Hypnotherapy: What is it and how can it help you overcome your anxieties as an entrepreneur?
By Jim James, Founder EASTWEST PR and Host of The UnNoticed Entrepreneur.
People call Michele Molitor the mind detective. Also serving as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nectar Consulting, she was featured in the new episode of The UnNoticed Entrepreneur where she talked about hypnotherapy and how she helps entrepreneurs overcome the anxiety of getting noticed.
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Rewiring Your Thinking
In a nutshell, Michele helps entrepreneurs overcome their limiting beliefs by rewiring their thinking â and what theyâre telling themselves about whatâs important or not important about getting themselves out there.
Despite receiving accolades and achieving success in their careers, people often have this feeling and doubt that theyâre just a fraud and that someoneâs going to find out that theyâre just making it all up. Theyâre having this internal dialogue: Who am I to talk about these things?
Overcoming all this entails using a combination of skills and tools, which Michele brings to the table. These help clients identify the root causes of their anxieties and fears that prevent them from fully shining and confidently stepping into the spotlight where they belong.
In 2021, Michele had a client who was a successful person in the insurance industry and has been in the business for 30 years. Though he knows the ins and outs of this space, he was waking up every morning, fearful of going to work and getting things right.
Within the span of 90 days, they were able to get to the root causes of what was creating that clientâs anxiety and rewire his thinking at a subconscious level â literally building new neural pathways in his brain so that he could stop procrastinating and start working confidently and easily.
After that, he also began exercising and playing the ukulele again. His business also massively increased because he was able to let go of the doubts and limitations that heâd been carrying around in his mind since he was a child.
On some occasions, a person harbouring such ideas can be the parentsâ fault. But in the clientâs case, he honestly said that he already forgave his motherâs behaviour. Yet, still, there was a lot of trauma that had been unnoticed and not dealt with.
Michele helped move all that out of the way so the client can find a new place to stand â and have greater confidence in his work.
What is Hypnotherapy?
Michele calls her unique approach ârapid rewiring,â which combines hypnotherapy and coaching over a period of three to six months. Hypnotherapy is a way of accessing a personâs subconscious mind.
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She works with her clients across the globe via Zoom. During their sessions, clients will just be listening to the sound of her voice, taking them into an alpha brainwave state. Itâs a state wherein someone is in a half-awake, half-asleep place â just like when theyâve woken up from a nap, wherein theyâre aware of their surroundings but really relaxed.
In that state, she will talk with the clientâs subconscious mind to identify the root causes of their fears, anxieties, and even the physical manifestations of those beliefs. Then, sheâll help them change their mind about it. The goal is to neutralise energetic emotional charges, tell the brain new things, and rewire it with new beliefs.
For each client, Michele also prepares a specially customised recording that they can listen to as they drift off to sleep. This allows their brain to do all the work while sleeping.
It Starts With Self-Awareness
In many instances, entrepreneurs and business owners will have partners in their companies or at home. The first thing that Michele does in helping clients deal with the environment they built around themselves â the very environment that was supporting their behaviour â is to bring their behaviour up to a conscious level.
Oftentimes, youâre not realising that youâre unconsciously engaging in negative behaviours. But when you start to understand those and the âwhyâ behind what created them in the first place, then you can see things in a different light.
After getting into that stage, she will teach you how to thoughtfully respond instead of reacting to those trigger points. This will enable you to begin shifting those communications youâre having and the dynamics youâre sharing â and even bring you closer to the people around you.
Though itâs different for everybody, keep in mind that most people will step away from it or let it go altogether when they start to realise that the relationship they share with you is too toxic (whether itâs professional or personal).
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In identifying counterproductive elements within your behaviour, you should start by noticing what kind of internal dialogues youâre having with yourself are the kind that youâre sharing with someone else. Also, observe the energy in your own body. Does it feel tense or argumentative? Then, decide: Is it healthy for you to always be in that state where you seem to always want to be confrontational?
The first step is being aware of how your body feels and the kind of energy that youâre body is telling you â then evaluating if you like it or not like it. Because if you donât like it, then you have to think about what kind of thoughts you should be thinking so you can shift that energy.
