Kristin Nemzer, LMFT, CH • Therapy, Hypnotherapy, HypnoBirthing



Frequently Asked Questions about Therapy with Kristin Therapy - Sessions - Office Policies What is Marriage and Family Therapy? Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are specialists in relationships, not only one's relationship with others but one's relationship with oneself. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist I work with individuals, couples, families and groups. The scope of practice for an MFT is to work with clients so that "interpersonal relationships are examined for the purpose of achieving more adequate, satisfying, and productive marriage and family adjustments". What does this really mean? It means that my intention is to help my clients improve their relationships with their partners, children, friends, acquaintances and themselves. Having fulfilling relationships is an important piece of having a happier and healthier life. ^top How does one become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist? Marriage and Family Therapists are psychotherapists and healing arts practitioners licensed by the State of California. Requirements for licensure include a related doctoral or two-year master's degree, passage of a comprehensive written and oral examination, and at least 3,000 hours of supervised experience. This long and extensive road is completed by far fewer than start out on it. ^top Why did you become an LMFT? I have always known I wanted to be a therapist. I have been practicing hypnotherapy longer than I have been licensed as an MFT. I decided to become licensed because of the incredible training and experience I received during the long licensing process. I wanted to be part of a group that is bound by a code of ethics and monitored by the State of California because I think it's in the best interest of my clients. I also wanted the option of billing my services to insurance, making it financially more feasible for my clients to use my services. ^top What is Hypnotherapy? As a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, I believe that hypnotherapy is an effective tool for finding the insight, inner wisdom, and resources that reside deep within your subconscious mind. Connecting with this deep part of yourself can help you to achieve empowerment in every aspect of your life. I use hypnosis with clients that are interested in working in this manner. Hypnotherapy is a method of therapy that uses hypnosis to resolve any emotional and/or psychological issue. Hypnotherapy employs the hypnotherapeutic trance, allowing you to move past your conscious mind to access the root causes of your particular issue. The trance uncovers otherwise "hidden" or subconscious information - such as old beliefs and memories - and lets them flow naturally to the conscious mind. You'll discover the underlying causes of the unwanted behavior, habit or symptom, making it easier to understand and successfully resolve your issue. In Deep Insight Hypnosis (DIH), we trace your current life issue to its source through inner child work, prenatal regressions, and past life regressions. ^top How is Hypnotherapy different than traditional talk therapy? In talk therapy we use our conscious and analytical mind to think and talk about our problems. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and I do work in a psychotherapeutic framework with some of my clients. The difference is that the hypnotherapeutic trance bypasses the conscious mind to access your inner wisdom - the place that contains the root of the issue. This is because old beliefs and painful memories - the issues that are causing the block - are stored in the subconscious mind. Even your most troublesome behaviors, habits, and feelings will change as old scripts and emotional wounds gently dissolve. As your subconscious beliefs and motivations change, so will your life. ^top How is Deep Insight Hypnosis different from more mainstream "Suggestion Hypnosis"? Deep Insight Hypnosis focuses on finding the root cause(s) of your issue and curing it at the source, which leads to long-lasting healing. Conversely, Suggestion Hypnosis tricks the mind into thinking that a certain problem has disappeared; it relies on external direct suggestion to the unconscious mind, with no consideration for the underlying causes of the unwanted behavior, habit or symptom. This method works in a small percentage of the population (about 12%), and the benefits are usually not long lasting; the suggestion tends to wear off. Since the underlying problem has not been addressed, it will often come out in different ways. For example, if you are a smoker and you use Suggestion Hypnosis to stop smoking, you might find yourself drinking more alcohol because the underlying reason for smoking has not yet been addressed. Most clients find that Deep Insight Hypnosis has long lasting and profound effects that result from deep change. ^top Why did you become a Hypnotherapist? I discovered Hypnotherapy after completing my master's degree in counseling psychology. I had been working at a counseling center for 2 years and was frustrated with my patients' slow progress. They spent a lot of time, energy, and money on therapy, but their lives changed very slowly. My supervisors and teachers said I was doing a great job, and it seemed that my clients would be content coming to see me weekly forever. However, I don't believe that you should be in therapy forever! I believe that life-long therapy is a failure of the therapy, not the client. I am an advocate for empowerment -- people need to be able live as a sole agent, without the constant guidance of a