The Center of Success

614 West Lancaster Avenue,
Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087

Schedule a Free Discovery Call

  • Home
  • About
    • Your Coaches
    • Testimonials
    • Famous People Who Have Used Hypnosis
  • Who We Help
    • Fear of Speaking in Public
    • Help Through Life’s Transitions
    • Hypnosis For Children And Teens
    • Hypnosis For Pain and Stress Relief
    • Stop Smoking with Hypnosis
    • Stop Emotional Eating
    • Hypnosis Sports Improvement for Athletes
    • Private Sessions: In person and via Zoom
    • Personal & Professional Coaching
  • Our Methods
    • Hypnosis Sessions With Wendy Merron
    • EFT Tapping: An Extraordinary Way To Change How You Feel
    • AM/PM Tapping™
  • What Is Hypnosis?
    • The Truth About Hypnosis
    • What Can You Get Help With?
  • Hypnosis Training
    • Hypnosis Certification Training Course Online And In Pennsylvania
    • Famous Hypnotists and Hypnotherapists
    • Hypnosis Training Course Testimonials
  • Stop Hair Pulling
  • Find Us
    • Find Us
    • Schedule a Consultation

Better Homes and Gardens

The Fresh Face of Hypnosis: An Old Practice Finds New Uses

Published in Better Homes & Gardens, February 1, 2004

Last year, Andrea Tickle was pregnant with her first child. To combat the pain of childbirth, she could have chosen an epidural or narcotics but decided, instead, on a drug-free approach. To help her, Andrea contacted a Pennsylvania hypnotherapist named Wendy Goldenthal.

Goldenthal specializes in a hypnosis technique called HypnoBirthing that teaches pregnant women to take advantage of their body’s natural anesthetic abilities in order to make childbirth a less painful, more positive experience. Andrea, 31, was won over.

“I would have to say what HypnoBirthing gave me was a greater sense of my inner strength, and it empowered me through my labor,” says Andrea, who lives near Philadelphia with her husband and I year-old daughter, Siena. If the word “hypnosis” conjures up memories of a high school stage act where some of your classmates ended up ducking like chickens, then you should know that there’s much more to this age old art than merely a paycheck for a parlor magician.

Today, hypnosis–or hypnotherapy–is becoming a respected alternative for an array of conditions. It has long been used to help people quit smoking and overcome fears, such as the fear of public speaking, but now the practice is branching out into new areas.
“For the vast majority of people, hypnosis can be an invaluable tool,” says Dr. Ran D. Anbar, who uses it in his practice as a pediatric pulmonologist at State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

For example, he helps many children control their allergies and asthma through hypnotherapy. He does so, in part, by training them in self-hypnosis techniques. “One of the beauties of hypnosis is that it’s easy to teach, it can often work quickly and, for most people, it is a positive addition to their treatment,” Anbar says. Other doctors and hypnotherapists use it for such conditions as chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, insomnia, and migraine headaches–afflictions that modern medicine struggles to treat effectively. These types of disorders often have a strong mental component, says Anbar, which plays into the strengths of hypnosis. “It’s exactly the patient who doesn’t respond to medical therapy who is likely to respond to hypnotherapy,” he says.

Hypnotherapy’s effectiveness lies in the complex connection between the mind and the body. It’s well-understood today that illness can affect your emotional state and, conversely, that your emotional state can affect your physical state. Two examples: Stress, an emotional reaction, can make heart disease worse, and heart disease, a physical condition, can cause depression. Hypnosis carries this connection to the next logical step by using the power of the mind to bring about change in the body.

No one is quite sure how hypnosis works, but thanks to more sophisticated imaging techniques, that’s changing. For instance, researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute found that during a hypnotic state aimed at bringing about pain control, the prefrontal cortex of the brain (which controls concentration) directed other areas of the brain to reduce or eliminate their awareness of pain.

