Hypnotherapist - Relationship Coach - Life Coach - Carolyn Shaffer

Whether you are working with me face-to-face or by telephone,
you can effect change at a deep level often in just a few sessions.

I help you clarify what you want and what's in the way, take effective steps toward the change you desire, and acquire the tools to continue the work on your own.

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For frequently asked questions about telephone sessions>>

“For the first time, I am able to walk into an exam with full confidence and no anxiety, and I owe it all to Carolyn. Although I have experienced guided imagery before, with Carolyn I was able to go to a deeper place and work through anxiety issues that had kept me stuck for years. I know I will be working with Carolyn for years to come.”

For more about what people are saying about Carolyn's work>>

My tailored approach
In an atmosphere of safety and comfort, I tailor each session to your unique learning mode and pace and skillfully help you engage the powerful capacity of your whole mind—thoughts, emotions and imagination—to bring about the change you desire.

Most of my clients choose hypnotherapy—hypnosis techniques that include guided imagery—as their primary mode of work with me, with focused coaching as a supplement. A few prefer that our work be primarily coaching.
For more on my Living Well Way approach>>

Session length and format
Our [initial session], whether face to face or by telephone, lasts two hours. Subsequent sessions are typically an hour and a half for individuals and two hours for couples.

Number and frequency of sessions
Because guided imagery is highly effective in producing results, most clients engage in short-term work, particularly when addressing a single issue such as weight control, smoking cessation or sleep management. Those addressing more than one issue or transforming deeply embedded beliefs and patterns may work with me for several months rather than a few weeks.

I recommend a minimum of three sessions. Ideally you schedule these once a week to develop and maintain the momentum of positive change. After that you may taper off to follow-up sessions every other week or month, if needed.

Custom recordings and their benefits
At each session, I make an audio recording—usually 15 to 25 minutes in length—for you to use on your own. Consider it your "portable hypnotherapist and coach" and, for fast, lasting results, listen to it daily, preferably in the same place and at the same time of day. The recording includes guided imagery for relaxing and deepening, your stated intentions, and positive suggestions that incorporate your wording. Reinforcement works—that's why I make it as easy as possible.

What you can expect in the initial session
Whether we are face to face or on the telephone, our initial session begins with a conversation about what you would like to be able to do as a result of our work together. We then clarify the particular issues you want to work on, and I ask you to fill me in on any background or history relevant to these issues. I acquaint you with how I work and answer any questions you might have. After we talk about the particular blend of hypnosis, imagery and coaching that would best generate the results you want, I help you word a brief set of intentions. I include these on the custom recording that I make during the session.

We begin the work itself with you comfortably relaxed—in the recliner chair in my office (other seating is available on request) or, if this is a telephone session, in the chair, bed or sofa of your choosing at home. If <hypnotherapy> is the mode that you choose as primary, I guide you deeper into relaxation and an inwardly focused state that resembles daydreaming. I encourage you to imagine yourself comfortable and safe, using as many senses as possible. Some people see images most vividly; for others the visual images are fuzzy, but they feel distinct physical sensations such as warmth or tingling, or they notice scents or sounds or hear words. Some may simply sense a particular atmosphere or quality of light. It doesn't matter which happens. All are forms of <imagery> and work well.

Many people come to their first session wondering whether they can enter a hypnotic state. I welcome their doubts and acknowledge how important a sense of healthy skepticism can be. Most are pleasantly surprised by how easily they enter a daydream state and how natural it feels. The state is so natural that some don't consider it hypnosis. It doesn't fit the stereotype.

As I learn what works best for you—from my observations and your reports—I tailor the process to focus on those aspects. There is no right or wrong way to do this work, only your way. If resistance arises, we explore this. Working with that resistance is a crucial part of the change process. If we don't address it in the initial session, we will in a follow-up session when I help you identify and transform what's in the way of making the changes you desire.

Early in this part of the session, I invite you to set your intentions inwardly as I speak them using your words. Before the session is over, I recap (and record) any positive images, insights and suggestions that arose and guide you to imagine yourself putting into practice in your daily life what you have learned. This practice might be as simple—and powerful—as taking a deep breath now and then and remembering the good feeling that accompanied an image or an insight. At session's end, I remind you that you have within you all that you need to make the changes you desire, and I invite you to return to waking.

This inwardly focused part of the session usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes—although you can return to full awake mode on your own at any time. Afterwards, if we're meeting face to face, I hand you your custom audio recording. Otherwise, if this is a telephone session, I send you the recording within 24 hours by Priority Mail. The more you listen to your <custom recording> the more effective is the work we do together.