new CHT in Tennessee

[mdcnman7]

I am trying to set up a practice in Nashville Tennessee and already have several individuals interested in sessions. Any recommendations on how to get set up?. im about to get into an office to keep healthy boundaries and to stay as professional as i can..also i also am Reiki III practitioner and would like suggestions on how to use both but keep them seperate as to avoid ethical dilemas..any suggestions are welcome here or mdcnman7@hotmail.com..thanks.
david

[Terry]

The answer to your problems seems simple enough to me. In order to keep both skills separate, you must rent two offices, put different names on the doors of each, and keep an adjoining door between them locked at all times......
You then advertise separately, again using different names, such as John Smith CHT, and William Smith, Reiki Master.........Purchase the services of a telephone answering company to screen your calls, listing two separate numbers, but one book to ensure that at no time are you booked for Reiki and for Hypnosis at the same time. See? Simple isn't it??????

[mdcnman7]

hey terry thanks for your input. i guess my question was a little too vague.. i would like to be able to incorporate hypnotherapy and reiki in a single practice. the cost for seperate offices and phone services as well as seperate advertising is really prohibitive. what i'm trying to figure out is how i can present reiki as an additional facet to my practice.. im thinking on the lines of your advice that when i book someone for reiki that i have the office space setup with my reiki table and chair and when doing the hypnotherapy , set up the room where the chairs and the couch are most prominent with my reiki table perhaps behind a screen..anyway. just talking about it keeps the mind working..thanks...david

[Don]

i would like to be able to incorporate hypnotherapy and reiki in a single practice. the cost for seperate offices and phone services as well as seperate advertising is really prohibitive. what i'm trying to figure out is how i can present reiki as an additional facet to my practice..david

The problem you are facing is in the very nature of the public's perception of hypnotherapy. Let me give you an example.

Recently, I was talking to a person who does Tarot counseling over the phone. He was getting some very negative responses from clients. The reason for this, it turned out, was that he was doing an invocation to an Angel named "Hru" before each reading.

You might think, "Hey, Tarot reading is freaky enough, so why should people object to some weird angel?" The answer is that many people who were his clients had broken through many personal taboos because they thought this was their last chance. The invocation added something new and weird and put up another barrier to their being open to his Tarot counseling.

Many people who come to hypnotherapists come there last, after other methodology have failed or appear to be too expensive. In some cases they have broken personal taboos to come to the hypnotherapist for help. That's one of the reasons hypnotherapists have to spend time explaining what hypnosis is and is not to clients.

Now, if you add Reiki to the picture, it can put up more barriers to those who have already broken through many barriers to see you.

So I think you have a set of possibilities:
1) offer both services and limit clients to those who are open to both
2) offer one and make known that the other is available when clients arrive
3) (My suggestion) Keep the same office, but have two phone numbers and two advertising and publicity campaigns, one for each. Then see hypnotherapy clients MWF and Reiki clients TTh.

I know you seek to combine the two, but you might consider leaving that for a future time when you have a more established reputation.

[mdcnman7]

hey don. thanks to you also. you were able to expand on what terry said and i see your point.. i think i will continue to work with my reiki clients but when it comes to hypnotherapy...even if its on my card i won't bring it up unless my clients ask about it. then as you mentioned..educate educate educate.. it took me many years not to be skeptical of reiki even as a practitioner. i don't want to shut down someone who has finally opened up to exploring greater mental health and growth through hypnotherapy..thanks again..also im sorry if my questions seems 1st grade.. but ya' gotta start somewhere right?:).. david

[Don]

One of the problems I see with hypnotherapists is the easy acceptance of any unique healing modality by some practitioners without any subjective or objective skepticism. This rubs off on all hypnotherapists.

I strongly support a skeptical attitude. I have to clarify this because some very vocal and visible people have equated skepticism with debunking. By debunking I mean attempting to disprove anything which does not fit into your paradigm, including going so far as promoting alternative (and possibly false) explanations of things which don't make them happy.

By skepticism I mean that I will neither believe nor disbelieve until proof is shown either way.

I have personally seen miracles with the use of acupuncture. I have personally taught acupressure and seen miraculous changes. I had problems for months with my neck until a friend used Reiki on it. I was skeptical of all these modalities until I saw, for myself, that they worked.

On the other hand, I have seen people claim that little pieces of colored plastic are good for a variety of purposes, although I have seen no evidence to support their claim. Worse, they call their expensive plastic "tachyons," which, in actuality, are theoretical particles which travel faster than the speed of light. I remain skeptical of the claims.

Unfortunately, many lay people see little difference between Reiki and plastic tachyons. So to include either in information about hypnotherapy can scare people away and brand you as a "flake" even if you have thoroughly investigated a particular healing modality and satisfied yourself that the modality produces results better than placebo.

