San Francisco Hypnotherapy
Mandala Institute for Holistic Mental Health

Hypnosis is a natural state of relaxation we enter into every day — while we’re reading, watching TV, falling asleep, waking up, and daydreaming. It is a state of highly focused attention and creativity. Being in hypnosis is incredibly relaxing and usually brings a sense of peace and well-being.

Hypnotherapy is the name for applying transformational techniques while in a state of hypnosis.

The greatest factor is you. We find that the clients that are the most successful share some common traits that include, but aren't limited to; -Being deeply committed to their transformation -Being courageous about facing what's not working for them in their lives -Having a deep desire to change -Feeling a desire to work on themselves and aren't looking for "quick fixes" -Being honest with themselves -Having an openness and curiosity about themselves and their lives -Being coachable/teachable and want to learn ways to live better -Wanting and committing to developing emotional flexibility

Permanent results can be seen in just one session for some, and over several sessions for others. It varies by person. The extent of those results can vary widely as well, from marginal improvement, to a complete resolution of your issue. Sometimes a healing goal is at close reach. Many times, a more gradual and layered approach is appropriate. ​ As with any good holistic practitioners, we work with you to heal the root cause of your issue(s). When people can heal the core issue, they almost always find rapid and lasting relief from symptoms. Hypnotherapy works to identify core limiting beliefs that often date back to childhood and directly change them out for more empowered perspectives. Guiding you to your own internal wisdom to generate these alternative perspectives is a key aspect of the work, and to generate the healing answers for yourself is also great at building self-esteem. Core beliefs are simply deep-set thoughts that are often outside of your conscious awareness. When you can bring these core issues to light for yourself, you have the power to change them. And when you heal your thinking at a core level, mental and emotional peace naturally follow. It is always up to the client to decide how many session they will complete, and we recommend that clients plan to do five session on any issue. This is to ensure that we are being as comprehensive as possible at addressing and resolving all the root layers of people's issues.

We recommend that clients plan to do five sessions on an issue they are working on. This allows the time and space to be as comprehensive as possible. Everyone is individual and coming to the table with their own unique circumstances, life experiences, learning style, personality, and history. We work with our clients to get the best results possible as quickly as possible, and support our clients to do their best work and direct their own healing trajectory. We always recommend a consult call to discuss with us your particular situation and we can make suggestions about how to best move forward with session work.

No. As of April 2020 (the beginning of the pandemic) we are strictly an online service. We see clients by either Google Meet or sometimes WhatsApp video/voice calls. We have no intention at this time of going back to working with our clients in an office setting. By working with us online you are able to experience maximum comfort from home and are able to rest after your session without having to get up and travel from our office to your next destination. We find this to be the ideal set up for you to do your healing work.

We offer various package plans: A basic package of 5 hypnotherapy sessions is $850 (about $170 per session). Choose "Plans & Packages" in the Book Online drop down from the main menu. **Please note that for Couples Counseling both parties must complete an individual Hypnotherapy or Holistic Coaching session BEFORE attending a Couples Coaching session. Couples counseling is not scheduled outside of the Couples Package. Thank you.

YES, absolutely. Our years of experience have shown that a short call before booking your first session sets you up for real success on your healing journey. It allows a few moments for us to determine if working together is the best way forward. It also allows us the chance to talk out what working together should look like based on your personal situation. Knowing what to expect allows you the chance to make empowered decisions about how you can get the most out of our work together.

Hypnosis is a spectrum with different depths. I work in lighter and medium states, which is like having your eyes closed, being deeply relaxed, and being in state of rich visualization. But you are always aware of where you are and the situation and you are always in control.

We require at least 72 hours advance notice for any changes to your appointment. Between 72 and 24 hours notice for a cancellation, we only refund half of session cost. There are absolutely NO refunds or reschedules with less than 24 hours notice. A new session must be scheduled and paid for. Being more than10 minutes late for the session without 24 hours notice and agreement from us is considered a forfeiture of the session.

The state of hypnosis is essentially the same state of mind individuals strive for during meditation. What is the difference? In meditation, one generally seeks to clear the mind of all thoughts while in the clear and focused state; whereas in hypnosis, one is generally there to use the power of that state for a specific transformational purpose.

