[00:00:00] Hi everyone. Welcome to Living Hypnotically. I'm Erika Flint, your host Professional hypnotherapist and accredited hypnotherapy instructor living Hypnotically, better Living with Hypnosis, where we explore hypnosis and the application of hypnosis from professional hypnotists. And today I have Catherine Whit with me.
And Catherine, I just can't wait to dive in and ask her a whole bunch of questions about becoming a professional hypnotist. Hello Catherine. Are you here today? Hi Erika. It's so nice to see you. Awesome. So can you tell everyone, how did you get started in hypnosis? What really got you thinking, Hey, I should be a hypnotist?
When I was a little. 12 year old child, I thought I wanted to be a drama therapist. That was my idea. Wow. That's fantastic. Yeah. Yeah. I know. And so fast forward, because I knew, I know I love, dealing with things on this on a really more deep psychological level. I also have [00:01:00] storytelling.
I love the aspect of how our stories heal. Heal ourselves. Oh. All the way we tell our stories, which is what the sort of backbone of the, of drama is. Theater. , is that the human story. And I actually then became a teacher , so Oh, okay. Okay. . I decided teaching would also be pretty exciting.
Yeah. And it was, but I never. I always wanted to dive deeper. Yeah. And then a few personal things happened in my own therapy life. My own sort of soul's growth, yeah. If you will. And then I came to discover you guys at Cascade Hypnosis and got trained and I realized, oh my gosh, this is.
Drama therapy. This is, yeah. Close to drama therapy. As it was part of what I've always been imagining wow. Helping people through their stories and the characters of their stories and the. The journey, the hero's journey, basically along the backbone of [00:02:00] a story.
Yeah. Wow. Yeah. No, I didn't know that about you. That's fantastic. And we do a lot of storytelling in hypnosis, right? A lot of our clients are coming and telling us the same old story, and we want to give them a new ending or a Oh yes. New way of looking at their story. Exactly.
That's right. A new subplot, a new path to turn down, like yeah, a new way of being looking at it. Love it. I I think that's fantastic. So good job to your younger self coming up with such a good and cool idea. Thank you. So how long have you been a hypnotist, a professional hypnotist?
Is it four years? Four and a half years. Yeah. Wow. Yeah, that's great. I know. That's great. So what did you think about hypnosis before you became a hypnotist? That, we all have these ideas about what hypnosis really is, and I'm just curious, what did you, what ideas did you have about hypnosis before you became a hypnotist?
I, in, when I was 12, around that same time when I was deciding what to do, I actually was part of a stage hypnosis experience. I went up [00:03:00] okay on affair, yeah. And I just thought it was really powerful how. You can be so suggestible, you can get your mind into a state that you're just like, sure, I will do anything.
I've come to learn that there's definitely, people have their own boundaries of course, and obviously they don't do it if they don't really, if they really. Or against it, but like as long as it's fun and and interesting, you can take that trip. Like you can Yeah. Agree to go on that trip with someone.
And so I just found it really fascinating and the fact that I was so into it. Yeah, like in that stage show I was a hundred percent focused on whatever we were doing and I thought that is a powerful instrument. Yes, its allowing everybody to do that, so I was always fascinated. . So yeah. What was the question again?
Ah, yeah. What did you think about hypnosis beforehand? Oh, I didn't know you had a experience when you were younger. So I just thought it was this amazing instrument in your [00:04:00] mind. And then also when I was in college, I read a book called The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. Totally.
My life because again, I was harnessing that power. Yeah. By like planting suggestions, planting ideas and then watching them. Come to fruition and play out. I was like, wow, this really is something here. This really works. So beautiful. Yeah. Beautiful. Yeah. And we know that stage hypnosis works and it's actually hypnosis, but the intention normally is entertainment, right?
The intention isn't to really to alleviate suffering from the people in the crowd, but what I love about stage hypnosis is it opens people's eyes and minds and hearts to the possibility because if you can have that type of experience, Stage in front of all of these people. What else might you be able to do?
How about the powerful stuff that you might want to change in your life? That's a question . Yeah. Yeah. Good. So you've been a hypnotist for a little over four years. Has it changed for you? Like when you're a hypnotist at the [00:05:00] beginning and now you've been doing it for four years? Like how has that changed for.
I think I'm more flexible with it. Yep. The, I remember my very first couple clients like , I was just so stoked. Yeah. The way you know that. Five Path has this methodology, that can allow us to work with people right away and that, and get changes like empower people from your first client.
