EP 24 Mind Body Connections Through Hypnotherapy, Feat. Michele Duncan

Our mission is to give you tools and strategies that will help you move from being stressed to feeling your best.

In this episode we continue our series on mind body therapies that we have found helpful in our healing journeys. We feature Michele Duncan, Certified Hypnotherapist, to discuss how hypnotherapy works and how it reduces stress. 

Co -hosts Deb Timmerman and Barb Fletcher, are certified HeartMath® Trainers, and certified stress educators, who are skilled at helping people discover the power of living form the heart.  To take the Stress and Wellbeing Assessment in Canada, click here. To take the Stress and Wellbeing Assessment in the US, click here. 

Transcript

SPEAKERS

Barb Fletcher, Michele Duncan, Deb Timmerman

Deb Timmerman  00:00

You're listening to the less stress in life podcast. Your hosts, Deb Timmerman and Barb Fletcher are on a mission to help individuals and organizations manage stress and change. Together, they bring you real conversations, inspirational stories, and strategies to help move you from being stressed to feeling your best.

Barb Fletcher  00:22

Good morning. Good morning, everyone.

Deb Timmerman  00:26

Good morning.

Barb Fletcher  00:27

I'm Barb Fletcher. And welcome to our series 52 practical tools for less stress in life. And this is episode 24.

Deb Timmerman  00:37

I'm Deb Timmerman. Our goal is to give you tools and strategies to help you move from feeling stressed to feeling your best. Last week, we started a series on mind body healing modalities. There's so many that we both use and teach that are helpful in helping us calm and heal our bodies. And today we have a special guest, Michelle Duncan, she's going to share her love and expertise about hypnosis. Michelle has a background in engineering and fashion design, she's always had an insatiable curiosity to know and understand the world from many perspectives. When she was introduced to the concept of neuroplasticity, and the power of the mind. After stumbling across a few TED talks in 2015, she began searching for a modality through which she could apply all of this knowledge. She continued informally studying mindset, psychology, and energy work into finding hypnotherapy. And in 2021, she graduated from Marisa Peer School of Rapid Transformational Therapy as a Certified Hypnotherapist. She now runs her practice Starbrite Mind in Fredericton, New Brunswick and offers her services virtually as well. Michelle, welcome. We're so glad to have you today.

Michele Duncan  01:53

Thank you. So happy to be here.

Barb Fletcher  01:55

So, Michelle and I connected probably a month ago, and I always excited to hear about what she's doing him and her journey. So, Michelle, we're gonna jump right in. Can you share a little bit about your journey to hypnosis, Deb shared that you had a very background and kind of happenstance upon hypnosis. Can you talk about that?

Michele Duncan  02:22

Yeah, for sure. So, I've always been very interested in psychology and kind of how we relate to the world. And it was always just a kind of a side thing that I was interested in. But as I started trying to find my career path, it became more and more lining towards that. I did, I started a Master's in Counseling, and that wasn't quite right, I wanted a little more freedom I didn't like that the labeling and putting in boxes, not that there's anything wrong with psychology or counseling. But for me, I wanted to go a little deeper. And I did Reiki I'm, I'm a master Reiki healer. But I wanted to dialogue more. And it was just several years of trying to find a modality that fit me and my approach to life and healing. And then, during COVID, I stumbled across an ad for the school for rapid transformational therapy RTT, which is a specific modality of hypnotherapy. And it just really resonated with me. And as soon as I got started, I knew I was in the right place on the right path. And that's kind of how I landed here.

Deb Timmerman  03:38

So, tell us a little bit more about RTT and that style of hypnotherapy.

Michele Duncan  03:46

Yes, so some hypnotherapy is kind of just that, installing new beliefs, just the affirmation and kind of trying to work with your mind, through dialogue through kind of affirmations to change your beliefs. RTT is a full process. It's not done in one session, but we work through the root cause of an issue. So we go back to scenes and events that your subconscious mind is holding on to that really kind of formed the negative beliefs that are perpetuating the issue you have today. So we first understand those root cause beliefs. And then we work through them using various tools to understand how they are not you today. You don't need to hold on to these beliefs anymore, to really empower the client to let go and embrace change. And then we do that affirmation positive, reinforcing the new mindset you want to embrace. And then that portion of a session is recorded and the client goes home with that recording to listen to you for 21 days, which installs those new beliefs makes them habits so that they're no longer consciously trying to affirm in a new belief. It's just they're running the show running the habits.

