot of people who were significantly impacted by their parents divorce, career choices/changes, moving, immigration, etc. In our "root cause" work, it is very common to find seeds of fear and anxiety associated with the sense of instability and insecurity experienced in childhood after the parents made a major change in their lives that impacted the entire family. I recently read Matthew Perry's memoir "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," and these themes came out very loud and clear- both in the ways that Perry's life was significantly impacted by his parents divorce and also the ways that his drug abuse significantly impacted many of the people associated with his acting career. What we learn from his insightful sharing in his memoir is that his drug abuse was largely due to the hole in his heart because of early childhood loss. Interestingly, his greatest source of humor and depth as an actor comes from that same place. As he mentions in the book, he has spent millions of dollars in therapy and rehab to come to this understanding. If this resonates with you, I can help! Hypnosis is a great way to overcome these challenges so that you can heal from the past and embrace your own future. Please feel free to reach out to learn more about one on one sessions.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir

This month's theme is "embracing change." While each one of us is a unique individual with capacity to make our own changes in life, it is important to remember that as members of a household, family, work/school environment, or other group of individuals, our lives are often significantly impacted by other peoples choices/changes. I work with a lot of people who were significantly impacted by their parents divorce, career choices/changes, moving, immigration, etc. In our "root cause" work, it is very common to find seeds of fear and anxiety associated with the sense of instability and insecurity experienced in childhood after the parents made a major change in their lives that impacted the entire family. The recent movie "The Fabelmans" was a great example of several of these themes, especially since it is loosely based on director Steven Spielberg's life. Spielberg waited many years to tell this story, but it was also very brave to show how his parents' choices/changes impacted him and his sisters. It is also a great example to share because we know there is an amazing career of filmmaking also because of these choices/changes. If this resonates with you, I can help! Hypnosis is a great way to overcome these challenges so that you can heal from the past and embrace your own future. Please feel free to reach out to learn more about one on one sessions.

This month’s theme is “embracing change.” Mother Nature gives us the opportunity to observe and embrace seasonal change. This year, I am especially aware of subtle shifts in my orange tree after a very wet and gray winter. For the last several years, the blossoms have popped before it was consistently warm enough for the bees to come and pollinate them. While a part of me worries that the bloom is "late," I also know after watching this tree year after year that it definitely wasn't time yet. I work with people all of the time who are eager to bloom and grow- to make big changes in their lives, but the timing isn't quite right to make big changes. While sometimes change comes suddenly and unexpectedly, other times changes require planning, preparation and a longer term plan. Do you need help embracing large scope, long-term changes in your life? Hypnosis can help! Please feel free to reach out to learn more about one on one sessions.

I’m very thrilled for my colleague Mary Hayes, who wrote a great book, “Elevate your happiness.” My copy arrived today, but I got a preview earlier this year and really enjoyed it! It’s available on Amazon for anyone interested.

This month's topic from the hypnosis office is procrastination. While some people come to me specifically to work on this issue, others note it as a side issue, or a manifestation of another issue. Today I'd like to talk about the ways that procrastination can lead to stress (and even panic). Perhaps you've had a time when you've pushed something back on your to do list over and over- and finally the deadline is looming over you! While some people operate well when they are faced with a deadline, others may feel trapped or backed into a corner. This frame of mind doesn't tend to produce the best work product, so not only do people who have procrastinated experience a heightened state of stress, they do not give themselves an opportunity to truly perform at their best. If this resonates with you, I'm here to tell you that you deserve to be free of that feeling of stress- and you deserve to have the amazing feelings of performing at your best (and the rewards that come with it, whether that is financial, status, or even the intrinsic rewards). I hope you've enjoyed this series on procrastination- if you've found an area that you could use help with, please feel free to reach out to learn about one on one sessions.

This month's topic from the hypnosis office is procrastination. Today I'd like to talk about planning your day to accomplish your tasks. There are two camps on this. Some say to get the small things off your list so that you can tackle the larger things. Others say to get the larger projects completed first while you are fresh. Either way, for people who struggle with procrastination, whichever way you've been doing it in the past, try mixing it up and see if you have different results. You might also try giving yourself a time limit for large or small tasks- sometimes in overestimating how long something will take we don't start because we don't think there's enough time to complete them. You might amaze yourself with how much you can accomplish when you give yourself a set amount of time. Do you need help with time management and procrastination? Hypnosis can help! Please feel free to reach out to learn more about one on one sessions.

