As of April 1 2026, I am no longer registered as a psychologist in British Columbia and I do not provide psychological services. I am a spiritual, personal, and executive coach. Coaching does not include psychological diagnosis, assessment, or treatment, and is not a substitute for regulated mental health care. Individuals seeking psychological services can consult the BCPA directory, as that is the professional directory for licensed psychologists. Currently, I am taking a few month hiatus as I transition into my new role as a coach and hypnotist. I will update this website once that hiatus is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I apply hypnosis to my daily life?
Self hypnosis is a tool that anyone can use to reprogram their mind for change. You can use it to relax, to slow your breathing down, to stop smoking, to lose weight, or to increase your self confidence. No matter what other goals you have set for your session, there is always the additional benefit of deep relaxation and stress relief. In a sense, all hypnosis is self hypnosis because it is your willingness to go into a deep, relaxed state that allows it to happen. Hypnotic recordings should never be played in a moving vehicle, or prior to operating machinery.
How does hypnosis work?
Hypnosis is a completely natural, relaxed altered state. By slowing down your breath as you are guided into that stillness, your brainwave patterns slow down and you are able to access REM state, which occurs naturally in dreams. Once you are in that quiet place, you have almost unlimited access to all the information that has been stored in your mind. You can then both program and deprogram your brain.
It’s important to understand that the Hollywood version of hypnosis is greatly distorted. Hypnosis is not an unconscious state, it is a heightened state of awareness, which is very different from sleep.
Does the hypnotized person remember what happened during the therapy?
Most of the time, a hypnotized person will be aware throughout the entire session, and will remember it afterwards. With hypnosis, you are simultaneously aware of inner experience and of being present in a room. Some people easily dip into very profound places, while others stay in a lighter altered state. However, the benefit of hypnosis occurs in both instances.
How can you minimize the risk of creating false memory?
It is very important that a hypnotist be aware of the language she uses when working with a client. Care must be taken to ask very simple, straightforward questions as opposed to leading ones which might influence the subconscious. In this way, there is a much greater likelihood of an accurate response.
What method do you use to put a person in a hypnotic state?
Most commonly, I modulate my voice so that it is relaxing and soothing. This vocal technique guides people into a hypnotic state. Another common method is eye fixation, in which the person stares at a spot, or (as seen in films) a moving pocket watch, until the eyes become very heavy and close automatically.
How do you determine if someone is hypnotized?
If you’re deeply relaxed and your breathing and heartbeat have slowed down, or if you are experiencing REM, you’ve likely entered a hypnotic state. Hypnosis and meditation are very similar.
Does it work on everybody?
Hypnosis will work on most clients who are open and would like it to work. However, some people are visually oriented, while others have more auditory or kinesthetic imaginations. It is important to work with whatever kind of imagination you have, and over time you can learn to develop the skill of inner visualization. The words creative visualization are synonymous with self hypnosis.
“It is through the imagination that the formless takes form.”