When life gets us down, we seem to overlook the options that are before us.   Sometimes, what we need is to look through our predicament through a different perspective. If we seek professional help, there are so many counselors and therapists that we do not know where to turn. Know that not all therapists are the same.  Do not necessarily worry about what letters are after the name, but focus on what the therapist provides and how they approach a particular issue or problem. 

At Bright Hope Counseling Center, we pride ourselves on being different because we know that what we do works.  We often times are the counseling center of last resort because by the time a person comes to us, they have already been through three, four, or even five different counselors.   What makes us different is our approach.  While most therapists and for that matter, most schools of counseling, preach traditional talk counseling such CBT(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), we focus on techniques that work directly with the subconscious mind and use methods that wok on rewiring the actual synapses of the brain.  Our difference is that we get people better fast.  For example, we have had many people who have experienced traumatic events such as rape, violence, car accidents, etc.  Instead of talking about it for what feels likes years, we jump right to the heart of the problem, and work on reprogramming the brain.   The result is that the person usually feels better after 1-2 sessions.   We come with a guarantee, that if we can not help a person feel significantly better in month, that we need to be fired, and help the person find a more suitable referral.  

Chest hurts, heart starts racing, the sudden fear of imminent death, and the world around starts to close in.  Sound familiar?  Panic attacks are some of the scariest experiences a person can endure.   Sometimes they only last for a few minutes, and others, last for hours.  They seem to strike at any moment for whatever reason. They can debilitate a person to point of them never leaving their house, and when the thought of leaving happens, severe panic ensues.

Panic attacks leave the sufferer feeling absolutely helpless.  Yet, I am here to declare that hope and healing is possible.   With the right therapist, relief from panic attacks can come sooner than most people think.  Below is a list of treatments that I have used with individuals to  help rapidly resolve their panic.


1.  Hypnosis - Clinical hypnosis works wonders for the rapid resolution of panic attacks. Contrary to urban myth, I can not make a person do anything without their consent.  In other words, there is no barking like a dog or quacking like a duck. Anybody who wants to experience hypnosis will be able to be hypnotized.  With hypnosis, the person enters a relaxed state where the subconscious mind becomes active. Once active, the mind is open to suggestions that allow the person to overcome the effects of panic attacks.   What happens is that over time, the frequency and intensity is drastically reduced.  For most scenarios, this is my go to method. 

2. EMDR - This is a form of therapy that rapidly  resolves traumatic experiences in patients. EMDR can be used to treat panic attacks as they are happening to help the brain become desensitized to  the stressors that cause the sudden onset of attacks. For frequent panic attacks, this seems to work best.

3. Flooding -  The concept of flooding is controversial.   Many therapists like what it can do, but it taxes the emotional threshold of the patient.   Flooding literally means what it says.  The panic attack sufferer will place themselves in a situation that instantly causes an attack, and the more frequent a person is placed in that environment, the quicker the recovery.  Imagine the brain is like a computer that is frozen.  What flooding does is press the reset button, and fixes the error.  I like the idea of flooding, but to convince the patient is another subject altogether.

4. Psychotropic Medications -  I am not a big fan of psychiatric medications.  I believe that they have their place in a person's treatment.  Generally speaking, psychotropic medications work.  They are, however, not permanent solution.  The more permanent solution is actual therapy.    Psychotropic medications in conjunction with therapy is also helpful.
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The internal struggle of depression and trauma can run incredibly deep.  The scars and wounds of emotional pain , though not seen by the naked eye, cause infinitesimally more damage than anything physical.  Society places an unfair stigma on the people that suffer because the world just does not understand.   For some, many of these wounds have been going on since childhood. For others, they may be more recent.  Either way, the person feels that they are completely alone and have no where to turn.

To those suffering, there is hope.  I say this because our office has helped thousands of people find hope, purpose, and healing.  Have we helped everybody we met?  Unfortunately, no.  In working with emotional pain, there is unfortunately, no guarantee.  Will we give our best? Absolutely.  The people we were unable to help refused  to take the journey to healing with us.  The reasons are many, but core is the same.  They are afraid. Healing is scary, and sometimes past healers caused more damage.

I have heard dozens of stories where a person gave up hope because a therapist did not know what to do, or made a blanket statement that going back church will fix them.  To those therapists, I say, "How dare you."  There is nothing wrong with referring out to another therapist who has a different level of expertise, but to flat out deny the person the opportunity to heal is wrong.  