That’s important, because if your brain doesn’t pay attention to pain, it doesn’t matter if it’s there or not. It’s similar to the mechanism you use when you tune out the sound of your arguing children. But, as you know, sometimes you can ignore noisy kids and sometimes you can’t–therein also lies the limitations of hypnosis.

Some people see great success with hypnosis and some don’t. And it’s impossible to know who will find relief from it without actually trying it. “It isn’t a magic wand,” cautions hypnotherapist Carol Ginandes, Ph.D., an instructor at Harvard Medical School who also practices in Watertown, Massachusetts. “I’m not saying I can hypnotize every patient to have no pain or have their asthma disappear. But used as an ancillary treatment, it’s been shown to be effective.”

Ginandes is also looking at how hypnotherapy can help people heal faster. In a small study last year, she and a colleague took 18 women who were having breast reduction surgery and put each of them in one of three groups. One group received standard surgery care. Another group got the same care and also received psychological support. The third group underwent hypnosis before and after surgery in addition to standard care. Those who had undergone hypnosis healed faster, felt less discomfort, and had fewer complications. “What’s exciting about this research is that it provides promising evidence of using hypnosis to actually accelerate the physical healing process of the body,” says Ginandes. Despite its usefulness, most physicians know very little about hypnosis and few medical schools teach it–even though the American Medical Association has approved of its use since 1958. In fact, Anbar’s colleagues warned him not to call what he does “hypnosis” because people might think he’s little more than a voodoo doctor. That kind of thinking may be why hypnosis is not used for more patients, he says.

HYPNOSIS AT HOME

Here’s a simple self-hypnosis technique from Dr. Ran Anbar, professor of pediatrics at State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. It’s a great way to unwind from a stressful day.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a place where you would feel relaxed. Maybe it’s a tropical beach or a quiet forest glade. No matter the scene you choose, pay close attention to what you might see, hear, smell, and taste there. Notice that, as you focus on these sensations, you become more and more relaxed and more content. Allow yourself to be enveloped by your peaceful surroundings. Once you’re successfully in this light trance, stress seems to slip away. You can remain in this state as long as you want in your mind-an hour or a day or a year-all in just a few moments of real time. When you’re ready to leave, give yourself a suggestion, such as, “I’ll feel claim for the rest of the day.” Make sure you phrase your suggestion in the positive rather than the negative. Then slowly bring yourself back and open your eyes. Don’t get discouraged if this doesn’t seem to work right away, says Anbar. “It improves with practice,” he says. Just try again another day.

Better Homes & Gardens
COPYRIGHT 2004 Meredith Corporation in association with The Gale Group and LookSmart.

Learn More from The Center of Success

Services & Programs

  • Private Sessions: In person and via Zoom
  • Personal & Professional Coaching
  • Online Courses
  • Workshops & Programs
  • Corporate Training & Seminars

Did You Know?

Hypnosis is a widely-recognized tool in helping individuals overcome fears or achieve life goals. Though often misunderstood thanks to misconceptions arising from television and movies, hypnosis techniques are becoming a mainstream and credible self-help vehicle to help all walks of people, including business professionals, executives, golfers, athletes, actors, entertainers, and much more. Learn more about hypnosis and how it can help you!

Get the Amazon Bestseller from Wendy Merron!

amazon-bestseller1

NOW on Audible.com!

From Our Clients...

loading Loading

    • I would highly recommend Wendy and her services to anyone who may find themselves struggling with what life has thrown at us This woman has made and helped me have a HUGELY successful impact in my life in a short amount of time and my family as well She has also given me the necessary […]

      —Johnathan Kelly

    • I wanted to thank you for the work we did together.  This has been a transformative experience for me.  I am surprised at how much change was accomplished over these few weeks. I will continue working through the exercises and using the tools you provided. I really appreciate your care and compassion. – Sherry Hall, […]

