Welcome. Beginning therapy can feel like a significant step, and it is important to me that you feel as safe, informed, and as comfortable as possible throughout the process. Your first hypnotherapy session can take place either in person at the Synchrony Clinic or online from the comfort of your home, depending on what feels most supportive for you.

Your initial session will run for approximately 90 minutes and is designed to move at a pace that feels manageable and respectful of your needs.

During the first part of the session, we will spend time talking about what has been happening for you and the challenges or goals that have brought you to therapy. This is a collaborative conversation where you are welcome to share only what feels comfortable. Together, we will begin building an understanding of your experiences, patterns, strengths, and the ways your mind, body, emotions, and nervous system interact.

Along the way, I will introduce practical strategies and therapeutic tools that you can begin using in everyday life to help support emotional regulation, resilience, well-being, and positive change. Many people find that gaining understanding, perspective, and validation can already begin to create a sense of relief and hope.

We will then gently transition into your first Strategic Hypnotherapy experience. Hypnosis is a natural and focused state of attention and relaxation — it is not sleep, and you remain aware and in control throughout the process. You will still be able to hear me, think, respond, move, or speak at any time if you wish. Many people describe the experience as calming, grounding, and deeply restorative.

During hypnosis, I may guide you through therapeutic suggestions, imagery, and solution-focused approaches designed to support helpful shifts in perspective, emotional responses, habits, beliefs, and coping patterns. The goal is not to take control away from you, but rather to help you reconnect with your own inner resources, strengths, and capacity for change.

Every session is tailored to the individual, and therapy is approached with compassion, collaboration, and respect for your unique experiences and goals.

Some of the evidence-based and therapeutic approaches that may be integrated into sessions include:

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

• EMDR-informed approaches

• Strategic Hypnotherapy

• Mindfulness and nervous system regulation strategies

You are encouraged to ask questions at any stage of the process. Therapy works best when you feel informed, supported, and empowered in your own journey.