Hypnosis
Welcome to the hypnosis page of Dr. Randy Gilchrist, licensed clinical psychologist. Here you will learn about my
hypnosis services, my credentials, and how hypnosis works in general. If you are interested in receiving
hypnosis, please read this entire web page first. This page is a little long, but reading this information will help
you best understand my services as you consider whether hypnosis is right for you.
Then, please call me at your earliest convenience to schedule an appointment at (916) 899-4990. Also, feel free
to call me with any questions first or email me at drgilchrist@yahoo.com.
About My Hypnosis Services:
Clinical hypnosis is a powerful and effective therapy technique promoting powerful, all-natural change and
improvement through strengthening one’s psychological motivation, focus, and commitment. The mind is the
single most powerful factor in change. I (Dr. Gilchrist) use hypnosis to help my clients with many issues and
challenges, including (but not limited to):
*weight loss
*smoking cessation
*alcohol
*drugs/medications
*gambling
*stress/anxiety management
*fears/worries/phobias
*depression
*confidence/self-esteem
*grief/loss
*letting go of the past/resentments
*relationship issues
*performance anxiety
*pain management
*other issues, habits, addictions, and anxieties
There is nothing scary or mysterious about clinical hypnosis. In my hypnosis sessions, you’ll just sit or lie down,
make yourself comfortable, close your eyes, and simply relax and focus for about 20-25 minutes. You’ll have the
easy part. Throughout the session, I’ll offer various directives to further relax, visualize some different scenes,
and many direct and indirect suggestions to change and improve your life according to your goals and desires.
What Hypnosis Is/How It Works:
By being in a more relaxed, focused state, your usual conscious resistance against change naturally lowers,
helping you to become much more open to and accepting of the suggestions to change that follow. Then, as
your mind naturally begins to promote these changes and ideas, your physical and emotional feelings improve
accordingly, along with your behaviors. Remember—your mind is in charge. Hypnosis is simply a way to tap into
the immense powers of your mind to promote the changes you wish. Using your mind for change is much more
effective than struggling against the old conscious and subconscious attitudes that have kept you stuck and
frustrated.
Each live session is recorded along the way with my microphone and laptop computer. Although each office
meeting with me is 50-60 minutes long, the actual hypnosis recording time is around 20-25 minutes. Then after
each session, I save your sessions for you to practice with at home on either your flash drive (to listen on your
MP3 player) or on CDs (to listen to on your CD player—your choice). That way, you’ll reinforce and greatly
strengthen your new mindset repeatedly whenever you can simply relax, focus, and listen at home. This
additional practice further strengthens and accelerates your positive changes and improvements.
NOTE: have no fear—you are always in control during the hypnosis. You always have the power. Even though
you’ll be in a more relaxed, focused state, you’ll still be conscious and alert, and will never do anything that you
wouldn’t be willing to do in real life. Again, there is nothing scary or mysterious about hypnosis. Think about it—
we all naturally drift in and out of trancelike states each day. Clinical hypnosis simply utilizes these
psychological states to promote powerful, positive changes in your life.
The Effectiveness of Hypnosis:
Clients often ask me some version of the question, “how effective is hypnosis?” My response is that it is very
effective for most things people come in for, most of the time. However, since I’ve done hypnosis since 2001, I’
ve noticed that the ultimate effectiveness of the hypnosis will generally depend much more on your focus and
practice than myself as the hypnotist. Therefore, you can have strong confidence in the effectiveness of my
hypnosis services if you commit to: 1) come in for 4 or more hypnosis sessions, 2) do your best to relax and
focus during the sessions, and 3) regularly practice your sessions at home to reinforce the positive changes
that follow.
Hypnosis is not a “magic bullet” for change, as there is none. However, used correctly and persistently,
hypnosis is the single most powerful and effective therapeutic technique to promote change that I’m aware of.
I've seen it change lives and do wonders for those willing to engage in the process. Just remember that if you
can reasonably relax, focus, and visualize, and you possess an inner desire to change, then hypnosis will likely
be very helpful to you.
I can personally attest to hypnosis as a wonderful, powerful approach to promote positive change. I myself have
lost and kept off 70 pounds through the hypnosis I received back in 2001. Since the information on my many
hypnosis clients over the years are 100% confidential, I act as my own testimonial and my own reference. I went
from 273 pounds down to 203, and have stayed around 210-215 pounds ever since. Feel free to email me and I
will send you some of my own “before” and “after” pictures: drgilchrist@yahoo.com.
Research on Hypnosis:
Some prospective hypnosis clients ask if hypnosis as a therapy technique in general has been shown to be
effective. In short, yes it has. Very much so. Below you will find a few brief research studies of the many out
there supporting the effective use of hypnosis. Here is some research support for three of the more popular
reasons people seek hypnosis:
Weight Loss:
In a meta-analysis collecting numerous studies on hypnosis and weight loss, this study found that dieters
receiving hypnosis lost about 2 ½ times more weight than those not receiving hypnosis, and that these losses
became stronger with time
(Source = Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Volume 64, Issue 3, June 1996, Pages 517-519).
Smoking Cessation:
A study found that those engaging in at least 4 sessions of hypnosis were able to quit smoking with a 66%
success rate, versus the lower success rates of attempting to quit through other means, such as will power (2-
7%), medication (25%), or behavior modification (25%).