On the other hand, some people--perhaps those most likely to look for hypnotherapy, I don't know--might be encouraged by seeing someone who has these alternate healing modalities as part of their practice.

I guess what I'm saying is that it is important to ask a question: Who do I want for clients? This means also thinking about the local environment. For example, a person in large urban areas such as New York City or the San Francisco Bay area are far more likely to have more clients interested in a variety of complementary healing modalities (because there is a greater population) than practitioners in smaller, more rural areas.

Of course, these are just some ideas and perhaps betray my own presuppositions. Follow your heart and create your market wherever you are. It may take a bit longer, but it can be done.

[sgault]

Contact me.

[Annie]

Don, in addressing " therapies, in general ", said : " I strongly support a skeptical attitude.

I not only second that, I'd go (in most situations) a step beyond that.


Don went on to say : " By skepticism I mean that I will neither believe nor disbelieve until proof is shown either way. "

so, if you knew of people with a Diagnosed " something~or~other " (for which they were Medically only offered symptom-Control, or condition-Management, or worse - given a Death-sentence ... but who fortunately encountered another person able to guide them Out/Beyond such challenges - and this process was Documented, then you will believe it is possible ?


Also, Don said : " I have personally seen miracles with the use of acupuncture. I have personally taught acupressure and seen miraculous changes."

Miraculous changes ?, you say . How do you propose " knowing " that just because there was/is a change for the Better, or a person's symptoms dis-appear : that that is, in fact, the end of that particular challenge ?
Maybe -
1. it was a matter of " What the mind expects, tends to be realized " ... so, it aquiesced or went along with it, for the time being ...
or
2. the type of treatment applied was painful, or destructive, or useless 'nuff, to drive that mind into (Re-mission : & we've covered that map here before in discussion), and has started running an even more devastating strategy : yes, that can turn into more desperate Diagnoses.
or
any host of other untoward possibilities, other than a " miraculous change " ?

How would you know how any mind responds ? : unless you converse with the person's Deep unconscious, and you're both assured the particular challenges being history, as evidenced in the person being/living like *new*


Next, Don said : " I had problems for months with my neck until a friend used Reiki on it. I was skeptical of all these modalities until I saw, for myself, that they worked. "

Did you share what specifically your challenge was, with your neck ?


Then, Don said : " Unfortunately, many lay people see little difference between Reiki and ... placebo."

When it comes to * Healing * of the sort some of us been discussing over the past 2 years, how do you differentiate between a "Lay-person", and a " NLP/hypnotherapist" ?

And placebos are extremely powerful, if you keep up with results in this regard.


and as well, Don asked : " Who do I want for clients? " -

How about students " motivated enough " to want to Learn * better, more fun & productive Games *; because they can, quickly and easily, especially those whole-heartedly involved in participating :)


Annie

[David]

well
1.) don, thanks again. giving me more to think about.. i have spoken with several therapists in my area and may present primarily as CHT. however i have many friends in the pagan community that are open to both so i plan to proceed with an open but therapy specific mind.....
2.)sgault i would love to contact you but you don't seem to be accepting email so let me know how we could talk.
3.) and lastly annie, i will reserve the time to go through your reply at greater depth but didn't quite see how your response related to my question..rather an attack on don.. forgive me if i am being obtuse but i say again i will study your reply....thanks to all... i hope to have an office space by june 1st

[Don]

Don, in addressing " therapies, in general ", said : " I strongly support a skeptical attitude.

Annie wrote: I not only second that, I'd go (in most situations) a step beyond that.


Don went on to say : " By skepticism I mean that I will neither believe nor disbelieve until proof is shown either way. "

Annie wrote: so, if you knew of people with a Diagnosed " something~or~other " (for which they were Medically only offered symptom-Control, or condition-Management, or worse - given a Death-sentence ... but who fortunately encountered another person able to guide them Out/Beyond such challenges - and this process was Documented, then you will believe it is possible ?

My reply:
Hi, Annie.

I would respectfully suggest that you're making some assumptions, here, based on things I did not say or mean to imply. Also, you are giving a combination specific (i.e., a specific case) and asking for a generalization based on that single specific case.

So in answer to your question: if I saw one specific case where a person was helped with an alternative medical therapy, I would certainly believe that it may have caused the change in that one person.

The thing is, in a healing practice, I believe we need both a technology and a theory to explain why that technology works. Hypnotherapy, Reiki, acupuncture, acupressure, etc., have technologies, theories, and are repeatable. One instance does not describe why it worked (if, indeed, the alternative therapy was the cause of the change), nor does it imply that the same treatment will work on others.





Also, Don said : " I have personally seen miracles with the use of acupuncture. I have personally taught acupressure and seen miraculous changes."

Annie wrote: Miraculous changes ?, you say . How do you propose " knowing " that just because there was/is a change for the Better, or a person's symptoms dis-appear : that that is, in fact, the end of that particular challenge ?



