Kimberly Warhurst C.Ht., a certified hypnotherapist in Shreveport, strives to help others cope with undesired behaviors and better manage anxiety, pain, and more.
I recently visited and experienced my first hypnotherapy session. I have to admit as I walked into her office with light blue walls, soothing music, and slow, mesmerizing lights I was a little nervous. I knew absolutely nothing about hypnotherapy. I quickly learned I had nothing to worry about. It’s actually a very natural thing. We do it many times a day. When we zone out or day dream, we’re actually in a light hypnotic state.
It isn’t anything like you see in the movies. There’s no dangling object that swings back and forth like a pendulum. You’re not going to slump over in your chair at the snap of a finger or start hopping around her office on one leg.
Instead, she uses verbal cues and repetition to put you into a relaxed state of mind, making you more open to suggestion. It’s through this process that she helps you work through your behaviors.
Kimberly is a certified hypnotherapist and has certifications in smoking cessation, weight loss, pain management, motivation, ADD/ADHD, exam anxiety, public speaking, fears/phobias, trauma/PTSD, sports performance, tinnitus, and more.
Her career path began as a journey of self reflection. She had spent years following the hobbies and interests of her children and husband until one day she realized she didn’t even know what she liked to do. As she reflected, she also began to research more holistic approaches to healthcare.
“There had to be something more than just taking vitamins and pills every morning,” she told me.
It was through this research that she came upon hypnotherapy and realized it gave her the opportunity to help others. That was her true passion: helping others. Hundreds of hours of training and multiple certifications later, she has obtained that dream.
My first visit, as with all her clients, served as an introduction to hypnotherapy. She explains the process, what she does, what she doesn’t do, and answers any questions you may have. She learns about you and your needs and puts her training to work by creating a custom script and session that fits exactly what you need.
You then lean back in a chair in her office and close your eyes as she walks you through multiple verbal cues and mental imagery.
She has one of the most soothing voices and her genuine desire to help others gives you an instant peace, allowing you to relax and her guide you through the process.
After you’ve achieved your desired behavior you are then discharged. That’s her ultimate goal. While the length varies from person to person and your specific needs, you’ll eventually reach a point where you’ve achieved what you desire.
When she snapped her fingers and asked me to open my eyes at the end of the session, she asked, “how did it feel?”
I looked at her awkwardly for a moment as I took in the strange feeling my body had achieved. I was completely relaxed. It felt as if the chair and I were almost one, almost like I had just received a deep tissue massage, yet no one had touched me. It was a little surreal.
I look forward to visiting again soon and continuing to work through and find better ways to manage my stress and anxiety. As a former cancer survivor, the anxiety of a recurrence is a very real thing. With multiple jobs and staying busy in the community, stress often builds up as well. I felt neither of those as I walked out her door.
That’s not to say our work is done or I was “cured” in one visit. I wasn’t. But in time I will grow in my ability to manage these things and eventually I will be in a much better place to handle them without her gentle assistance.
You can learn more about Warhursts’ services by visiting her Facebook. If you are interested in booking a session or learning more you can give her a call at (318) 218-1891 or send an email to kimberlywarhursthypnotherapy@gmail.com.