Career Helping Others:
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I was an actor living in Westwood. Work had come to a stop due to the Screen Actors Guild strike. I was at a coffee shop, when I picked up a UCLA newspaper and saw an ad for a free hypnotherapy class, no strings attached. I always had a curiosity about hypnosis. I figured why not? The class took place in Tarzana, CA at HMI, the Hypnosis Motivation Institute.
The teacher immediately dispelled all the misconceptions we have about hypnosis. He explained what hypnosis is and is not. For me hypnotherapy seemed very logical. Changing our behavior was surely the best way to improve our lives. We were taught something called Theory of Mind. This actually did blow my mind. It explained my life and all my actions, both positive and negative. It showed how we all reinforce our behavior everyday, and that’s why it is so difficult to break bad habits or to create good ones. Once again, so logical! When the evening ended, there was no pressure to purchase or sign up for anything. But I did want more. I did need another money stream, and some skills to make money. The actor’s strike taught me that. And here was a way to do that in a career that I believed in and could help others. I was always good at helping my friends with their problems. I was a good listener. I signed up for the entire year course. This included an internship afterwards and you could see your own clients right there at the school. HMI is a very open and nurturing community.
After I graduated HMI, I began seeing my own clients. The one thing I truly value about HMI is that you’re never on your own in the sense that if you need any support, have any questions, they are always there whether in person or through tapes, ongoing seminars, or the website.
I found my niche in helping people quit smoking charging them $100.00 per hour. I quit long before so I knew what my clients would expect to experience when becoming “permanent non-smokers”. I have helped hundreds of people become healthier. It is a great feeling knowing that I had something to do with people living better and longer lives. I have helped others with weight loss, confidence and other issues. My proudest moment was when I helped a client with her fear of needles. I wasn’t as confident with that issue and after two sessions, when she told me the fear no longer existed, I was one happy man.
As a creative person, hypnotherapy does provide an outlet. You have to think on your feet, write scripts, and speak with compassion and authority.
Whether as a business that you can make your own hours or the true gratification of making a difference, HMI was a great choice. I emphasize HMI because the staff, program and family feeling are what separates it from all other hypnotherapy related courses. If you are in the Los Angeles area surely it’s ideal you come to the campus. However the online / long distance program is so robust, I have had the pleasure of meeting many graduates of that program and they are thriving just as well!
PS: After all the info I learned during the program, I literally never run out of things to discuss at parties 😉
Howard Weiner, C.Ht.