      —Thank you

    • “I’ve been a hypnotherapist for 8 years and my practice has me living on both coasts.  My mentor was a former president of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis in NJ.  By all accounts, I was successful but felt deep down something was missing in my work and I wasn’t the best I could be. […]

      —HYPNOTHERAPY CERTIFICATION TRAINING COURSE

    • “Wendy’s class was AMAZING! She has such a special and beautiful manner of teaching. Through all of my years of graduate training, I can honestly say she is one of the best teachers I’ve encountered. She truly has a gift of educating others in such a simple and enjoyable way. As a clinical psychologist, I’ve […]

      —HYPNOTHERAPY CERTIFICATION TRAINING COURSE

    • “I’ve lost 28 lbs, 10% body fat and overcame some social awkwardness to begin building friendships with my fitness class teammates. We now eat healthy the majority of the time and are feeling really good. I’m putting together written goals and pursuing them with confidence this year rather than an attitude of failure and skepticism […]

      —WEIGHT LOSS & POSITIVITY

    • “After our sessions, I interviewed very well and very confidently at 3 separate companies and even made a tough decision to turn one down instead of groveling to be there. I landed the position at the top of my list with a great company and held up very well during the interview process with the […]

      —PUBLIC SPEAKING ANXIETY

    • “I have spent years hiding behind emails and doing all that I can to avoid these types of situations and it has hurt my career. I was definitely skeptical, but as you will remember, I was very distraught at the thought of suddenly having to address a board of VP’s at a large multi-million dollar […]

      —FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

    • “Everything went great when I presented last night.  It helped that only 5 people showed up but regardless I did my presentation and I wasn’t that nervous at all.  People told me what a good job that I did and how well prepared I was.  Thank you so much for helping me through that whole […]

      —FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

    • “I’m back from FL and crushed my speech last week!!!!  Thank you so much for all your help…we’ve been setting up meetings all week since I’m back! I look forward to continuing to work together!    – Brandon R, Villanova, PA

      —FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

    • “I’ve always been into the mental side of sports performance and was hoping Wendy could give me some new techniques to help with my own visualizations. She went above and beyond. Took the time to discuss exactly what I was looking for, discussed how I would get there and helped me maintain that thought process […]

      —LACROSSE & SPORTS PERFORMANCE

    • “I did my Hypnotherapy training with Wendy Merron through the Center of Success 6 years ago. It was a thorough, hands-on experience that allowed me to confidently begin helping people right away. I had a background in hypnosis before I started The Center of Success course because I teach Hypnobabies, a hypnosis for childbirth program. […]

      —HYPNOSIS TRAINING

    • “I wanted to share with you how different I feel today yet, I cannot specifically put a characteristic tag to it.  There is no real desire for wine at night. And today I was able to work through a frustrating emotion and get a positive result. All the issues I wanted to work on are […]

      —REDUCE CRAVINGS

    • “Hi! I made it to Italy and back!! I did so great flying and being away. Thank you for helping me experience the trip of a lifetime!!”

      —Chris Simons

    • “Hi wendy, don’t know if you remember but I saw you for fertility hypnosis at the end of 2011. I wanted to let you know that I had a beautiful healthy baby boy. I wanted to thank you for everything. You really helped me through so many difficulties.”

      —Catherine Fraser

    • SPORTS IMPROVEMENT- TENNIS 14 year old  “I wanted to let you know that yesterday was a very successful day in terms of my serve!  During match play, I picked a spot in the service box and repeated to myself “I like the idea that my serve goes THERE.”  Then, I imagined the ball landing in […]

      —Hillary, Philadelphia

    • AGORAPHOBIA  “Thank you for the session today.  Just returned from the supermarket !  It went really well.  John noticed that my body language was much calmer and I didn’t appear jittery. I didn’t feel the compulsion to flee the supermarket, so I was not having the normal internal dialogue with myself trying to override the flight […]

      —Karyn R., London

    • WEIGHT LOSS and EMOTIONAL EATING  “I can’t even begin to tell you how much better I feel.  What happened today was amazing.  However, I do remember you saying that when I walked out that everything would seem brighter and then thinking, “Highly unlikely to happen today!” And then when you said I eat less and […]

      —Helen B. DE

    • HAIR PULLING – TRICHOTILLOMANIA  “I am SO excited that my hair is growing. It feels incredible especially after struggling for over 15 years! I’ve tried so many other techniques that I almost gave up. I love your approach. It has permanently changed my mindset and I am so grateful. Thank you!”

