Deb's Personal Transformation

Hypnotherapy has changed me and the course of my life in big and small ways.

Since my early twenties, I have had an approach to life that I called... ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. I tried to say yes to opportunities as often as possible. I have always been pretty upbeat and spontaneous when it comes to making big life decisions... trusting my gut, you might say.

But there was another part of me that was afraid for people to see who I really was.

There were very few people who I could be my authentic self with. I was afraid of being judged, rejected, left out. These feelings became even more pronounced when I moved with my husband and sons to a very rural small town in Minnesota, where I resorted to wearing a mask of a constant smile as I tried to be what I thought others expected me to be.

One might think that this caused me to feel invisible and unworthy of people’s attention, but I realize now that I had felt that way for a long time.

The irony was that I could be the center of attention as an artist at my own opening night reception... surrounded by my work that I was proud of... and I still felt this way. Afraid to engage people too long, feeling unworthy of their attention.

In other situations, I was unable to stand up for myself in a calm rational manner, even when people that were close to me were being cruel or inappropriate... judging me... or just being pushy and rude. Instead, I would resort to tears and an eventual blow up, or passive aggressive remarks, or just removing myself from the relationship altogether. You can imagine that none of those situations bode well for me or those involved. I was leaving a trail of burned bridges.

Over the years, I did a lot of soul-searching... read a lot of self-help books... went to a wonderful therapist. I slowly and painfully grew, but I was still struggling with one situation after another. I was unhappy and feeling lost.

Then one day, I listened to a podcast that changed the direction of my life. It was a psychologist interviewing a hypnotherapist. Hypnotherapy had been quietly presenting itself to me for a while, but at the time, I was actually considering going back to school for psychotherapy, so I didn’t give it much thought... until this podcast. That was the moment I realized that becoming a hypnotherapist was an achievable goal. I was intrigued. I looked into it right away and found the Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy. Then, I called the school and asked for the name of one of their graduates near me.

My intention was to experience hypnotherapy and to see if I really wanted to pursue it as a career. I told the hypnotherapist that I just wanted to clean out the cobwebs... really not even knowing what to expect. I decided to work on my fear of public speaking... which quickly became apparent was related to a self-esteem issue... and guess what... feeling invisible and like I didn’t have a voice. Wow.

During our first session she asked me to tell her about the last time I felt invisible... like I didn’t matter. When I was done sharing, she did something called modified eye movement therapy.
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By the time she was done with one cycle, I felt a huge relief. When I walked out the door, I had already experienced a remarkable shift. I felt lighter.


Suddenly, I was more sure of myself. I felt like I didn’t need to ask permission to be myself. I was confident. And as you can imagine, I was stunned by how quickly I could feel so different.

Even though she had only repeated back the words she had drawn out of me minutes earlier, I felt like she was my champion, like she was giving me permission to be strong and assertive. I felt empowered.

The next week I had a second session. I discussed how I was feeling and what was different for me that week. She addressed the lingering beliefs and feelings I had about the issue, using a process called parts therapy. The conflicting parts of me that were holding onto old limiting beliefs and causing negative emotions were finally ready to work together to help me move forward and let go of my old ways of thinking. She not only cleared the deck, but also helped me realize my truth and how I would move forward. Again, I felt even lighter. I didn’t feel ashamed about my past anymore. I felt whole.
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By the third visit, I already felt like a new me.


If I hadn’t witnessed it for myself, I would not have believed such a transformation was possible. Even though I was feeling so much better, we decided to go ahead and do a modality called age regression so I could experience the process and understand its value. I’m so glad I did because it was then that I realized why I had believed that I didn’t matter... that I didn’t have a voice... that I was unworthy of people’s attention. The regression brought me back to a time in my childhood when my mother hadn’t protected me and hadn’t asked me about the traumatic experience. My mother may have been there physically, but not fully present or accessible.

This session allowed me to dialogue with my mother, who is now deceased, to gain understanding and acceptance of my past, and actually choose to forgive her and myself. I was able to have compassion for her and tell her I love her. She told me that she loved me and shared how proud of me she was. It was a powerful session. It was exactly what I needed. Years of old stories were lifted off of my shoulders.

I left there a different woman knowing that I was on the right path and I have not looked back since. I now choose to live intentionally from a place of love, acceptance, and grace for my fellow humans. I strive for kind and direct communication, from a place of love rather than fear. I know that I belong everywhere I go... that I have something important to share with the world... I have a voice and I know how to use it.

I have experienced many more transformative sessions since then. All as remarkably powerful as the first. Each time, I feel renewed.

My life experiences and the healing I have done inform how I interact with my clients. I am able to hold space for them in a compassionate, non-judgmental way. It has become my life purpose to help others experience the same level of knowing and healing.

I look forward to helping you resolve issues... transform your life... and find your own inner peace.

- Deb Larson