Does this sound familiar?

  • I don't know why I can't stay clean and sober.
  • I don't know what happened!
  • I was fine and then I wasn't.
  • I want to stop... I just don't know how.
  • Why can't I stop?
  • I thought I was doing everything right.
  • I just wanted the pain to stop.
  • I needed to stop feeling.
  • I feel so guilty.
According to Dr. Gabor Maté, addiction is born out of pain and childhood trauma. Trauma is not the events that happen.  Those events are traumatic.  Trauma is how we process the feelings that go along with those traumatic events.  When the feelings get stuck and remain unprocessed, they take up the room we have to deal with the next traumatic event.  The feelings layer one on top of the next and stay unprocessed, causing emotional pain and leaving no capacity to deal with any kind of stress or uncomfortable situation.  Covering up or stuffing the pain with substances is the first solution some people find.  Substances provide that feeling of relief and soothes the pain... until it doesn't.   

Healing the trauma or unprocessed feelings is key to finding recovery.  People slip and relapse because the pain is too great, they need to self sooth and they don't know what else to do.  The patterns often continue until the individual can heal.  When people heal, they develop the capacity to find and reconnect to themselves.  This is recovery.  

How Does Hypnotherapy Help?

As people, we are a myriad of thoughts, feelings, values and beliefs we have learned through our relationships and experiences.  Our experiences have shaped how we see ourselves, our reactions, how we feel and how we carry ourselves in the world.  We often stop ourselves from doing the things we want most out of fear (False Evidence Appearing Real). 

Hypnotherapy is a process that allows you to move around that conscious or critical mind that is analytical and self defeating, allowing you to get out of your own way, find your way to your superconscious mind,  and shift those false beliefs and irrational fears.  You can learn things about yourself and heal the parts of you and situations that prevent you from having continuous recovery.  

What to Expect...

Some people have an immediate "Ah-ha" moment when they come out of trance.  For most it is a gradual experience as they process the experience and the information, having little "Hmm, interesting" moments that add up.  Either way, you will get a deeper understanding of the real issues and challenges.  Because of the capacity created and the understanding achieved, your false beliefs are challenged and you recognize your truth.  Becoming your authentic self eases the pain, and therefore the need to self sooth.