From your first client. And I love, yeah, I love that about Five Path too. It helps us be successful immediately because of the structure. And deeply, like really freeing people from old patterns, right? Like empowering people to create new, actions and powers and patterns in their life, what was that like? Your first couple clients, you're excited and they're getting results, right? Yeah, they're getting results. They're quitting smoking, they're getting along better with their spouse and it's What was it like? I just was so stoked and I still am, like, I still have that feeling of excitement when Yeah.
When clients get [00:06:00] results, yeah. And we can just make clients lives better. Yeah. It was so thrilling. It was that feeling of. Here. I'm here. This is what I, oh, I've already thrived . Yeah. Yeah. Good good. Yeah. I should have been doing, or, I don't say should, but I, everything I've done has been, I, Come together for a reason, but like I am at the place where I have really wanted to.
You should be. Yeah. Good. Yeah. I remember when I first started doing hypnosis, I thought, man, I wish I would've been doing this earlier. I found what I really wanna do, and geez, maybe I should have started out doing this right. And then I realized, That it's my life experience and all of the work that I did as a software engineer and in corporate AmErika, that really served me as a professional hypnotist.
Yeah, I wish I did it earlier, but at the same time, it wouldn't have been the same if I had, right? Yeah. Yeah. You're right. Yeah. . So who do you like to help? Who's maybe some of your favorite issues to resolve or maybe something that you really like to help. Oh, I like helping with and I, it's a reluctant [00:07:00] thing, but I do, I feel like I get a lot of progress with people who are, who have underlying resentment and anger issues.
Oh. Maybe wow. My own personal life, I don't know. But but yeah, like when I have people who are like, I. Be at a family party. Okay. And they work with me. And then this is my client's success story that I was thinking of too. Anyways. That, that and then they can't be at a family party and then they work with me for a while.
And then they find that they are at peace around these people, that they can handle their own thoughts and imaginings and feelings around it. Yeah. Wow, that's So now they can go to the family event that is Yeah, they can, yeah. It's huge. They can find, and they can find that sense of peace and cen inner centered spirit within themselves.
And anywhere. Beautiful. That stuff does, just doesn't I like to, the tail's not wagging the dog, anymore. [00:08:00] Oh yeah. Yeah. So what do you think's really happening with those folks that have that deep-seated anger and the work you do with, and what's really going on inside that's giving them that peace?
I think where the anger comes from is a sense of injustice. Okay. A sense of not being heard. Yeah. Either or being neglected or being yeah, maybe abused. And, breached somehow boundaries breached, but not knowing how to face it, handle that. Okay. And by working with me, it's just they're, they have.
Ability to find compassion for their own self. Oh. To hold that part of themselves that wasn't seen or that was abused and have compassion for that part. Beautiful. So your client in some sense is coming back and providing the resources or the needs that were missed in that first time around.
And [00:09:00] there's a lot of learning that comes from that. And so it's almost. We go back and we serve ourselves to some degree in our minds and resolve some of those issues. And as we resolve some of those issues, we get the insight, we get the compassion, we get the wisdom, knowing how we would do it differently in the future, removing our limiting beliefs, all of that stuff.
So Fantastic. That sounds amazing. Yeah. Opens up a different way to look at it. If you say, if you find compassion for your, the some hurts that you've, received and you have compassion, from me and from yourself, then you no longer have to blame. Like when you, it's like you can.
Not have to project all of this negativity onto the other people. So you're not sitting there judging, assigning blame or responsibility and constantly keeping track of who owes what to me and who did wrong to me. And keeping like this ongoing track of fairness and, respect or something in our lives.
[00:10:00] Factor, right? It's all inside. Like you take, you're taking care of it. Very good. Yeah. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. So h how about you? Do you live hypnotically? Do you incorporate hypnosis into your every day? Absolutely, Erika. I don't know what I ever did without it. Actually I do know, I had coping mechanisms.
Like I used to smoke. I used to binge eat. I do know what I used to do, , but now I live hypnotically. I just really love My hypnosis and I do it like at. three to five times a week usually. . And what do you actually do? Do you sit down formally and do like a self-hypnosis or can you walk us through what you actually do?
You know what, I like to, I think I like a lot of novelty, so , , I'll do different things like okay. Sometimes I will sit down and just close my eyes and just breathe deeply and try and connect to the spirit until I'm getting to this place where my body isn't like edgy or. . Just like stress [00:11:00] anymore.
Yeah. Still settled. And then I will do like mantra hypnosis like we do. Yeah. That hypnosis process where I'll say things and then listen and, have this nice experience. Nice. It's usually a dynamic experience too that I like to have. . Sometimes I will just, I will listen to music and.