Barb Fletcher  05:16

So interesting because we know that beliefs and root causes until we actually, I guess, dig down to get to what, is the root. Sometimes it's just like we're putting a bandaid on the surface. Do you agree?

Michele Duncan  05:32

Yes, absolutely. And it's through no fault of our own. You know, so many of my clients know what the issue is. They know what the problem is and how they want to change. But there's just a block basically deep down that they can't comprehend how on an emotional level, how that is impacting them. And that's kind of the power of hypnosis and hypnotherapy Is that your understanding your issue from a emotional, you can feel it in your body kind of level. It's a full understanding and acceptance and then a full complete release.

Barb Fletcher  06:14

Can you talk a little bit more about the changes that occur in the brain? You've talked about reprogramming for 21 days? Can you talk a little bit more about what happens in the brain to make that work?

Michele Duncan  06:29

Absolutely. So Well, there's two things I guess, to talk about the brain as far as hypnosis and hypnotherapy goes, so first and foremost, foremost, when we go into hypnosis, you are changing your brainwave function. So usually we're in a high beta brainwave state where we're very analytical and really processing logically what's going on around us. When we go into hypnosis, we're going down into kind of a slower brainwave state, the theta state. And this state is very creative. It's how we access the subconscious mind. And, and it's suggestible. So it, it isn't judgmental, it isn't analytical, it just kind of accepts what is but from a very creative, visual, emotional place. Additionally, when we are children, we are from age two to eight, pretty much we are in a theta, brainwave state. So that's when we're getting a lot of programming in where we're very suggestible. We're coming up with these creative ideas, we're seeing what's going on in the world around us. And we're deciding that means this, you know, my parents are yelling and unhappy, it's my fault. I'm, I'm the problem. And then we carry that our whole lives, for example. So when we go into a theta state for hypnosis, we're able to understand on an emotional level, where those beliefs came from, and really speak to them in a way that they understand we speak to the subconscious mind in a way that it can understand. So we're accessing the theta brainwave state to go into hypnosis, then when we're installing these new beliefs, basically, we are rewiring new neural pathways in our brain. So we have these automated pathways which are controlled by the subconscious mind. And through our session, we're understanding that that pathway, we don't want that anymore. And we're kind of pruning that away to create a new pathway, we only have a finite amount of neural pathways we can have. So we're letting go of old habitual pathways, and then we're reinforcing new pathways through the 21 days of affirmations. And so those as those pathways are wiring, they're becoming more insulated and secure. And after 21 days, roughly, you no longer have to consciously try to reinforce that pathway. It is just installed within your brain has a habit.

Barb Fletcher  09:15

She's talking our language, Deb.

Deb Timmerman  09:17

I know. I heard the word pruning and I'm thinking oh my gosh, that starts when kids are little and their brains are developing what you don't use gets pruned away. What you use more wires together. So yes, our language definitely. I'm curious, does hypnosis work for everyone Michelle?

Michele Duncan  09:39

Yes, well, so hypnosis is the state of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is using hypnosis in a therapeutic setting. So everybody enters hypnotic states generally throughout the day when you are falling asleep. You're going through a hypnotic state and when you're waking up, you are as well I'll also when you're in that kind of flow state where you're really involved in what you're doing, and you kind of lose track of time. That's a hypnotic state. So everyone naturally goes in and out of these states. To do it intentionally, yes, everyone can enter that state. But to stay in that and work through therapy involves a little bit of openness and willingness. So if you don't want to be hypnotized, and participating, you absolutely have the control not to be. But if you want to be, then absolutely, it can work for anyone. Yeah,

Barb Fletcher  10:40

If someone's considering hypnosis, what should they think about?

Michele Duncan  10:47

Pretty much, the only thing that needs to be considered is How committed are you to change? I ask all my clients that just when we first meet on a scale of one to 10, how genuinely committed are you to making this change. And if it's anything below, like an eight, really, you probably want to consider Do you truly, truly want to change because going through the hypnotherapy process, you requires vulnerability, participation, openness. And if you have kind of resistance around that, you probably won't get the most out of a session. So it's probably not the best option for you at that time. But if you are fully committed to making a change, you're having trouble you're coming across blocks, then hypnotherapy is a great option, there's really no reason that I would say that you should, you should not consider it. The only clients I don't work with are those with psychosis, and epilepsy, just because there are some risks involved. So if you do suffer from those conditions, then you might want to pick an alternative modality. But other than that hypnotherapy is useful for pretty much anyone.

