Resources

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ORIGINAL POST: Here is a list of reference books, websites and videos that I sometimes recommend to my clients based on their needs. Most of these resources are available in electronic format, such as videos or eBooks. The books are available at the public library.

I will continue to add to this list as I find additional resources worth recommending.

Nutrition

Many clients want to improve their nutrition to address medical issues, eliminate/avoid inflammation, manage weight or just live a healthier lifestyle. Here are resources I have found helpful for different clients. I do not endorse any specific food plan over another, such as paleo vs. vegan. Each  person needs to find the best food plan for their individual health and life goals. Always check with you doctor before making significant changes to your food plan.

• Sugar Coated Documentary: film on Netflix or Vimeo. This film will make you rethink the roles of fat and sugar in a healthy diet. http://sugarcoateddoc.com/about-the-film/
• Minding Your Mitochondria TedX Talk by Dr. Terry Wahls available on You Tube. She covers the importance of good nutrition to preventing and improving the symptoms of illnesses, including autoimmune diseases. Her book, The Wahls Protocol is also available in audio version. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc
• Nutritionfacts.org, Dr. Michael Gregor’s website is full of evidence based nutrition information. His book, How Not to Die, is interesting, too. https://nutritionfacts.org/
• Grain Brain, the book for people who need to eat gluten free by Dr. David Perlmutter is available in audio format, too. His website has a wealth of nutrition information. https://www.drperlmutter.com/
• Wheat Belly is another book for people who need to eat gluten free, written by Dr. William Davis. His blog site has several informative posts. https://www.wheatbellyblog.com/
• Both the movie, Forks over Knives, available on Amazon and You Tube, and the website, provide information useful for people considering a plant based diet. https://www.forksoverknives.com/
• Kristina Carrillo-Bucarim has a cookbook and series of cheerful videos on raw vegan recipes. Many of her recipes even fit in nicely with other food plans. https://m.youtube.com/user/FullyRawKristina

Wellness and Pain Reduction

Many clients use hypnotism to support their medical care to improve wellness, or manage the symptoms of illness, injuries, pain or other physical problems.

• The book You are the Placebo, by Dr, Joe Dispenza, highlights your role in healing. There are some free online resources on his website. https://drjoedispenza.com/
• Louise Hay’s book, Heal Your Body is one of her classics. Her website offers many positive resources. https://www.louisehay.com/

Life and Spirituality

In a hypnotism session, I work directly with the client’s subconscious mind, which is why hypnotism is so effective at addressing general life issues and spirituality questions. Here are resources that I recommend to clients for a variety of topics.

• The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle’s book on mindfulness and the importance of living in the moment is helpful for people dealing with stress and problems. His website includes additional resources. https://www.eckharttolle.com/
• I recommend The Brain, by Dr. David Eagleman, for clients working on issues related to their worldview. When we change our mind, our perception changes along with our reality. His videos are online at PBS. https://www.pbs.org/show/brain-david-eagleman/ Read more about Dr. Eagleman on his website. https://www.eagleman.com/
• For clients who are terribly stressed out from listening, and believing, all of the over-reactive reporting in the news media, I recommend the book The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley. He has some interesting blog articles, too. http://www.rationaloptimist.com/blog/
• For scientific minded clients going through a spiritual struggle, I recommend The God Theory, written by Bernard Haisch. Here is the link to his webpage. http://www.thegodtheory.com/ He has a number of videos on You Tube.
• The Magic Path of Intuition is a sweet little book by Florence Scovel Shinn that encourages people to trust their own intuition.
• For pragmatic clients learning to trust their intuition, I recommend Gavin de Becker’s book The Gift of Fear. He also has You Tube Videos available on a variety of related topics.
• Another classic Louise Hay book is You Can Heal Your Life. Her website offers many positive resources. https://www.louisehay.com/

What is your favorite book or video that has helped you overcome hurdles in life or make significant changes? Leave a comment and share it with us.

For more information on how hypnotism can help with all of the life changes mentioned in this article, check out some of my other blog postings and look at my Soothe Hypnosis website https://soothehypnosis.com/

Therapy Dogs

Here are two important team members at Soothe Hypnosis, Miya (on the left) and Kuai. They trained as therapy dogs working with Faithful Paws and enjoyed visiting residents at local nursing homes. When my elderly mother moved in with us, they turned their skills to helping her.

Kuai is especially sensitive and could tell when my mother was getting too tired. She would lead my mom to her bedroom to go to sleep. Interacting with the dogs, feeding them and taking them outside during the day got my mother up and about. It is easy for seniors to avoid moving because of the pain and stiffness from arthritis and other medical problems. Taking care of a pet helps them to overcome the pain and move their body, which helps them to maintain a greater degree of independence.

Kuai and Miya help at Soothe Hypnosis by bringing their soothing energy to the job each day. They snuggle with visitors who are dealing with high stress or extreme worry. Their calming energy helps these clients to settle down before a session so that the hypnotism work we do is more effective. They do not stay for the session, though. As Chinese Crested Powder Puffs, they are hypoallergenic dogs, so they can work with clients who have allergies.

Here are the differences between Service, Therapy, Companion, Rescue, and Working Dogs:

• Service Dogs are trained to perform a service for someone with a disability. They may pull a wheelchair, turn on lights, open doors, or alert their human prior to a seizure or insulin reaction.
• Therapy Dogs are trained to bring comfort to people other than their handler, such as in hospitals, nursing homes and special education settings.
• Emotional Support Dogs provide a comforting presence for their owner, who experiences mental illness or psychological distress.
• Rescue dogs are the heroes that we see on television after disasters. They are trained to find lost people or those trapped under rubble after disasters.
• Working Dogs have a job, such as rounding up cattle on a ranch or guarding a flock of sheep from predators. They contribute to the economic prosperity of the family.
• Companion Animals are pets. Studies have shown that having a pet dog is good for humans. They help to reduce blood pressure, have an overall calming effect and even get us out and moving, because dogs need to be walked.

If you don’t have a pet, and are feeling stressed, visit a friend or neighbor and borrow their dog for awhile. Both you and the dog will enjoy some cuddle time, going for a walk or just playing ball. 

Dogs have an innate ability to pick up on emotions and emotional changes in their humans. This may be because humans and dogs have a long history together. They were the first animal to be domesticated, between 12 – 15 thousand years ago. 

If you are thinking about getting a dog, do your research! Different breeds have different traits. Some will love to go running with you every morning, while others are happier with a short walk and a snuggle on the sofa. Just like with people relationships, the human/dog relationship is best when both personalities are a good fit. Dogs, like people, have their own personality. (Both of our dogs are Chinese Cresteds and share some similar traits, yet Kuai is very shy and introverted while Mia has never met a stranger.) The key to a successful relationship is to get a dog that is well suited to your lifestyle and personality.

Check with local rescues; they can help look for a dog that matches your lifestyle. Maybe consider fostering a shelter dog first, if having a dog is new to you. Getting a dog is a long-term commitment of both your attention and your money. You can’t just get a puppy and expect it to grow up into a well-behaved adult with only minimal contact outside in the yard during feeding time.

Having a dog in your life can be very rewarding, if you approach it right.

Remember, Change can be Soothing.