Hypnosis reduces or eliminates the activity of the conscious mind, calms the nervous system, and allows the benefits of a relaxed, focused state to come to the surface. In hypnosis there is an enhanced ability to: -Access deep self-knowledge and wisdom -Experience natural ease, well-being, and grace -Step out of a negative thought pattern or perspective -See a more positive perspective, to embody hope, to release attachment to outcome, and to forgive -Revisit and reinterpret memories from the past in a broader, more supportive context -Reveal emotions that may be associated with and causing psychosomatic illness -Influence physiological processes through visualization (such as in Medical Hypnotherapy)

The conscious mind is the name given to describe a certain set of mental functions in the waking state. Typically when we talk about the conscious mind, we are talking about the analytical part of the mind — it is the part of us that judges, analyzes, scrutinizes and filters the information and experiences we encounter. ​ Our conscious mind is where we experience our running “stream of consciousness”, our self-talk, our fears, our doubts, and our sense of limitations. The conscious mind is rooted in what we generally think of as “reality” and generally only believes things to be possible when they make logical sense in the context of our past experiences. When the conscious mind is relaxed, and its functions subside, anything is possible. This is what happens when we dream at night — the most fantastical dreams of flying or other seemingly impossible feats and circumstances seem completely feasible and we believe them to be real. This is because the conscious mind is out of the way – dreams occur in the subconscious.

Our subconscious mind a name used to describe a certain set of mental functions that occur below our level of conscious awareness. These activities occur regardless of being awake or asleep. The dream state is a great insight into the function of this so-called subconscious. ​ The subconscious mind does not judge or filter experiences. It believes what it is told and generally holds onto those beliefs permanently. The subconscious is where all our memories and beliefs are stored, where our emotions are generated, and where our imagination lies. ​ As children, we generally don’t have very developed conscious filters before the age of 10, explaining why children believe much of what they are told. Children don’t yet have enough life experience by which to judge or filter new information as being correct or reasonable. This is why so many of our emotional challenges as adults lie in events or circumstances from our childhood. Parents who don’t show love to their children or who abuse their children verbally or otherwise can cause deep-rooted negative beliefs in the child about the self and the world. Common examples include believing that they are inadequate, undeserving, unloveable, unimportant, unvalued, unappreciated, etc.

Hypnosis opens up the subconscious mind to the way it was when we were children – malleable and open to changes in belief. This is extremely powerful since it allows a skilled therapist to literally undo damage that was done through a person’s misinterpretation of earlier life experiences. ​ While regular psychotherapy (talk therapy) allows a client to understand on an intellectual level how an earlier life experience affects their current psychology (and in the process provides some empowerment), hypnotherapy targets the actual experience, reframes how it is perceived, and completely changes the associated emotional context and resultant belief. ​ Working with the subconscious mind directly also allows incredible changes to occur physiologically. There exists a very strong connection between the subconscious mind and our physical body. Science is only beginning to understand the mechanisms of these connections, yet in the meantime we have found that simple hypnotic and visualization methods can improve or eliminate a large range of medical conditions.