Float, like in a hot tub. Ooh, Uhhuh. . Yeah. Until I get there. But it's not quite as dynamic or emotional. It's just more of a really physical, calm. Yeah. It sounds like you're really present, right? You're really present in the moment. You're not worrying about the future. You're not thinking about the past.
You're just really there. Yeah. That's beautiful, isn't it? Yeah. And then sometimes I actually like to walk because sometimes I just need my body to move. Yeah. And as as soon as my feet hit the ground, like I'm going for a walk, I just get into this meditative state, like I just feel really focused again on that center and I'm able to process thoughts and feelings and witnessing kind of [00:12:00] myself.
Beautiful. And you do that three to five days or three to five times a week? Oh, yeah. . Okay. And I know it's kinda like now it's a habit like exercise. I know if I don't do it, then I start feeling yeah, just on edge or whatever, yeah. I like to think about hypnosis as mental floss.
And most of us would agree that we like to brush our teeth every day, for sure. We don't like those fuzzy sweaters, and there's a reason for it. We don't like the way it feels right now. Not everybody flosses, but we know, I think we know we're supposed to. Yeah. And so hypnosis, when done regularly can be like mental floss.
We can just get all of the stuff out that we don't want there anymore. Yeah. And really come back to a place of clarity and peace and purpose. When it's done regularly. Yeah. Yeah. Good. What message do you have for your clients? Let's imagine your clients out there, potential clients are out there listening.
What would you like them to know about hypnosis or working with you? I would like them to know [00:13:00] that whatever it is they imagine for themselves and want for themselves is completely within their realm. Yeah. And let's get on it. . Let's get going. Let's get going. Yeah. Yeah. It is really fantastic I think for us to be using hypnosis and getting results for our clients because that's really what it's about.
It's not really about the hypnosis. Hypnosis is the mode and getting results for our clients is really where it's. And our clients do come to us for one thing. Often fear of driving, maybe tmj. I've had a recent client come in for TMJ and we end up working on all sorts of other things.
The TMJ was merely the presenting issue and the real issue was something much more painful underneath. It covers an emotional situation, right? Yeah, and that's exactly true too. Like I, cuz I said whatever you want. Cuz sometimes my clients and my clients that do really amazingly well, don't even really exactly know what they want.
[00:14:00] Like sometimes they'll be like, I wanna lose weight and then everything's gonna be fine. But then, They realize that yeah, once they start losing weight, there's more to it. , there's something else. There's this feeling of there's some feelings of unlovability and unworthiness that really need to get addressed and changed around.
Yeah. Do you find that's a big part of your work, shifting that, the belief on I'm not good enough, or I'm not lovable, or is that a core part of the work you do? Heck yes. Heck, that's what I find too. That's a big part of our work is, yeah, shifting that belief. There's nothing wrong with you.
this is the way that brain works, the brains work. Erika, I, that's what I really am drawn to you about and is just that you know this, you know how key it is that people understand that there is nothing wrong with them. And we do live in the society.
Not to go off too much on a political tangent, but the advertising kind of industry is all about telling us you're not okay. [00:15:00] Yep. You need to have this to be happy, whatever. Yeah. And we've, we're hypnotized by that. Very hypnotized. That's why we go by our mascara.
That's why we go, it's just because we're hypnotized by that industry. Yeah. And so then there's, but we all know there's so much more to life than that, and that the more you dig in and wade through all the, how those beliefs are affecting you Yeah. More you can actually find this place where you're just like, yeah I am okay.
I'm beautiful. I'm here and I exist. I'm present. , and I'm with you. And we, I can interact with you on this level. So much more meaningful really once you get rid of all that other sort of around. We get rid of, our clients get rid of that and then it's so much easier for them to not eat when they're not hungry.
And to not drink because they don't want to. Because a lot of our clients and us included, we have that coping strategy and it becomes a habit and we're mindless robots [00:16:00] to that coping strategy and with hypnosis. We get that pause, right? Yeah. We get that moment where we could say, oh, actually I, I actually do not want this bowl of chips.
I might think I do in this moment because it might taste good. I might get some dopamine, but I know, and this would be with really good hypnotic work. I know that ultimately, I will have guilty residue and feel bad about eating that. And so our clients are able to make a better decision in the moment and feel good about it.
So they could say no to the chips and feel good about saying no to the chips because they are empowered and they're living toward the life that they actually want to live. Yeah. They get that pause. Yeah, they get that pause. And that the pause is where everything is, right? It is. You don't get the knee-jerk reaction.
