Kathleen Jordan

You want to be helped, not judged. You may have shared your problems of fears or panic with family or friends, only to have your feelings minimized or dismissed. You may have been told, "It's all in your head!" or, "You worry too much; relax!"

I understand that your fears are very real, and are making you suffer. I take your problems of fears, worries, and panic very seriously. I will respect and support you as we resolve your problems step-by-step so you can feel calm, confident and in control of your life again.

Do you know that some of your own thoughts and behaviors have been adding to your anxieties and fears? By learning to change the ways you think and behave you can reduce, and in some cases, completely eliminate your anxiety. You'll benefit by being able to control situations that previously panicked or stressed you. You'll relax, and feel good about yourself and happier with your life.

I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in two ways to help you reduce your anxiety:

Changing your Faulty Thinking: I'll help you identify the ways you may be using "faulty thinking" that aggravate your anxious feelings. You'll learn how to apply these methods of "clear thinking" to your everyday life. You can get almost instant relief from your anxious feelings with these new ways of thinking. You'll feel much more confident and calm.

Changing your Faulty Behaviors: I'll help you identify your behaviors that contribute to your stress or panic. You may not be aware that some of your actions actually increase your anxiety. I know how to assess what you're doing that gets in the way of you feeling relaxed, calm and comfortable.

Then, I help you apply practical solutions to change some of your behaviors into actions that support you in feeling calm and confident. You may be surprised to find yourself mastering situations that previously paralyzed you with fear. You begin to participate in life with a new-found joy and ease.

I use relaxation techniques in three different ways to help people reduce or eliminate anxiety:

Immediate Relief: You may need immediate relief from your anxiety in your first session with me. If so, I'll gently guide you into a deep relaxation that will calm your body and soothe your mind. Clients report feeling peaceful and relaxed afterwards. When you're relaxed, you can cope much more effectively with your life.

I'll make personalized CDs or audio files of these sessions to listen to so that you can re-play your CD any time you want to calm yourself.

Breathing & Relaxation Techniques: I'll teach you easy methods of breathing and relaxation in our counseling work together. These methods calm your nervous mind and body. They also release "endorphins," a healthy chemical in your body that is a natural tranquilizer.

These relaxation techniques help calm you wherever you are: at home, work, in a car or a plane, or in a room full of people. The methods will quickly reduce your stress, help you feel good, and put you in control of yourself again.

Increasing Confidence & Self-Worth: I also use relaxation to help you mentally rehearse new ways to perform with confidence in those situations where you feel fearful or anxious. When you operate with greater confidence, you also feel good about yourself.

I'll make personalized CDs or audio files of these sessions to listen to in the comfort of your home. There, you'll continue to program your mind to create more peaceful, positive thinking, and to rehearse comfortable, new ways of doing things.

How Hypnosis Helps Eliminate Bad Habits

When you come in for your first hypnosis session, we'll discuss details about your habit and determine the goal you want to achieve. I'll also explain hypnosis to you so that you can feel really comfortable when we begin the hypnosis.

You'll be guided very gently into a relaxed, focused state of hypnosis. You'll be then given personalized, powerful and persuasive suggestions that will abolish your bad habit. And then, in its place, you'll receive new, inspiring messages to put you in control of your life again.

Sometimes, one session of hypnosis will be all you need to eliminate your bad habit. For others, it may take two, three or more sessions of hypnosis to remove the old habit and replace it with the new, effective ways of reaching your goal. A bad habit often takes years to develop. So, it may take a few more sessions of hypnosis to eliminate it.

How Hypnosis Helps Eliminate Fears and Phobias

Fears and phobias can be hard to eliminate by yourself, but it can be easy with hypnosis. In our hypnosis sessions, you'll first relax very deeply and comfortably. And then, I'll guide you to mentally rehearse powerful, helpful ways of handling old, fearful situations. You’ll create positive, new thoughts that support you in managing and mastering fears and phobias. This reinforces your ability to eliminate your fears and phobias, and replace them with newfound confidence and strength.

How Hypnosis Helps Drastically Reduce Anxiety or Stress

- You’ll be guided into deep, comforting relaxation to calm your nervous mind and body. This teaches you how to relax yourself step by step. I’ll make CDs or audio files of these sessions for you to take home and listen to, anytime you wish to reduce anxiety and relax completely.

- You’ll mentally rehearse, in a state of deep relaxation, helpful ways of handling old, anxious situations. This reinforces your ability to take control of your life, with greater confidence and strength.

- You’ll create powerful new thoughts that support you in drastically reducing anxiety.

- If needed, we’ll remove blocks and heal old wounds that stand in the way of you living life with greater self-confidence, optimism, and peace.

1. I Have a Strong Will. Can I be Hypnotized?
   
   You'll have more success with hypnosis if you have a strong will! Why? Because in hypnosis you're always in control of yourself. We'll use your strong will to trigger the positive changes you want to make. Going into the trance state also will be easy for you. Even though I'm guiding you, it's really your strong will that lets you enter a state of hypnosis. And during the entire process, you're awake, aware, and in control of yourself.
   
   
2. I Have a Hard Time Relaxing. Will Hypnosis Work for Me?
   
   Almost every person who's ever asked this has successfully relaxed and gone into hypnosis when working with me. Often, people have a hard time relaxing on their own, so they don't think they're capable of relaxing. I lead a person systematically, step-by-step, into relaxation.
   
   
3. Will I Remember Anything About the Hypnosis Session?
   
   Virtually everyone remembers everything about the hypnosis session. You don't go unconscious in a state of hypnosis. You get nice and relaxed, and day-dreamy, and you're aware of what's going on.
   
   
4. Will I Reveal Embarrassing Secrets About Myself in Hypnosis?
   
   Hypnosis is not a "truth serum." You don't go unconscious and lose control. You'll never reveal anything that you want to keep to yourself, because you're always in control in hypnosis.
   
   
5. Will You Make Me Do Crazy Things, Like Quack Like a Duck?
   
   Nothing could be further from the truth! I use hypnosis responsibly, to help you reach your goals, and create calm, confidence and control over your life. Stage hypnotists use hypnosis to entertain people. People volunteer to be hypnotized in a stage show. They usually know they're going to be asked to do silly, harmless things on the stage, such as quack like a duck, or sing like Elvis Presley. Still, they're always in control of themselves, and aware of what they're doing.
   
   
6. I'm Religious, and I've Heard Hypnosis Opens My Mind to Negative Forces. Is This True?
   
   This idea is completely false. Hypnosis is a natural state of mind, just like when you're daydreaming, or mentally involved in a task, or absorbed in watching a beautiful sunset.
   
   In hypnosis you never lose control over your mind. You're always aware and in charge of yourself during the entire process.