A Single Act Creates Waves of Change
Have you ever tossed a stone into a still pond and watched the ripples spread? One small action, one brief moment, yet the effects continue to radiate outward long after that initial splash. That’s exactly how kindness works. It creates ripples that extend far beyond what we can see, touching lives in ways we might never have imagined.
Let me tell you about a ripple that changed everything for me.
The Moment That Started It All
I was sitting in a hotel lobby during Mike Mandel’s Architecture of Hypnosis training. Just another face in the crowd, absorbing information, taking notes, and wondering if I was really cut out for this whole hypnosis thing. Then a woman named Olga Tarrant approached me.
“Would you like a session?” she asked, with a warm smile. “Free. Forty-five minutes. Right here.”
Why This Small Offer Meant So Much
Now, let’s pause for a moment and consider what was happening. Olga was offering her time, her expertise, her energy—all without expectation of payment or return. In a world where everything seems to come with a price tag, her offer stood out like a lighthouse beam on a dark night.
Why did she make that offer? I later learned that Olga believed deeply in the power of hypnotherapy to transform lives. She’d experienced it herself and had seen it in her clients. For her, offering a free session wasn’t just an act of kindness—it was an opportunity to share something she valued deeply.
It was evangelism of the best kind:
“This changed my life, and I think it might change yours too,”
I said yes, of course. What did I have to lose?
The Transformational Power of Kindness & Hypnosis
Those forty-five minutes in that hotel lobby were transformative. As Olga guided me into trance, I experienced a level of mental clarity and emotional release that I hadn’t thought possible—certainly not in such a brief session, and definitely not in a busy hotel lobby with people walking past.
But here’s what’s fascinating about kindness: it doesn’t just affect the recipient. It changes something in the giver too. And it changes the witnesses. It creates a moment of possibility that wasn’t there before.
The First Ripple: My Own Healing
When I opened my eyes at the end of that session, I wasn’t just experiencing the direct effects of the hypnotherapy techniques Olga had used. I was also profoundly moved by her generosity. By her willingness to offer something valuable with no strings attached. By her genuine desire to help.
That’s when the ripples began.
- My own healing accelerated. Issues I’d struggled with for years began to shift.
- Old thought patterns dissolved, making space for new possibilities.
- Emotional burdens lifted, leaving me lighter and more open.
The Second Ripple: A New Calling
The next wave came quickly: I decided to become a hypnotherapist myself.
If this modality could create such significant change in just forty-five minutes, what might be possible with deeper exploration? I wanted to understand it from the inside out. I wanted to be able to offer others what Olga had offered me.
That decision changed the entire trajectory of my life. From that point forward, I wasn’t just learning about hypnosis as an interesting topic—I was preparing to make it my life’s work.
I was preparing to be the next person to toss a stone into the pond.
The Ripples Continue: Healing Beyond Myself
Now, I find myself sitting across from clients every day at Acadian Rock Hypnosis. People dealing with sexual trauma, anxiety, and overwhelming emotions. People who need exactly what I needed that day in the hotel lobby: someone to offer them a space of compassion, expertise, and possibilities.
And every time I work with a client, I think about Olga. I think about how her one act of kindness has now touched dozens, maybe hundreds of lives through my work.
Real-Life Ripple Effects
- One client, a woman dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault, found such profound healing that she started a support group in her community.
- Another, after overcoming crippling anxiety, finally pursued his dream career and now mentors young people facing similar challenges.
Each of them is creating their own ripples, all tracing back to that original stone tossed into the pond: Olga’s kindness to a stranger in a hotel lobby.
The Science Behind the Ripple Effect
The science behind this is fascinating. Research shows that acts of kindness trigger the release of oxytocin—sometimes called the “love hormone”—in both the giver and the receiver.
Why Kindness & Hypnosis Work So Well Together
- Oxytocin reduces anxiety and stress, creating a physiological state more conducive to healing.
- Hypnotherapy enhances neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to rewire old patterns.
- Compassionate connection deepens the therapeutic impact, making change more sustainable.
This is why hypnotherapy can be so powerful. In the relaxed, receptive state of trance, we’re more open to healing, growth, and transformation. Combine that with the oxytocin-boosting power of kindness, and you have a recipe for profound change.
How Healing One Person Heals Many
I structure my practice with this ripple effect in mind. Every aspect of my work—from my Sexual Freedom Sessions to my Emotional Wellness Hypnocoaching—is designed not just to help the individual sitting across from me, but to create positive changes that radiate outward through their relationships and communities.
Because here’s what I’ve learned: Healing isn’t just personal. It’s communal.
- When one person heals, they parent differently.
- They love differently.
- They work differently.
- They create space for others to heal too.
What Ripple Will You Create?
So what stone might you toss into the pond today? What act of kindness might create ripples beyond what you can currently imagine?
Maybe it’s:
- Offering your expertise to someone who needs it.
- Simply being fully present with a friend who’s struggling.
- Forgiving someone, including yourself.
- Reaching out for help, allowing someone else the gift of giving.
Or maybe—just maybe—it’s booking that hypnotherapy session you’ve been curious about but hesitant to try.
Because seeking healing for yourself isn’t selfish. It’s one of the most powerful stones you can toss into the pond. Your healing becomes part of the healing of your entire community.
The Ripples Never End
I certainly never expected that accepting a free hypnotherapy session would lead me to where I am today—running a practice in Portland, specializing in trauma recovery and emotional wellness, writing to you about the ripple effects of kindness.
But that’s the beautiful mystery of ripples: You never know how far they’ll spread or what shores they’ll eventually touch.
All you can do is toss your stone with intention—and watch with wonder as the circles widen.
