SYDNEY, N.S.
Carmen Giorno and Glenn MacDonald are using the power of the mind to help people overcome addictions, deal with pain and stop smoking.
These are only a few of the issues the two trained hypnotherapists offer treatment for at Sydney Hypnosis and Wellness Centre.
Both have heard positive responses from clients who, Giorno said, often arrive at their doorsteps “after they’ve tried everything else.”
“We have a client who came in for help (to quit) smoking but also got relief from her pain (from fibromyalgia),” said Giorno, who is also a VON nurse and well-known hypnosis entertainer.
“When I spoke to her to check in she said she was out in the garden for the first time in forever. She smoked for 52 years, came in for that and had pain relief as well.”
Client Judy Power sought relief for blepharospasm, a condition that causes extreme blinking and eye twitching, a condition she was diagnosed with in 2014.
For her, it was “almost like being blind.” She couldn’t work, drive or take a walk by herself.
After Botox treatments for the condition stopped working, Power turned to Sydney Hypnosis and Wellness out of desperation in 2017 and was shocked it worked.
“As soon as I did the first session my eyes opened wide for the first time in a while. If anyone had told me before I went this would work, I would have told them they were crazy,” the Glace Bay resident said.
“It’s given me my life back, literally… People who knew me before can’t believe the difference.”
The hypnosis is a complementary therapy to medical treatments. Both MacDonald, a hypnotherapist for 10 years, and Giorno, a hypnotherapist for two years, stressed clients should check with their doctor before going to them.
MacDonald and Giorno do most of the therapy together.
First clients get a free consultation to determine how many sessions are needed. Quitting smoking could be four sessions while weight loss tends to last until the client reaches a goal weight.
Clients then go for their weekly treatments and are also taught self-hypnosis techniques for management, which can lead to longer lasting results.
Some clients, like Power, return for occasional treatments after they have finished their sessions.
MacDonald said the treatments put clients into a deep state of relaxation where the person has a “heightened state of focus.” While in this state, clients can still hear what is around them and are able to start to pick away at events or traumas from their past.
“The reason we do the things we don’t want to do anymore is they are coping mechanisms,” the former optometrist said.
“We give people control again … Once we give people the ability to go inside they can make the changes they want to make.”
FAST FACTS
Sydney Hypnosis and Wellness
• What: Hypnotherapy treatment
• For: Stress, addictions/habits, pain and more
• Where: 250 Welton St., Sydney
• Hours: By appointment
• Cost: $75 per session
• Phone: 902-317-2304/902-322-1103
• Website: sydneyhypnosiscentre.ca
