Going under, getting better

Hypno-psychotherapist swears hypnosis will
cure most problems quickly but not cheaply

by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Dr. Bryan Knight

Age: 70

Occupation: Hypno-psychotherapist/author

Bio: This erudite West Island cat has been getting people’s heads straight through his psychotherapy practice for the past 42 years now, only adopting hypnosis as a treatment in the late ’80s after one of his colleagues suggested he learn it because patients were “always looking for a quick fix.” Realizing that hypnotherapy would set him apart from the packs of hungry therapists out there all competing for the same business, Bryan soon found himself enormously impressed with the therapy upon recognizing just how quickly his patients were benefitting from it. He’s since written countless books and articles on the subject, justifying his rep as “Canada’s foremost hypno-psychotherapist.”

A few issues hypnotherapy can help you overcome: “Oh, so many things: phobias, panic attacks, anxiety, addiction, it’ll improve your public speaking skills, your confidence as a salesperson, it’ll help you resolve conflicts on the job so you can be calm and collected when you approach your adversaries instead of, say, doing something like yelling ‘Liar’ at the President of the United States, and, of course, it’s excellent therapy for people who were sexually abused as children or have suffered other trauma. And it works quickly—I’ve had people where only one session was enough to change decades of behaviour. More often, people need a few sessions though, but still, nowhere near as many as with traditional psychotherapy.”

Is hypnotherapy covered under Medicare? Not really, although if it’s something your psychiatrist practises, it could be.

Something Bryan is currently writing: An article stating how much money Medicare could save if hypnosis was covered. “The primary focus is on how hypnosis can be used to prevent illness, for example, getting people to stop smoking, or keeping their weight down so they don’t get diabetes or heart disease. Hypnosis can also be employed very effectively to speed up recovery times so people have shorter hospital stays.”

What an hour of Bryan’s time will set you back: $195.

Ouch!! “Well, do you prefer suffering or are you prepared to pay some money in order to get rid of your problem? Sure, you could go see somebody for less money, but will you have to keep seeing this same therapist for the next five or 15 years? Or would you rather see somebody like me and be over your problem in a much shorter period of time? It’s not the hourly fee that counts, it’s what the overall cost will be to solve your problem. With hypnotherapy, you can be over it within a few weeks.”

Will he give you your money back if you go and discover you’re resistant to hypnosis? Nope. “For the rare person who resists hypnotherapy, I’ll just use other psychotherapeutic techniques. You don’t need to be in a deep state of hypnosis for it to be effective and you can prepare in advance by reading my free Health and Happiness With Hypnosis book. It dispels the myths surrounding hypnosis, and shows you how to hypnotize yourself, which will be helpful when you come for a session.” Go to Bryan’s Web site, hypnosisdepot.com, or stop by his clinic at 7306 Sherbrooke W., to score yourself a copy.

Last book read: No Time for Goodbye, by Linwood Barclay.

Musical preferences: Leonard Cohen, Josh Groban.

Words of wisdom: “Imagination, belief and perseverance equals success.”

Comments: dimwit@hdot.net