You do not have to relive a painful memory to heal from it. If a distressing scene comes up in the hypnotic state, I have you step out of that body right away and watch as an objective observer. It is a lot like watching a movie on a screen. From that safe, detached distance you can pick up the soul lesson the scene is holding and release the energy that was stuck there, without going through the pain again. You stay aware the whole time, you can speak to me at any point, and you are in the driver's seat. Clients often tell me the scene they were most afraid of turned out to be the one that helped them most.

Dolores Cannon developed the Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique, known as QHHT, over decades of guiding sessions. Her approach begins with a past life experience and then makes space for a deeper conversation with what she called The Subconscious, her term for a level of awareness beyond ordinary conscious thought. I began studying with her in July 2008 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, after three different people independently told me my work sounded like hers, and I kept returning to study with her for the next four years. I had already been doing hypnosis for five years before I took her first class. As I tell my students, I have taken what I learned and made it my own. The full story of my years with Dolores is in the Teachers and Influences section of my blog.

Yes, I teach every client self hypnosis right before bringing them out of trance. I guide you to establish and anchor a special place, a beautiful, personalized inner sanctuary such as a garden, a beach or a mountain waterfall. Then I give you a simple countdown and breathing trigger that lets you return to that deeply relaxed state at home whenever you want. The practice trains your mind to quiet its logical, analytical thoughts, and that is what makes it easy to comfortably connect, communicate and receive clear intuitive guidance from your Higher Self and your spirit guides on your own. My clients often use it for years afterward as a way to keep the conversation going.

No, your future is not set in stone. The way I understand it, you take part in a planning process before you are born. Your soul chooses your parents, your body and the main lessons you came here to learn, things like compassion or patience. What I have seen in sessions, though, is that this plan is a high level outline of major milestones rather than a minute by minute script. Once you are here, you have full free will. When you reach a crossroads in life, your choices decide which way you go, so what lies ahead is a set of probable outcomes rather than one fixed destiny. The plan gives you the big picture. How you walk it is up to you.

A stubborn emotional block, a professional anxiety or a relationship pattern in this life often traces back to what hypnotists call an initial sensitizing event, or to a self protective contract your soul made in a past life. I use a technique called regression to cause. It guides you back to the exact moment that block or belief locked into place. Once you examine and understand the original situation, your subconscious gets to see that the old protection has done its job and can be set down. What tends to happen is that the contract releases, the modern block loosens with it, and clients often tell me they finally feel able to move forward with confidence.

After a session, you may feel deeply relaxed, peaceful, and perhaps a bit tired. It is common to experience a shift in perspective and a greater sense of clarity about your life. The insights gained during the regression often continue to unfold over the following days and weeks. I always recommend taking some quiet time for reflection after our work together, allowing the profound wisdom of your soul to fully integrate.