To help you notice such things, journaling is a powerful tool. Take some time every day and on a blank notebook, write down the inner dialogue that youâre having. How are you feeling today? What do you want to create today? Let your thoughts freely flow and get them out of your head. Once you look at them, you may even be surprised at what has come out of your thinking. With an increased awareness of your thoughts, you can make different choices.
Dealing with Trauma from the Past
Michele had a client who has been running her business for several years already. Yet, she had some kind of invisibility cloak hiding the anxiety that was holding her back.
When that client tried hypnotherapy, Michele found that her anxiety can be traced back to the beliefs that she has adopted from her mother. She grew up thinking that life had to be chaotic and be led in a particular way. During their sessions, the client realised that she doesnât need to carry those beliefs forward because it wasnât hers, to begin with â it was her motherâs. She let them go and had her thinking rewired. After that, she was able to step much more boldly into building and growing her business. In the past six months, her revenues skyrocketed in a way sheâs never seen before.
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Many peopleâs beliefs can be rooted in a childhood experience. And it does not necessarily have to originate from your family. It could be something that your teacher in first grade told you. Or it could be your experience of getting bullied when you were still in school.
Michele shared that she herself was bullied during her corporate stint some 20 years ago. That experience created a massive case of impostor syndrome for her. And that is what led her into the coaching space. Itâs why sheâs passionate about helping people find their voice and stand authentically for who they are.
Rebuilding Self-Confidence
Working on your self-confidence is also important so you wonât fall back into familiar haunts. Michele helps in this aspect by neutralising emotional charges around an old belief or the story that youâve been telling yourself. After neutralising that, you can tell yourself a new story.
Itâs also about being present: Feel your fingers and toes. Know that as a grown adult, youâre safe. You have a roof over your head. You have everything you need.
Michele will help you do all these during your hypnotherapy sessions with her. Then, as mentioned, she will create a customised recording that has a particular tone and cadence and specific words to help rebuild your confidence and overcome your anxieties.
As you repetitively listen to it every night as your drift off to sleep, the recording will build new neural pathways in your brain. It will be dropped down into your long-term memory, which, in turn, will become a lost-lasting change.
Remember that even when youâre asleep, your brain is working and your subconscious is always listening. It takes in everything thatâs ever happened to you and itâs neatly stored in your subconscious mind.
Think of it like listening to a song on the radio over and over again. Even if itâs from 30 years ago, youâd be able to recall the words to a song. Itâs the same concept, but this time around, whatâs repeated are words that empower you, lift you up, and tell you that youâre enough, youâre confident, and that you believe in yourself. And the more listen to them, the more that they will sink into you deeply. One day, youâll wake up realising that you can change your old ways.
Helping Organisations Believe in Themselves
Michele has also previously worked with whole teams. She loves giving inspirational talks to organisations as well. This is her way of helping them find new perspectives and taking those blinders off.
People often get caught in this tunnel vision of how life is supposed to be inside an organisation. Once you pull back those blinders that limit your vision and have everyone aligned with the core values of your organisation, then it will be much easier for everyone to get on board and have that intrinsic motivation. And, as the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.
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Getting Her Brand Noticed
Michele has been doing consultancy for 20 years now. To get it noticed, she does things that she loves â speaking and writing. She has co-authored a couple of books and has done several podcast interviews.
Apart from speaking and writing, she also shares inspirational ideas and thoughts via her social channels.
She recognises that people arenât fully aware of the power of hypnotherapy yet. It has also gotten a bad rap from how itâs being portrayed in movies where watches are swung to hypnotise.
People are also worried that theyâre going to lose control over themselves when they undergo hypnotherapy. In reality, youâre always in control. When Michele takes you into an alpha brainwave state, youâll still be able to answer questions. Youâll still hear everything that she says â however, your body will be more relaxed. And at any moment, youâll be able to come back to your full awareness.
Micheleâs sessions are not designed to control anyone. Theyâre merely about having a conversation while your conscious mind is taking a nap. Itâs your subconscious mind that comes forward, allowing you to get to those deeper root issues that hinder your competence and success.
To learn more about Michele, check out her LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram pages. You can also visit https://nectarconsulting.com or https://michelemolitor.com.
This article is based on a transcript from my podcast The UnNoticed Entrepreneur, you can listen here.
Cover image by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash
