Does hypnosis work for problems such as weight loss, quitting smoking, etc.?

Hypnosis is Considered a Natural Remedy

Hypnotherapy is considered a natural remedy for many issues. Everyone has experienced hypnosis, in fact it is a natural state which we all drift in and out of several times a day. If you ever drive home from work and don’t remember the drive, you were likely in the “Alpha” brain wave state which is a mild state of hypnosis. It is the way our brain takes a break. If you have ever watched a movie and cried, laughed, or felt scared, you were in a state of hypnosis. We know intellectually that movies aren’t real, yet if we can be emotionally affected by them, we are in a state of hypnosis.

Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not being asleep.

The brainwave activity experienced during hypnosis is “Alpha”. The alpha state is described as awake, but relaxed. We all experience this state when we first wake up in the morning and just before falling asleep and it happens several times a day naturally. Alpha is considered a hypnotic state.

When a person closes their eyes, their brain automatically starts producing more alpha waves. There is typically a reduction in stress and physical pain when one enters this state. The next level before going to sleep, is the brain wave state called “Theta”. Theta is a bit deeper hypnotic state than alpha.

Often times people think of hypnosis as being asleep. This might be because the definition of the Greek word “hypnos” does in fact mean “sleep”. For the purposes of hypnotherapy you can think of hypnosis as the earliest stages of sleep when you are conscious but extremely relaxed with your senses still alert.

How does hypnosis work?

The reason that the hypnotic state works for helping a person to change thoughts or behaviors is because between the conscious (intellect) and the subconscious mind is a filter. The filter is important because it helps a person to judge and evaluate all of the information coming in on a daily basis. When a person is in the “Alpha or Theta” brain wave state or hypnotic state, that filter is weakened to gain access to the subconscious mind.

In that state, the therapist can introduce new information or suggestion to a person’s subconscious mind to help make changes that would otherwise be stopped and evaluated in the same way they have been before which may be keeping a person stuck in a thought or behavior pattern which is not helping them.

A good example of the power of the subconscious mind keeping someone stuck in a pattern would be the habit of smoking. Quit smoking with hypnosis is extremely effective because a person knows intellectually all of the reasons to quit smoking, yet their subconscious mind can keep them stuck in the habit because the subconscious operates on the principle of “known” and “unknown”. Known behaviors (like smoking for many years) are considered pleasurable by the subconscious mind and unknown behaviors (like quitting smoking), are considered painful by the subconscious mind.

When a person is told by their doctor that they need to quit smoking for all of the usual health reasons, their intellect (conscious mind) can easily agree. However, the filter is in place and when the doctor’s suggestions to quit smoking hit the filter, they become diluted and by the time they reach the subconscious mind, they are very weak and the subconscious mind wants to avoid the pain of the unknown (quitting smoking).

Hypnotherapy creates synchronicity between the conscious and subconscious mind by getting past the filter and putting the best stop smoking suggestions directly into the subconscious mind. Quitting smoking is just one example of how this works.

It is perfectly normal to not have conscious memory of what was said by the therapist because your powerful subconscious mind records everything coming into your five senses all day everyday during your waking hours. The subconscious records the therapists suggestions and soon the person will begin to notice changes in thinking and behavior. Hypnotherapy is not for the conscious mind, that is what we use counseling and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Talk Therapy) for.

In fact while in the hypnotic state a person will experience their conscious mind wandering, thinking about things like, “I wonder if I’m really hypnotized?” or “I need to stop at the grocery store on my way home from here.”  Meanwhile, your subconscious mind is recording all of the therapists suggestions. Your conscious mind will bounce back and forth from listening to the words of the therapist to thinking entirely unrelated thoughts. This is normal and unavoidable. It is actually optimal because every time one comes back to the voice of the therapist, they go a bit deeper into the hypnotic state.

What Does Hypnosis and Hypnotism Feel Like?

Hypnosis usually involves the person experiencing a sense of deep relaxation with their attention narrowed and focused on suggestions given by the therapist, which are related to the clients’ condition whether that is a behavior they would like to eliminate, or a quality they would like to improve on. A hypnotherapist will often have the client use their imagination and visualization techniques to help them see the changes they want to make.

Some people they feel weightless, other people feel heavy, as if they don’t want to move their arms or legs. Typically people come out of hypnosis feeling very relaxed and rested almost as if they have just awoken from a nap, even though they were not sleeping.

Hypnosis is Ultimately Self-Hypnosis

It is generally accepted that all hypnosis is ultimately self-hypnosis. A hypnotherapist merely helps to facilitate your experience.

Hypnotherapy is not about being made to do things, in fact it is the opposite, it is about empowerment. The suggestions given by the therapist helps people make positive changes within themselves because it is a change that they really want.

The Hypnosis Alpha or Theta State

When a person enters the alpha or theta state, the therapist is able to suggest ideas, concepts and even help a person to visualize their goals. At that time, the subconscious mind is allowing seeds to be planted to then create the changes in reality. The changes occur in subtle ways but it is basically a way for your subconscious mind and your intellect to come into alignment. What is happening in hypnosis is that the analytical left side of the brain is turned off, while the non-analytical right side is much more alert.

This is the part of the mind which has to change in order for a behavior or habit to change.

The subconscious mind files and stores all of our life experiences both positive and negative. A kind of reprogramming of the subconscious (hypnotherapy) is sometimes required for people to make certain changes in behaviors which have been deeply rooted.

Hypnosis is considered a natural remedy for anxiety because the hypnotist is able to use relaxation techniques to help a person achieve a drug-free sense of peace and tranquility. One can also be taught self-hypnosis techniques giving them the ability to become relaxed anytime they wish to.

It’s important to note that a person cannot be “programmed” or made to do anything they would not ordinarily do, or behave in a way which is against their morals and beliefs. A person cannot get stuck in a state of hypnosis and remains fully aware of their surroundings. They are able to return to full consciousness or the “Beta” brainwave state at any time.

The Most Powerful Part of Your Brain Is the Subconscious

As a hypnotherapist, we help clients understand that the most powerful part of your brain is the subconscious. This part is 90% in charge. The other 10%, the intellect is quite weak in comparison.

The intellect knows what is good for us and what we “should” be doing in changing our habits such as for the New Year’s resolution for losing weight or quitting smoking. Our intellect would never have had us start smoking creating a habit which could kill us. Our intellect knows that we need to eat healthy food and exercise to maintain an appropriate weight and good health.

So why does our subconscious seem to fight these very logical, reasonable thoughts and ideas? It is simply because the subconscious runs on patterns, and another word for pattern is habit.

We get used to a way of being and our subconscious mind is very comfortable staying there. It’s primary job is to maintain homeostasis. The subconscious mind does not differentiate good or bad, healthy or unhealthy. The subconscious mind is operating from a position of “known” and “unknown”. In this way, it associates pleasure with “known” patterns and habits, (even dangerous and unhealthy habits) and pain with the “unknown” or change.

The good news is that using hypnotherapy is the fastest and most efficient way to communicate with the subconscious mind.

Patterns and habits can be changed because your subconscious mind runs on patterns, in other words it likes patterns. If you need help changing some patterns or habits, which we all do at one time or another, hypnosis could be the answer for you!

The Approach is holistic, integrative in nature. The practitioners at Wellbeing Center inspire, educate and empower their patients and/or clients to build a strong foundation of health. As a team, we teach you to choose dietary and lifestyle habits that promote optimal health while using state of the art therapies that are safe and effective. Together, your family and our team will begin a journey to find and correct the underlying cause of dis-ease or dis-order. Additionally, as holistic medical practitioners, we recognize that physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of imbalance must be addressed in order to restore optimal health.

The center is truly integrative in that our US-trained and board-certified physicians and specialists also had advanced training in Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Working together, we apply our patient-centered approach to develop individualized treatment plans to meet each patient’s needs. Please refer to "services" section. 

During the first appointment, the health care provider will go through a comprehensive assessment with the client. It includes elements of a traditional bio-psycho-social assessment. It's advised to bring most recent blood test results and list of medications/supplements you're taking.

This first session lasts between 80 to 90 minutes and allows for the patient and clinician to set goals for treatment.

Subsequent sessions are usually 90 to 120 minutes.

During all sessions, the clinician will best address the patient’s specific needs, allowing for greater flexibility between the different therapies and treatments as we progress.

Our practitioners employ the best of both conventional and holistic approaches to care. We are dedicated to finding the right mix of these options that makes the most sense for you. Beyond that, we have created a model of collaborative care that offers you a true working partnership with your provider. We do not offer a standard treatment style or approach. Rather, we listen deeply to your goals and create a personalized health care plan for you. At this point, we are the only clinic in the Middle East offering this blend of professionals, services and multidisciplinary collaboration.

No, every person interested in his wellbeing and in enhancing his or her quality of life and health in general visits us. Our motto is "Health is not merely the absence of illness".

Psychotherapy or counseling is a process focused on helping you learn more constructive ways to deal with the problems or issues that everyone faces.

It can also be a supportive process when going through a difficult period or under increased stress, such as starting a new career or going through a divorce.

Generally psychotherapy is recommended whenever a person needs advice when it comes to relationships or work issues or a specific concern, and these issues are causing the individual a great deal of pain or anger for longer than a few days.

There are exceptions to this general rule, but for the most part, there is no harm in going into therapy even if you're not entirely certain you would benefit from it.

Millions of people visit a psychotherapist every year, and most research shows that people who do so benefit from the interaction.

Typically, most people see their therapist once a week for 50 minutes for general counseling.

In general, the type and the number of sessions is tailored to meet the personal needs of every client.

After the assessment and evaluation process is completed, this is usually decided upon by both the specialist and the client according to the diagnosis or diagnoses and needed lifestyle modifications on mind, body, soul levels.

In therapy, the average amount of sessions is four to ten sessions.

Sometimes, people will find what they were looking for after only one session.

Others may complete the work in the treatment stage; but keep on visiting once, or twice a month for supportive therapy or maintenance to prevent relapse or to stay on the right path.

Follow-up sessions are extremely important to safeguard changes and for prevention purposes.

People's healing processes are individualized.  However, most people do experience healing and changes fast; some as soon as the first session.