So when we can stay calm and stay associated to the smartest part of us, the prefrontal cortex get connected to our heart. , we make better decisions, and that's part of really good hypnosis. Our clients are practicing self-hypnosis and they're getting in alignment and [00:17:00] dropping into their heart and getting deeper answers all the time.
Because if you're always connected to, if you're like, let's say a robot, just for the sake of the metaphor, like if you're getting tapped into this other information and you're just doing your thing over and over some say like up to 80% of our actions are subconsciously Yeah.
You're just doing them. So if you're able to unplug from that and then plug into, what is at your. Yeah, to your your source, all of these things, you're going to have greater access to create new programs for yourself. Exactly, and you'll have more moments of joy and bliss and peace throughout your day because you won't be racing toward the next thing or looking toward the next thing.
You will have those moments of pure presence and joy that just drop in only when we're paying attention, right? So it's like you walk outside and maybe a rain had just stopped and maybe you just to your car, but on this day, because you did [00:18:00] hypnosis, you take it a little bit more slowly and you. The raindrops hanging off the leaf right in front of you, and as you get closer, you see the entire world reflected around you and you're like, oh my gosh, this raindrop, Hey, have you guys seen this raindrop?
And everybody's walking by this raindrop, right? But we have the ability to look at a raindrop and see the entire universe in that. Exactly. And then we get to help our clients have that same type of experience. So that is precisely, and I have had clients tell me that I had this one young man who was so sweet, such a sweet young man, he had so much on his plate with being a young father and trying to be a husband, trying to take care of all these people.
Also having these habit. Of marijuana and pornography and all these things, and he knew that it was clamping down his life. Anyways, we did some wonderful, beautiful work together where he really opened up and connected to his heart and [00:19:00] he became more free to be the man that he really wanted to be of integrity.
And he started, he got a, he. Accepted into the military and is doing all these great things. Wow. But also, he told me that, like he said, I'm noticing flowers. Like the intricacies. Oh man. And those little comments mean so much. No, don't overlook stuff like that. That's a whole new perspective he's sharing with you, isn't it?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Good for him. Congratulations to your client and to hypnosis and good job, Catherine. Yeah. So beautiful. Yeah. Good good. Is there anything else you'd like to share about hypnosis? Oh anything else I'd like to share about hypnosis? I just think it's a.
The it's an answer to our times. It's an answer to polarity polarization in our world. It You just blew my mind. Yeah. Seriously. Thank you. That is such a beautiful phrase. [00:20:00] Yeah. Good. Yeah. And it's it's a connector. It connects us to ourselves and then allows us, therefore to connect better.
Yeah. People. It's an answer to feeling not good. Yeah. And it's an answer to getting on track, right? And dealing with our fears. We all do. I'm sure you do and I do too. Like things where, you're just not in the habit of doing this thing. You wanna do this new thing, right? And just realizing that all you need to do is do it for Five minutes a day at to begin with maybe. And then you start getting this habit and you're like, okay, I can do it. . It's the consist the rule of consistency, right? It's not that you have to dive in and do it an hour every day. And a lot of people, when they start something new, they really go.
For it. And they and they dive in and they feel like they have to do it an hour a day or really intensely, and it's hard to keep up with that. Where we find in hypnosis is the consistency a little bit every day. A little bit every day. A little bit every day. Which is what, just what you're saying is much more effective for the brain.
Absolutely. Yeah. And having those se sessions of [00:21:00] hypnosis help us get, help us stay with that. Keep our focus on that, that's what we're at. Absolutely. Thank you so much, Catherine. How can people find you and get in contact with you to do hypnosis sessions with you? I contract through Cascaded Hypnosis Center and also I have my phone number, I have my website, Catherine went hypnotherapy.com. Catherine wit hypnotherapy.com. Okay. [email protected]. You've been lovingly working f with us for quite some time, and we really appreciate it. Catherine, you've helped so many people, so thank you.
Anything else you'd like to share? I don't think so, Erika. That's good. All right. Very good. For all of our listeners and fans out there, thank you so much for joining today and thank you, Catherine Whit, for being here and all of the love and heart that you have put into your practice starting from, and you are little and wanting the drama therapy.
How brilliant are we when we are little? That's just such a beautiful story. So thanks for all of the great work that you do, [00:22:00] Catherine. I'm Erika Flint. You can find [email protected], and I hope you have a wonderful day living Hypnotically. Bye for now. Bye. All right. Good job.