(Source = Hammond, D.C. (1990). Handbook of hypnotic suggestions and metaphors. New York: W. W. Norton).
Pain Management:
A study of 200 women cancer patients by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine receiving hypnosis before surgery
reported about half of the pain, intensity, unpleasantness, nausea, fatigue, and discomfort afterwards.
(Source = Journal of the National Cancer Institute Volume 99, Issue 17, August, 2007, Pages 1304-1312).
Prices, Etc:
Most of my hypnosis clients come in for a set of 4 hypnosis sessions, since most issues tend to require several
sessions approaching the challenge/issue from different angles. Choosing a set of 4 sessions with me is what I
recommend. In addition, you will have a learning curve when doing hypnosis, meaning, you’ll get better and
sharper at the process each additional time you come in. Although most issues can ideally be addressed with 4
sessions, additional sessions are always available if desired.
One single session of hypnosis is $150. A set of 4 sessions is $500, with additional sessions beyond that
$125/each. These are standard out-of-pocket prices for sessions with a doctoral-level clinical psychologist.
Payment is made at the first session by cash, check/money order, or Pay Pal (Pay Pal email address for payment:
drgilchrist@yahoo.com).
To Prepare to Come In, Simply:
1) Go to my forms page on my site here at: www.dr-rg.com/forms.html. There, download, answer, and email me
back form #6 called “Hypnosis Questionnaire” (in Microsoft Word). These answers will be used to create the
personalized outlines for your hypnosis sessions. Having trouble downloading? Please email me for support at
drgilchrist@yahoo.com.
2) Also on this forms page, please download, print out, fill out and return to me the first 2 forms on my forms
page at the first session: Client Information and Informed Consent. Note—you only need to fill out and return
page 1 of the Client Information form, and you don’t need to fill out the insurance information on that page (=
unnecessary, since insurances won’t pay for hypnosis).
3) If you wish to listen to your hypnosis sessions on your MP3 player (I-Pod, I-Phone, etc.), please bring in a flash
drive so I can load your hypnosis session onto it after each session. If you don’t have a flash drive, you can get
one at Staples, Target, etc. for about $5. Otherwise, I will record your sessions on CDs if you plan to listen on a
CD player.
4) Call, schedule a session, and come in to get started! My number is (916) 899-4990. A map to my office is found
here on my website at: www.dr-rg.com/contact_directions.html. I’m conveniently located at 1899 East Roseville
Parkway #100 in East Roseville by Granite Bay (at the junction of Sierra College Blvd.).
**If my office is too far away for you and/or you can't manage the time to come in, you may wish to consider my
alternative "customized hypnosis recording service", where I simply record and email you your sessions. To
learn more about this option, click here.
What You Can Expect During Your 4 Sessions:
**First meeting (Session 1): Meeting and getting to know one another, introduction of hypnosis, an initial
hypnosis session and recording, which you receive on either a flash drive or CD; possibly supplementary
homework to support the change process.
**Second through fourth meetings (Session 2-4): Further hypnosis sessions with audio recordings; progress
reviews, and the possible additional at-home assignments to facilitate change.
**Between session homework: Listening to the hypnosis sessions on MP3 or CD player; working on other
possible assignments specific to the client's individual situation.
**After The Sessions Are Complete: Continue listening to your sessions in order and/or selectively as desired at
home. This will reinforce the new suggestions and positive changes until your emotions and behaviors improve
to the level desired. Then, listen periodically to your sessions as needed from there on out as needed.
(*Suggestion: save your 4 hypnosis sessions on your computer’s hard drive for permanent storage in case you
lose your flash drive, MP3 player, or CD).
About Myself and My Credentials:
I’ve been doing psychotherapy since 1996. I am a licensed clinical psychologist with 8 years of annual 3-day
hypnosis training seminars with world renown expert Dr. Michael Yapko—hypnosis trainer of graduate-level
psychotherapists. Complimenting my hypnosis training and certification, I also possess over 15 years of
experience as a psychotherapist, a Doctorate in Psychology, and 2 complimentary graduate-level psychotherapy
licenses (in clinical psychology and in marriage& family therapy).
NOTE: Interestingly, hypnosis today is often practiced today by those possessing a "hypnosis certification" only
with no psychotherapy degree or license. Since hypnosis is a technique of psychotherapy, that's somewhat like
having some training in surgery and actually doing surgeries, but without going to graduate school or having an
MD. Risky and questionable. Truth be told, there are no mandated requirements for such hypnosis certifications
and their requirements vary widely. Therefore, it is best to find a hypnotherapist like myself with a graduate
degree and license in some form of psychotherapy.
I look forward to working with you!
Randy Gilchrist, Psy.D.
1899 East Roseville Parkway #100
Roseville, CA 95661
(916) 899-4990
drgilchrist@yahoo.com
Articles on Hypnosis:
*Need more information on clinical hypnosis? Below you will find some brief articles reviewing the basics and
benefits of hypnosis from highly respected sources:
--Web MD: www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-hypnotherapy
--Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypnosis/MY01020
--American Psychological Association: www.apa.org/topics/hypnosis/media.aspx#
Randy Gilchrist, Psy.D.
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1899 East Roseville Parkway Suite 100
Roseville, CA 95661
(916) 899-4990 drgilchrist@yahoo.com
Roseville, CA 95661
(916) 899-4990 drgilchrist@yahoo.com
Counseling and Psychotherapy Services
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #MFC39159