Many people report that Past Life Regression Therapy has brought about deeper insights and changes faster than more traditional approaches; like Talk therapy or CBT.

People who complete the work often find that they have deeply healed issues which had plagued them for a long time.

Entering a hypnotic state is easier for some people than others.  However, only a small percentage of people cannot be hypnotized.  These individuals include people with psychosis, on certain medications, or with limited intelligence.

Most people are able to reach a hypnotic state, with the important factor being their willingness to cooperate with the process and create change in themselves.

As soon as the session is over; most people say "I feel like staying", or "I feel like continuing into a deep sleep", They report that they experience a state of deep, deep relaxation and even rejuvenation. "I feel as if I slept for 10 hours" and that's in fact supported by research findings. During and lasting around 10 minutes after the session, some people report tingling, numbness sensations in extremities (hands, legs), others report some heaviness in the head or lightheadedness. usually goes away within a few minutes before they leave the clinic.

During the session clients are interacting with the therapist and, although they are in an altered state, they are alert and aware.

Most people remain fully aware of everything they said and experienced and even the sounds coming from outside the clinic.

They can even open their eyes, go to the toilet, then close them again... They are always in control too.

Past Life Regression Therapy is becoming a highly sought after therapeutic modality!

It provides you with quick access to all of your history, including traumas and lessons from past lives.  This access allows for deep healing typically in just a few sessions.

Often, this quality of healing can take several years in traditional psychotherapy or other forms of treatment.

A belief in reincarnation is not required for Past Life Regression Therapy to be successful.

Whether you believe what you explored was a past life, your imagination, fantasy, or the collective unconscious, you can use the information you access to heal and incorporate the benefits of Past Life Regression Therapy.  Even skeptical clients have reaped the benefits of Past Life Regression Therapy.

The images explored during a Past Life Regression session are legitimate expressions of your subconscious, or inner being, and can greatly increase the quality of your life.

When you die, your soul can carry with it promises, unexpressed emotions, beliefs, attitudes, ailments, unresolved issues, or attachments, which can be brought into this lifetime to be worked through.

By exploring these issues in a past life, you can integrate this understanding into your current lifetime and resolve destructive patterns, emotional/physical ailments, and much more.

People are different in the way they experience their past lives.  Some relive the life fully using a variety of their senses, while others only relive it through one or two senses.

Some see "snapshots" of images and others don't see anything but instead "feel" the experience.  The way you experience your past lives does not necessarily impact your ability to heal.

It is important to note that you are safe, protected at all times - you are an observer, as if you are watching a movie on a screen -- after all this is how healing and making lessons take place, when one is detached and can see the whole, big picture.

If you need to change an appointment please call our front office and they will assist you.

If you have a last-minute change, we do require one full business day (24 hours) notice to cancel or reschedule.

If we do not receive notice within 24 hours of your appointment there may be a fee assessed, except in case of emergencies.

The Medical Director designed the center to create a number of cost effective treatment options for you. All in all, we understand how difficult times are and we are very willing to create a plan that works for you. 

Special packages are available for school and university students and the clients who need more than 6-12 sessions.  

Scholarships are also offered for clients in need. Ask about this on the front desk. 

Yes! Because of our unique approach at Wellbeing Center, we have many clients from outside Lebanon. Also, alot of our Lebanese clients travel frequently. Preferably, initial consultations are done in person and follow up consultations can be done over the phone or Skype. We will assess your unique needs and manage accordingly.

Clients who arrive 15 minutes after their scheduled appointment time are considered late. If it is their first time, the health care provider will determine whether the patient can still be seen. If so, their treatment may be abbreviated. After their first time, the client will be advised to reschedule for another appointment time.

Parking services are available in the Specialty Clinics Center. When you arrive, the concierge will greet you – Our FREE parking is on B2 Level. There is also street meter parking around the clinic site.

Yes, Ofcourse. You can refer clients to us so they can benefit from our services.

In the short term, donations/funds are used to offer scholarships to needy children and young adults (up to 25 years old) for treatment at Wellbeing Center.

In the long-term, we have a vision of a medical, healing resort that would serve as a healing, restorative gateway from the city. Also, very suitable for clients with chronic conditions of any type.

We very much appreciate any support that you can offer.

Insurance plans vary in the services covered. We will make every effort to bill insurance; however, clients will be responsible for services their insurance does not cover.

All our sessions are confidential. We sign a confidentiality agreement.

Sometimes there is a need for utmost confidentiality. Many of our clients are extremely well-known; politicians, media, TV celebrities, and entertainment professionals. Hence, a second identity may be required and some may wish to be treated incognito; not to be recognized by any other person.

At Wellbeing Center, we pride ourselves in providing those personalized and confidential consultations for many years.

If the need arises, just contact Myrna Saadeh directly by using the word “Private”. This will bypass the whole administration system. 

The website is very informative in nature. If more info is needed, you are advised to visit the "Contact Us" tab, send your question, or e-mail us directly: info@wellbeingcenter.co.

Furthermore, several of our practitioners provide a 10 to 15 minute phone or clinic consultation at no cost to you to discuss your concerns and our approach.