therapist. People are happier and healthier when they feel empowered, and Deep Insight Hypnosis is the most effective, fastest way that I have found to achieve this goal. I feel good that my current clients are expending less time, energy and money on their healing and they are seeing greater benefits than I was able to provide through traditional talk therapy. ^top How does psychotherapy help people heal? I believe that all human behavior is meaningful. There is a sense and purpose to what we are doing even though it may distress us and we cannot understand what is happening. Sometimes events from the past were experienced as too painful and we felt we could not cope unless we denied them. Yet the issues and the emotional difficulties remain, and if not addressed, can re-emerge as problems. It is the sense that a problem or a particular pattern of behavior is going on in your life which you cannot understand or control, that often motivates someone to seek out a psychotherapist. ^top In the therapeutic setting it becomes possible to create a safe environment that is separate from every day life. In the therapy, the client can then talk about and express what is meaningful and significant in his or her life. An important part of this process is the relationship with the therapist. As the client comes to trust the therapist, not only do they find they can talk about and express their feelings, but they also come to experience a 'good' relationship that is both accepting and containing. What is healing in this process is that what was denied and yet still troubles the person, is expressed, and can then be worked through and understood. But perhaps what is more important is that the process of therapy takes place over time, and allows new meanings and new possibilities to emerge. ^top Will I be conscious while I'm under Hypnosis? You are always conscious during Hypnosis, which is a state of deep relaxation where the conscious mind plays a smaller role than it does during the waking hours. During Hypnosis your subconscious mind is open, so you have direct access to your memories, emotions, intuition, and, ultimately, your own truth. This does not mean that you are unconscious; you are fully aware of where you are, what's happening, and you will remember everything. ^top Can I be made to do things against my will while I'm in Hypnosis? Am I in control? You are in control at all times during Hypnosis; you will never do or be asked to do something against your will. If I ask you whether or not a memory feels significant, you will be able to answer yes or no. I never make an unequivocal command, suggestion, or direction. ^top What does Hypnosis feel like? Hypnosis feels different for everybody. The most consistent way it's described is as a feeling of relaxation and well-being where the mind feels free to float. Some people describe it as the feeling you have when you are able to hit the snooze button on your alarm in the morning: you don't fall all the way back to sleep, you are conscious of where you are, but your mind floats freely and imagery is easily accessible. ^top What if I can't be hypnotized? Most people can be hypnotized to experience a light trance state. There are different levels of Hypnosis and very few people are able to achieve its deeper levels. This is of no concern to me (it is of concern to a stage hypnotist), because the light trance is the state that is most helpful for Hypnotherapy. In the light trance state, your conscious mind is still available and engaged. The deeper states of Hypnosis are not necessary or desirable because you would not remember the session. It's vital that you remember the session and integrate the learning and understandings of the session into the conscious mind; thus, only a light state of Hypnosis is required. ^top How is Stage Hypnosis different than Deep Insight Hypnosis (DIH)? Stage Hypnosis takes advantage of the deeper states of Hypnosis where the conscious mind is no longer engaged. A stage hypnotist usually chooses many "subjects" and ends up using only a few of them. This is because so few people can achieve this deep level of Hypnosis. Once someone is deeply hypnotized, the stage hypnotist will give him or her the suggestion that they will not remember anything from the interaction; this allows a normally shy person to dance on stage like a rock star without a bit of self consciousness. DIH is committed to the client's best interest, which means having the client in control at all times. DIH is geared towards healing and enhancing someone's life, whereas stage hypnotism is a means to an end, where the end is entertainment; there is little or no concern for the client's well-being. ^top How do I choose a therapist? There are two things that are most important in finding and building a client-therapist relationship: The therapist has a philosophy and a way of working that fits with your beliefs. If you like what I have to say, call me to schedule an appointment. You and the therapist have a good rapport. Rapport means that you actually like the therapist as a person, not just as a professional. You should feel comfortable with her/him, and be able to comfortably share the deeper parts of yourself. Meeting a therapist in person is the best way to figure out #2. ^top What issues or problems can be addressed by therapeutic work you do? Any current issue can shift with therapy: your body, your environment, your relationships, yourself. I have created a list of issues that are more "typical" of the problems that I address with my clients. If your issue is not on this list, it doesn't necessarily mean that doing therapy with