The Unexpected Turning Point
Have you ever had one of those moments where the universe lines everything up just perfectly? Where a seemingly random encounter shifts everything in your world? That’s exactly what happened to me in the lobby of a hotel during Mike Mandel’s Architecture of Hypnosis training.
I wasn’t looking for a life-changing experience that day, far from it. I was just another attendee at the training, perhaps even a bit skeptical about the whole thing. You know how it goes – you’ve heard the stories, seen the stage shows, and wondered if there’s really anything substantial behind the entertainment value of hypnosis.
A Chance Encounter That Changed Everything
Then I met Olga Tarrant.
“Would you like a session?” she asked. Just like that. In a hotel lobby, of all places. Forty-five minutes. Free. No strings attached.
What did I have to lose? Nothing but time – and possibly some of the emotional baggage I’d been carrying around without even realizing its weight.
The Hypnosis Experience: Breaking the Myths
Now, picture this scene: A busy hotel lobby, people coming and going, the ambient noise of conversations and rolling luggage, not exactly what you’d imagine as the setting for a profound personal transformation. Yet sometimes the most extraordinary changes happen in the most ordinary places.
As Olga guided me into trance, something remarkable happened. The busy lobby faded away. The mental chatter that usually dominated my thoughts grew quiet. In that space – that beautiful, peaceful space between conscious and unconscious awareness – I found something I hadn’t even known I was looking for.
What Hypnosis Really Feels Like
You might be wondering what it feels like to be in hypnosis. It’s not what most people imagine.
- I wasn’t unconscious or unaware.
- I wasn’t clucking like a chicken or barking like a dog.
- I was simply… present. More present than I’d ever been.
Deeply relaxed yet intensely aware. It’s like when you’re driving home and suddenly realize you don’t remember the last five miles – you were on autopilot, in a natural trance state. Except this trance was purposeful, guided, and surprisingly profound.
The Transformation Begins
In those 45 minutes with Olga, layers began to peel away. Old thought patterns that had been running in the background of my mind for years suddenly came into focus, and just as quickly began to dissolve. Emotional knots that had been tied so tightly I’d forgotten they were there started to loosen.
When I opened my eyes at the end of the session, the lobby was still there. People were still coming and going. Everything looked the same, but I wasn’t. Something fundamental had shifted inside me.
The Ripple Effect of a Single Session
That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened. It wasn’t just the relief from specific issues we’d addressed. It was the realization that the mind is so much more powerful, so much more malleable than we give it credit for.
If this much could change in 45 minutes, what else was possible?
The days that followed brought even more surprises. Changes that had begun during the session continued to unfold. It was as if Olga had planted seeds that were now growing on their own. I found myself responding differently to old triggers. I noticed new thoughts, new possibilities opening up where before there had been only fixed patterns and limitations.
A New Calling: From Skeptic to Practitioner
And then the thought hit me: “I want to do this for others.”
Just like that, my path changed. What had started as curiosity, perhaps even skepticism, transformed into a calling. I wanted to understand this process from the inside out. I wanted to be able to guide others to the same kind of transformative experiences.
The Journey to Becoming a Hypnotherapist
The journey from that hotel lobby to becoming a certified consulting hypnotist and Sexual Freedom practitioner hasn’t always been straightforward. There’s been plenty of learning, plenty of challenges. But at every step, I’ve carried with me the memory of those 45 minutes with Olga – proof that profound change can happen in an instant when the conditions are right.
Now I specialize in helping people heal from sexual trauma, anxiety, and emotional challenges. I’ve developed my own approaches:
- Sexual Freedom Sessions – For those recovering from sexual assault trauma and sexual performance anxiety.
- Emotional Wellness Coaching – Focused on confidence and empowerment.
Each time I work with a client, I remember what it was like to be on the other side, to experience that transformation firsthand.
How Hypnotherapy Works: The Science Behind the Magic
Here’s what I’ve learned: Hypnotherapy isn’t magic, but it sometimes feels that way.
It’s actually based on how our minds naturally work. The conscious mind – that analytical, critical part that’s always chattering away – takes a step back during hypnosis. This allows us to communicate directly with the subconscious, where our deepest patterns, beliefs, and emotions reside.
The Power of the Subconscious Mind
And here’s the really fascinating part:
- Your subconscious mind doesn’t distinguish between what’s vividly imagined and what’s real.
- That’s why hypnotic suggestions and new learning can take root so quickly and effectively.
- It’s also why a single session can sometimes create changes that years of conscious effort haven’t been able to achieve.
Your mind is constantly listening to you. Every thought you think, every word you speak to yourself, becomes a kind of self-hypnosis. The question is:
Are you hypnotizing yourself toward growth and healing, or are you reinforcing old patterns and limitations?
That’s where working with a trained hypnotherapist comes in. We can help guide you to rewire those unhelpful patterns, to create new neural pathways that serve you better. And just like what happened for me in that hotel lobby, the changes often continue to unfold long after the session ends.
Looking Back – And Encouraging You Forward
So here I am today, writing this from my practice in Portland, Maine. Looking back at that skeptical person sitting in the hotel lobby, I hardly recognize him.
One 45-minute session didn’t just change my career path – it changed:
- How I understand the human mind.
- How I relate to my own thoughts and emotions.
- How I see myself and my place in the world.
Is Hypnotherapy Right for You?
Is hypnotherapy always this transformative? Not always. Every person is unique, and each session is different. But the potential is always there – the potential for insight, for healing, for profound and lasting change.
So if you’re standing where I once stood – curious, perhaps a bit skeptical, wondering if hypnotherapy might help with whatever you’re facing – I encourage you to take that step.
You never know how a single session might ripple through your life, creating waves of positive change that reach far beyond what you can currently imagine.
After all, it only took 45 minutes to change the entire course of mine.
Kevin Moran is a certified consulting hypnotist and Sexual Freedom practitioner based in Portland, Maine. He specializes in helping individuals heal from sexual trauma, anxiety, and emotional challenges using hypnosis. Learn more about his services or book a discovery call at Acadian Rock Hypnosis.