Deb Timmerman  12:01

There are so many beneficial therapies and so many beneficial modalities, but I think you hit the nail on the head. You have to be ready to change, whether you're doing Heart Math, or hypnotherapy or tai chi or whatever, because it takes a little bit of work. It doesn't just happen, you have to invest that time.

Michele Duncan  12:24

Absolutely, yeah, I think that like some people think, Oh, I'm just gonna be hypnotized, and everything will be solved. And it's, it's the clients doing the work, it's them doing making the connections, coming to the understandings, choosing to let go choosing to let it in. You're right, it's very much internal. No one can fix anything for you.

Deb Timmerman  12:46

How has this modality helped you manage the stress in your life or stress that maybe some of your clients are having?

Michele Duncan  12:56

Yeah, I mean, stress, as far as just kind of low level stress, like short term, you know, a little bit of overwhelm. The concept of hypnotherapy being your subconscious mind is always listening to what you're saying. And responding to it is one aspect that has helped me in that I'm careful how I speak to myself. So when I'm feeling stressed, I don't say Oh, I, you know, this is too much, I can't handle this, I can't get enough sleep. This is killing me, you know, my body is going to respond with physical symptoms of stress and overwhelm. So when you speak to yourself, you have to be careful about the dialogue you're using. So when I'm stressed, you know, i this will pass, I'm doing great, I don't have to be perfect. And you just kind of love yourself, speak to yourself with love. And that helps reduce the stressful feelings in the body. Beyond that I have in the past struggled with anxiety, which is just constant and long term and I did have a few hypnotherapy sessions directed toward that. And understanding where that came from. That that is actually something I've carried my whole life and then learning what it feels like to actually not feel anxiety to have those affirmations repeated to feel into that space. It's been life changing for me and I've had a few clients with similar experiences where just seeing things from a new perspective allows the release of that lifelong habit of anxiety,

Deb Timmerman  14:44

Such a hope filled conversation with yourself and with those clients because sometimes when you're in that place of overwhelming anxiety or they are, seeing the future and how you're going to work yourself out of that is really a challenge.

Michele Duncan  15:01

Absolutely. So I do intake meetings before we do a hypnotherapy session, I do an intake meeting where I talk to the clients about how they're experiencing their issue and symptoms and triggers and habits and all that. And then I asked, What do you want your outcome to be? Sometimes it's really difficult for them to see the life without the problem. And a lot of what what they see is just not that, you know, I'm not stressed, I'm not feeling that. And then at the end of the session, they finally get this, this sense of, oh, I can I can have this I can have, you know, the positive version of things instead of the not that. A common thing I hear after a session is, I feel so much lighter. And it's yeah, it's so beautifully can see on their faces this kind of blowing release. It's beautiful. Yeah.

Barb Fletcher  16:02

All of what you're saying is just so inspirational. And I'm sure that there we have listeners who have wondered about hypnotherapy and whether it's a good fit for them. And and you've answered so many questions about what that looks like. And, and we know that commitment is top of mind. And at the same time, we also know you know, we've had a podcast that spoke about the words we use and the impact that they're actually having on our body. So you everything that you've said, Michelle is absolutely consistent with our desire for people to live with less stress in their life.

Michele Duncan  16:47

Wonderful as you are doing what you're doing, it's so important to share because everyone is seeking this healing. And sometimes we just don't even know where to begin or, or what tools to use. So it's great to get that out there.

Deb Timmerman  17:02

So we've been doing our series now for over six months. So we're halfway through our 52 tools and tips, and maybe you've tried some of the tips or the specialty folks like Michelle that we've had on our podcast. If you're not seeing the results that you think you want to see, reach out to one of us. Michelle's connection points will be in our show notes. She does virtual sessions, Barb and I are always happy to consult, and to help you figure out where you're going, sometimes you need a measure. So again, we're offering our stress and wellbeing assessment to help you get a snapshot of where the stresses are in your life, how much wellbeing and resilience you have, and if you're not comfortable with where you are, it's time to take action, because the other six months of this year will go by just as fast as the first six months have. So we're so happy that you could join us today, Michelle, and again, we encourage you to reach out to her or one of us to help you along this path. As Barb always says, life isn't meant to be hard. 

Barb Fletcher  18:17

Thank you

Michele Duncan  18:18

Thank you so much for having me. Thank you.

Deb Timmerman  18:22

Less stress in life is possible. If you're new to this kind of thinking and would like to explore what's possible for you. We'd love to connect. You can reach us through our website at less stress in life.com. That's less stress in life.com