This month's topic from the hypnosis office is procrastination. While some people come to me specifically to work on this issue, others note it as a side issue, or a manifestation of another issue. Sometimes this is a self worth issue. In addition to being worthy of the accomplishment of a task, it is also about being worthy of a balanced life where there are achievable goals combined with quality rest periods. I call this the Cinderella Syndrome. If you get all of your chores done, you can go to the ball, but if there are more tasks on that list than are achievable, it can be overwhelming and exhausting. It is important to put enough on your to do list to accomplish daily tasks and chip away at larger projects while making sure that you get mental and physical breaks so that you have plenty of ability to come back the next day to a new set of to dos to accomplish. A complete to do list with energy to spare feels much better than a partially completed one. You deserve both the accomplishment and the recovery time! Do you need help with feeling worthy to achieve your goals? Hypnosis can help! Please feel free to reach out to learn more about one on one sessions.

Happy International Women’s Day! During the last year a lot of my personal growth focus has been directed toward issues associated with perimenopause/menopause transition- hormones, s*xuality, and other aspects associated with being in this stage of life in a female body. I found a really great podcast last week that I wanted to share today- “You are not broken,” by KJ Casperson, MD. She has a variety of topics and guests, a pretty straightforward approach, and while I’ve only listened to 10-15 of her 200 episodes, I’ve already learned a lot that has helped me (and my clients). Enjoy!

‎You Are Not Broken on Apple Podcasts ‎Health & Fitness · 2023

This month's topic from the hypnosis office is procrastination. While everyone has their own unique underlying cause associated with procrastination, I've found over the years that most feel guilty when they are procrastinating. Ultimately, guilt is a feeling of unfairness- the client feels that they are treating someone unfairly, and usually the one who loses out the most is themselves. Most clients tell me how good it feels to complete a task- they can finally, truly relax having everything off their to do list. If this resonates with you, I want you to know that you deserve the amazing feeling of accomplishment associated with completing a task (and you are truly worthy of the rest and relaxation that comes after the tasks are complete!). Do you need help with procrastination? Hypnosis can help! Please feel free to reach out to learn more about one on one sessions.

I read the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson last summer. It is quite a twist on the traditional self help book, delivered for a modern audience.

Ultimately, it is not about “Not giving a F*ck,” but being selective about what we put our time and attention towards, thereby freeing ourselves to have more peace and happiness rather than spinning in all of the directions our modern world would like to spin us into.

I recommend the book, but for people who aren’t readers (or for a different kind of experience beyond the book), there’s a new documentary style movie available via iTunes/Apple rental. It mixes Mark sharing the major principles of the book with video montages and examples.

(Video below is the trailer, enjoy).

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Trailer #1 (2023) Check out the official trailer for The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck starring Mark Manson! ► Buy Tickets on Fandango: https://www.fandango.com/the-subtle-a...

Happy Valentine’s Day. Wishing you opportunities to reflect love out into the world (and receive it back).

I don't know about you, but 2023 isn't quite going how I imagined. It has been a bit of a false start, after getting sick last week just as I was ready to begin sessions with several new clients to start the year. I know I'm not alone because once I got better several of my clients were in a similar position. It has opened up some opportunities to get caught up on some projects this week and lay the foundation for presentations later this year. It also opened time for me to help my family with tasks I wouldn't normally have time for, like driving my niece to school in the morning. So even though it wasn't what I expected or imagined, I pivoted with what I had, and it opened up spaces in my life that are just as important as my clients.
If you're needing help pivoting and getting back on track, hypnosis is a great way to learn to appreciate and accept the journey with all of its twists and turns- so that ultimately you can imagine what is possible and step into that possibility!
-“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life that you’ve imagined.” (Henry David Thoreau)

Happy Friday the 13th! I know that might seem like an odd thing for me say, but hear me out… one of the things I do in the hypnosis office is help clients dig up the underlying beliefs that drive the issue we are working on together. Sometimes I call this “the story we tell ourselves about ourselves,” and these stories are very often incorrect, based on a misperception, misunderstanding, fear (or superstition).

When we tell ourselves an incorrect story about our past (especially those based in fear and sadness), we begin to tell ourselves an incorrect story about our future. These stories might sound like this: “I can’t do this because….” My clients want to change their lives- they want to embrace their potential. They want their story to become “I CAN because…” I work with them to re-write the story based on their new understanding of their history and their desire to have a happier, more fulfilling life, a story that ultimately ends with “I did it!” and “They lived happily ever after.”

On Friday the 13th, I wish you a wonderful day- a black cat has already crossed your path, and hopefully she made you smile as you thought about the things I’ve shared with you.