I replied: Why do you assume that I think that the challenge has ended? I said nothing of the kind. However, I see nothing negative in have successes along the way. Indeed, each success tends to advance the possibility of more success in the future.

Note, too, that I did not say I saw a change. Rather, I used the term "changes." I saw many people have positive changes in a variety of different situations. Repetition of practices that cause changes, and a theory to explain who actions result in desired changes tend to give validity to the cause/effect dynamic.





Annie wrote: Maybe -
1. it was a matter of " What the mind expects, tends to be realized " ... so, it aquiesced or went along with it, for the time being ...
or


I replied: Execept that people have received treatments without knowing what to expect and received help. Animals have received acupuncture and reduced symptoms. Are you suggesting that in some way their minds expected to receive some sort of healing? I can't quite buy that.




Annie wrote: 2. the type of treatment applied was painful, or destructive, or useless 'nuff, to drive that mind into (Re-mission : & we've covered that map here before in discussion), and has started running an even more devastating strategy : yes, that can turn into more desperate Diagnoses.
or


I replied: Except that many of the healing modalities I've seen that have helped people have caused no pain whatsoever.



Annie wrote: any host of other untoward possibilities, other than a " miraculous change"?


I replied: I note that you've now changed it to the singular "change." I said "changes." If had observed change once or twice I think you'd certainly be correct. But it wasn't just once or twice. It was dozens and dozens of times.





Annie wrote: How would you know how any mind responds ? : unless you converse with the person's Deep unconscious, and you're both assured the particular challenges being history, as evidenced in the person being/living like *new*


I replied: If a person is in extreme pain, they often don't care about the challenges they face, they just want the pain to end. If the cause of a problem is clear, the want the challenge confronted and overcome. Believe it or not, sometimes you really don't need to contact a person's Deep unconscious to make powerful and miraculous changes in people's lives.




Next, Don said : " I had problems for months with my neck until a friend used Reiki on it. I was skeptical of all these modalities until I saw, for myself, that they worked. "

Annie asked: Did you share what specifically your challenge was, with your neck ?


I replied: No. I did not.




Then, Don said : " Unfortunately, many lay people see little difference between Reiki and ... placebo."

Annie wrote: When it comes to * Healing * of the sort some of us been discussing over the past 2 years, how do you differentiate between a "Lay-person", and a " NLP/hypnotherapist" ?


I replied: A lay person is not an NLP practitioner or hypnotherapist. Merely because someone knows a little NLP does not make them a master practitioner. Merely because someone read a book on hypnosis or took a weekend course does not make them a hypnotherapist.


Annie wrote: And placebos are extremely powerful, if you keep up with results in this regard.


I replied: I never said they weren't. Why did you assume I did. Placebos are wonderful. If a person is helped with a placebo, that is great. But if a placebo will help 30% of people with a particular condition and some other therapy will help 75%, I'd rather use the other therapy rather than placebo.


and as well, Don asked : " Who do I want for clients? " -

Annie wrote: How about students " motivated enough " to want to Learn * better, more fun & productive Games *; because they can, quickly and easily, especially those whole-heartedly involved in participating :)

Annie[/QUOTE]


I replied: If that's who you want for clients, that's who you should appeal to. How do you advertise to obtain such clients?

[David]

just dropping a line....it looks as though i am very fortunate.. my niece is a yoga instructor that has had an opening in her building for an office..it is a more "metaphysical, like-minded" space and i am going to set up my reiki there for just a small percentage of my intake.. and then a friend who is a chiropractor is going to let me do work out of his office in the business district for Hypnotherapy..thanks for all your input.. i will keep you guys in my bookmark to reference....david

[Unregistered]

As a "lay person" I have tried several alternate healings methods, including
hypnosis. The only time I have rejected a suggestion by a well-meaning
practitioner was when it was suggested that I try EMDR. Even then I tried
a "trial" session with the therapist and spent the next twelve hours with a
horrible headache.

Some of these things work for some people, others seem to work for others.
Many of these "new" alternatives seem to me to be a spin on the -what was
the name of that therapy?- where you relive it until it loses its emotional
charge? One thing they seem to have in common is technique - techniques
that help you focus and relax.

On the other hand, by the time we are adults in our society, we have been
brainwashed into thinking the answers to our problems lie in a pill. We have not caught up with the parts of our world that believe in the body-mind connection and its ability to heal self.

I think education is the key. Already, there are many more people looking for solutions besides the chemical ones.

[David]

thank you for your honest opinion..i agree.. i feel that many people are exploring alternate solutions to over prescribed or otc medication. i only hope i am able to facilitate the healing process in a compassionate and professional manner. i am also not under the illusion that my profession is a "cure-all" either but another tool for personal growth...yuck..i sound like a comercial for new age "r" us hahha..oh well we are what we seem...peace.