So here is our proposal:

Give us a chance. We will compassionately listen and hear you. Since we specialize in non traditional methods of counseling, our chances of success are far greater than just talk therapy alone.  Together, we will develop a plan of attack, and develop measurable goals for success.  At times, it may be painful, yet goal will be in sight.  If you feel that we are not a good fit, talk to us, and we will find someone that will.  We are diverse group of therapists working with a common goal. Just know that there is hope.


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While sitting on the couch with my wife yesterday, she mentioned to me that she just feels sad.  Sad?  I asked.  Yes, sad.  Being the therapist that I am, I starting asking her more questions in order to get to the reason for her sadness.  In the end, all we could really come up with is that it was cold, cloudy, and just plain dreary.  She seems to get this way every time the weather looks like doom and gloom.  We believe she suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as S.A.D.

S.A.D. affects many of us who are stuck in a the house because it is too cold and dreary to go outside.  Days without seeing the sun has an effect on almost all of us.   SO, how do we beat it?

The answer is not that surprising. Here is a small list of what we can do to help keep the winter blues at bay.

1. Exercise More.
2. Start a hobby.
3. Connect with family and friends.
4. If involved in a particular faith, become more active.
5. Meditate and visualize yourself be warmed by the summer sun.
6. Not recommended because of the cancer risk, but it does help -   Tanning beds.
7. Last but not least,  vitamin D.

If you can think of any other ways to beat the winter blues, let me know.

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As a therapist who gave up doing traditional therapy for a career in hypnosis, I am always shocked to see and stretch the boundaries of what hypnosis can and cannot do for my clients. In order for me to say what it does, I first have to state what it is not. 

I think that one of the biggest reasons why it is not used in more mainstream therapy is that there is a belief that hypnosis does not work, and is nothing more than strangely packaged snake oil.  Most universities do not teach hypnosis. So if they do not teach it, then why learn it.   Second, a significant amount of people believe that hypnosis is a form of mind control.   Even a popular Christian website, GotQuestions.org says that hypnosis is a form of demonic mind control. Probably, the biggest misconception is the question of whether or not I can be hypnotized.  I tell everyone that there are only two types of people that can not be hypnotized. They are the ones that refuse, and the ones who are too developmentally and emotionally delayed to understand what I am saying.  Everyone else can be hypnotized to some degree.  Lastly, when someone is hypnotized, they do NOT feel any different, and at no point is control ever lost. Since all hypnosis is self-hypnosis, if any suggestion is given by the hypnotist that goes against  person's will, the individual will either ignore the suggestion or instantly come out of hypnosis.

So what can hypnosis do?

Hypnosis is not the panacea of therapy. It is not the end all be all.  However, it is only limited by the client's subconscious mind. Simply put, if the mind can conceive it, then it can become a part of a person's reality.  To date, below is a sampling of what I seen accomplished with hypnosis.

Stress Relief

Smoking Cessation

Bad Habits

Phobias

Anxiety

Weight Loss

Addictions

Public Speaking

Panic Attacks

Pain Relief

Insomnia

Co-consciousness with D.I.D. Patients

Streff Syndrome Drastically Improved with D.I.D. Patients

Resolution of Trauma.

Learning hypnosis is simple. Therapists already do the majority of hypnosis by leading clients through a guided meditation or imagery. They thing which is missing is a few steps called convincers, inductions, deepeners, and finally anchors.  To pick up these skills, do a simple YouTube search for hypnotists demonstrating the technique. 
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We have all had sleepless nights.  For many, those sleepless nights turn into days and even weeks. Often times, patients will complain to me about about racing thoughts clear into the evening.    Insomnia can be caused my many things, but the most frequent causes are unresolved trauma, stress, and anxiety.  Our practice is well suited to handle most of cases of insomnia.   

We treat insomnia not as core issue, but as a symptom of something bigger.    If insomnia is psychosomatic, meaning it is not due to a medical condition, then treatment can occur through a few methods.  First, hypnosis does wonders for a person by teaching them to clear their mind and they can actually relax enough to sleep.  I have had numerous patients tell me that after they were hypnotized that they went home and had the most restful night sleep.   Ultimately, the goal is for me to teach the person how to hypnotize themselves so the insomnia resolves completely on its own. 

For the rare individuals who cannot be hypnotized, I use more standard techniques to identify the source of the insomnia such as an underlying trauma.  In most cases, once the trauma is resolved, the anxiety and insomnia go away.  Treatment will take a little bit longer, but it is still generally well received.

When you are ready to make an appointment, feel free to contact us or make an appointment online.  ​