How deep you will go, depends on a variety of factors: ​ The strength of your desire or motivation to reach your transformational goal. The more you really want to achieve whatever it is you are seeking hypnotherapy for, the more “on board” your whole being will be with engaging in the process. The level of comfort and trust you have with your hypnotherapist (rapport). Allowing another person to guide you through the hypnosis experience can make some people feel vulnerable, particularly if they have never experienced hypnosis before and don’t know what to expect. Naturally, allowing one’s self to go to deeper levels of relaxation and comfort requires a certain level of trust and confidence in your hypnotherapist. It is important to follow your gut instincts when choosing a hypnotherapist. Also, it helps to seek a hypnotherapist that describes a life and healing philosophy that matches your own. A hypnotherapist with a value set close to your own will act synergistically to accelerate the change you are seeking.​​ Your previous experience with hypnosis or meditation. The ability to go into hypnosis, like meditation or any other activity in our lives, improves with practice. Individuals who experience multiple sessions of hypnosis usually experience successively deeper hypnotic states. Each session is training for the mind, and as someone has reaches a certain depth in their first session, the feeling of that state is often noted in the mind as a reference point from which they can go deeper during the next session. For individuals with some apprehension of the process, this increase in depth is also likely caused by increasing levels of trust in the hypnotherapist, and a realization of how incredibly enjoying the hypnotic state feels.​​ Preconceived ideas about hypnosis. If you have any negative, preconceived ideas about hypnosis that you have not had resolved with your hypnotherapist in your pre-session talk (pre-talk), you may not be completely open to the experience. This resistance can cause mental distraction from the focus required to both experience deeper levels of hypnosis, and achieve your therapeutic goals. Your hypnotherapist should ask you in the pre-talk whether you have any previous experience with hypnosis, and if you have any concerns they can put to ease. If you are not asked about any previous experience concerns, make sure to ask about what you can expect during the session — it will positively impact your results.​​ Your natural mental flexibility and skill. Individuals have a wide range of natural skill or flexibility in shifting states. Some people go into a very deep hypnotic state during their very first experience, while others may take several sessions before getting to that point. The reasons for this variation in individuals likely depends on a number of factors, some of which incorporate some of the factors described above – personality (how trusting you are in general), ability to relax, stress level, and right brain-left brain dominance (highly creative and imaginative people often engage in the process more easily) are some of the commonly accepted factors.

Usually not. Most of the work can be done in a light state of hypnosis, where the client is actively participating in the process, and emerges fully aware of what transpired. However, deep trance is beneficial when working in certain contexts. For our work together lighter states are actually preferred.

As you go into hypnosis, you will feel a deepening relaxation. A good state of hypnosis is similar to that wonderful feeling of just gaining awareness as you wake up in the morning. Your body is still very much asleep, and your conscious range of awareness is very narrow, but perhaps focused on a dream, an idea, a feeling or an image. Physiologically, going into hypnosis is similar to falling asleep, except with hypnosis, your mind stays aware while your body goes to sleep. During hypnosis, you will likely lose total awareness of your body, as your mind is completely focused on whatever is being discussed at the time. When you do turn attention to your body, you will often feel like it is extremely heavy. Your heart rate has slowed down, your breathing has slowed, and your body temperature will have dropped slightly. At the end of the session, when you emerge from the hypnotic state, you may not be able to move your body for the first few moments. Your mind typically wakes up first, then your body, and you have the desire to stretch out, just as if waking up from a nap. After the session is over, you will typically feel so relaxed that it can feel like you’ve just had a full body massage. Your stress levels will be very low, you will feel very calm, peaceful, and centered.

I mean, if you really want to...but we generally prefer that you don't. Many of us have seen a stage hypnosis show, or know someone who took part in such a show. Stage hypnosis is purely for entertainment and utilizes a very deep state of hypnosis that not everyone enters into naturally. Stage hypnosis is an excellent display of the sheer power and malleability of the subconscious mind when the function of the conscious mind is temporarily suspended. These experiences are far removed from clinical hypnosis which is a well recognized and serious therapeutic modality. Everything done in a therapeutic session is done in complete cooperation and agreement with you, the client. Hypnotherapy clients usually feel a sense of awareness throughout their sessions and are able to recall what transpired. Occasionally some individuals in deep hypnosis will experience a natural amnesia and will not remember portions of the session.

It works independently, and also works wonderfully in combination with standard talk therapy. Revelations and insights from talk therapy can be “downloaded” in hypnotherapy to the deeper, emotional levels of the mind. It’s a great combo.

While there doesn’t seem to be any research conducted on this topic, our experience has been that clients who are on psychopharmaceuticals sometimes have reduced ability to visualize make emotional connection to memories and imagery. The success of hypnotherapy is closely tied to these two abilities, and so yes, these types of medications can sometimes interfere. But not always. We have worked successfully with many clients who were still able to achieve powerful insights and breakthroughs while on prescription anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medications. Each drug and each person are unique, so if you are concerned about this, you can get an idea of how you might do in a live session, we can send you a free audio download that you can listen to see if you are able to have a rich experience or not. We recommend that you speak with your prescribing professional before scheduling a free consultation call or session.

You can think of it like being guided through a guided visualization. There are no control dynamics because overwhelmingly you are generating the content for your own experience and transformation.