I was talking to my cousin Paul, from Burlington Hypnosis, about a week ago. He’s a Registered Nurse, Hypnotherapist, and wicked-good guitarist. We usually talk about the wicked-good guitarist part, but at the end of the convo, he dropped that he has a few “counselors” for clients that treat stress. That got my attention.

Vicarious Trauma

As a clinical supervisor, one of my prime interests is dealing with vicarious trauma and stress relief, my own as well as my supervisee’s. Vicarious trauma is one of those “buzz-words” that gets little attention in the field until the effects are so obvious they can’t be ignored. You can read this fact sheet from the American Counseling Association here.

Counselors are usually the first to introduce mindfulness to their patients, but it’s not often that I meet a practitioner who uses it themselves. Hypnosis and self-hypnosis, can be a low-cost, beneficial discipline for self-care within the therapeutic community. It has the added benefit of being more “present” for one’s patients in session.

Hypnosis as a Valuable Tool

As a coach, hypnosis is another tool I can use, from basic mindfulness to referring to a pro! I know from personal experience in my own recovery and practice that it’s a powerful aid. When combined with therapy and even 12-Step attendance and practice. I highly recommend checking it out, and see if it helps you with your day-to-day issues. It has been shown to work for everything from anxiety and depression the quitting smoking and losing weight.

Paul came on to our new LeeBella YouTube Channel and told us how hypnosis applies to mental health, substance abuse treatment, and lifestyle enhancement. He covered all the basics, from how to get certified, to the differences between stage hypnosis, and how he uses it therapeutically.

It was a blast to talk to him, and we hope you enjoy watching it as well!