me wouldn't work. Please call me to discuss your individual issue to determine if working with me could work for you. ^top Relationship/Couples Issues This may be at work, with friends, in the family, in a marriage or with a partner, and can involve feeling you are not able to connect with those around you, or feeling anxious you'll be rejected. Our personal healing and growth issues surface most within relationships. I often see couples on the verge of ending their relationship because they cannot agree on an issue. Usually there are reasons from each individual's own life that can explain why this issue is a "hot button" for them. Through the use of both joint sessions (the couple talks about the issues) and individual sessions (each partner can explore their own personal story that's attached to this issue), relationships will not only become harmonious again, but will be enhanced with the element of consciousness. Sometimes couples decide go their separate ways but - rather than being resentful -- they do so with insight and understanding. ^top Problems Related to Past Abuse or Trauma People are either aware or unaware of how trauma and/or abuse has affected their lives. Either way, Hypnosis can be a great tool for healing. Unexamined past abuse and trauma is a negative force in our lives that prevents us from seeing the truth about the incident(s). Using Hypnosis as a tool to look back with understanding and compassion can free us of the pain that's clouding our lives today. I have seen many people gain a sense of empowerment from realizing that these incidents from the past no longer control their lives or their well-being. ^top Pregnancy issues / Natural Childbirth Preparation I am a childbirth educator and the founder of the Birthing Through Hypnosis Method of Natural Childbirth Preparation. I lead classes for pregnant women and their partners in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. I also do private counseling sessions that focus on the issues that arise with pregnancy. Pregnancy and childbirth are among the most intense and transformative passages in a woman's life. Giving birth can be one of the emotionally, physically, and spiritually transcendent moments of a woman's life. I work with women to prepare them for the challenges of pregnancy, labor, and motherhood. Hypnosis can help alleviate the pain and discomfort of pregnancy and labor, and has been proven to be effective in helping a breech baby turn naturally inside the womb. I use Birthing Through Hypnosis techniques to prepare women for giving birth, and to address their fears regarding labor and delivery. For more information on the Birthing Through Hypnosis classes that I teach, click here. In addition to my work with pregnancy I counsel women who are either having a hard time getting pregnant or who have had miscarriages. I also help women prepare for their shifting identity as a mother. Addressing personal "mother issues" before the birth of a child can help a woman fully embrace her pregnancy, the birth experience, and the joy of a newborn baby. ^top Smoking Cessation Just as people smoke for many different reasons, people also desire to stop smoking for just as many reasons. I work with people to find the underlying causes of their smoking. What do they like and dislike about smoking? What will they miss? What is their main motivation to quit? What does smoking mean to them? Through a combination of guided imagery and regression healings, you will find that being a non-smoker becomes more comfortable than being a smoker. ^top Chronic Pain / Unexplained Medical Condition People often come to me because they have tried every other method to address their pain: medical doctors, surgery, alternative methods. There may be a part of them that has started to believe that the pain is not a 100% physical experience, and that maybe they hold some emotional pain in their bodies. Hypnotherapy can help uncover if your pain has any emotional or psychological roots, and if your body is alerting you to address a deeper issue. Once the underlying issue is addressed, most clients find that they can be free of the pain because the physical signal is no longer needed. ^top Anxiety & Depression Anxiety and depression are large issues. I work with people who are unhappy with their lives, and feel that anxiety and/or depression is preventing them from fulfillment. Although medication can be helpful, uncovering the underlying issues and healing them can have longer lasting benefits. ^top An Emotional Crisis Counseling can be helpful at a time of emotional crisis such as the sudden loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or simply feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope. ^top Personal Growth Wanting to develop your potential, finding out more about yourself, and discovering a more creative and fulfilling way to live your life are great reasons to come to therapy. ^top The following issues are also important areas that can be addressed with DIH (Deep Insight Hypnosis): Stress Lack of purpose Weight issues (overweight, body image, eating disorders) Addiction Sleep disorders (nightmares, insomnia) Phobia / panic Low self esteem Loneliness Emotional pain Troublesome habits All types of compulsive or self-limiting behaviors Old beliefs & painful memories ^top	Call me to talk and to set up an appointment! Email is another great way to schedule appointment times with me. My number is: 831-345-1500 Insight for Transformation
©2010 Kristin Nemzer • info@kristinnemzer.com

Frequently Asked Questions about Therapy with Kristin

Frequently Asked Questions about
Therapy with Kristin