      —Shannon Thompson, CA

    • STOP EMOTIONAL EATING & WEIGHT LOSS  “I just wanted to thank you for sharing your knowledge with me; it really stuck.  I’ve been eating more live foods and get this, no sugar, no cookies, no candy.  Amazing for me, especially around the holidays.  I’ve lost six pounds in about a month, of course working and […]

      —Laurie N.

    • “I was thinking about you and how well I have been living since I took your course.  EFT has been a blessing!  I use it every day and it really works to set me right and on the right path.”

      —Dierdre S.

    • FEAR OF FLYING  “I wanted you to know that I had good flights both to and from Denver in October.  I was/am very excited.  I am now using the same tools to lose weight.  Every morning and evening I repeat 10 times that I love losing weight, I eat well, drink lots of water, exercise […]

      —Ginger R.

    • NAIL BITING  “Three years ago I had three sessions of hypnosis to get over my worst habit – biting my nails and picking my toenails. I bit for 50 years and I never thought I could stop. I wanted to tell you that it’s been over three years and I have not bitten my nails once. […]

      —Jane Ann S.

    • FEAR OF FLYING  “Hi Wendy, it’s me, Kieran. I’ve been really busy on vacation but anyway, I made it through the plane flight. I was scared before take off but after we got in the air, I was okay! So all in all I guess I did pretty good!”

      —Kevin S., NY

    • STOP SMOKING  “I am doing well; more specifically, I am amazed at how well I am doing. Not one cigarette. No desire. I really did not anticipate that.”

      —Joni C., Boston

    • HYPNOSIS TO GET PREGNANT  “I just wanted to say thanks for all your help and let you know that I’m 5 weeks pregnant.  So yes, hypnosis works! The two week wait was a nightmare but finally last Monday I had my blood test and everything shows that our baby is well. I’ll keep my fingers […]

      —Marissa M., London

    • SPORTS IMPROVEMENT SWIMMING 16 yr old. “I have some good news about Senior Champs!  In my 400 Free, and 400 Medley relay, I went my fastest times out of the whole season in both!  But the best part is, my medley team broke the record!  I now have senior record even thought Im not a senior! […]

      —Lori S., Malvern, PA

    • HAIR PULLING – TRICHOTILLOMANIA  “Before I went to see Wendy I didn’t think I could overcome my tricotillomania and I almost gave up. I was surprised that being hypnotized could help cure myself. I found myself actually wanting to practice my new skills and felt confident in myself. It never occurred to me to see a hypnotist for my […]

      —Meaghan Alyward, Haverford, PA

    • FEAR OF SPEAKING IN PUBLIC  “I just arrived from our Toastmasters meeting: Digerati Toastmasters Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Thank you very much for the MP3 that helped me feel calm and relaxed. If I were going to compare myself the first time I spoke, my heart was pounding fast and I was not relaxed.  […]

      —Belinda Balce, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    •  SPORTS IMPROVEMENT (BOSTON MARATHON)  “Wendy, I did it!!!  The 1st 20 miles was fairly easy and went seemingly fast.  The last 6 were tougher but had my husband to keep me company.  The last .2 went very fast as the crowds were tremendous at the finish line ( they were really heavy throughout the entire run) […]

      —G. Stafford, Bryn Mawr

    • SLEEP BETTER  “Last night I used what I learned in your Drift Into Sleep webinar last night for my two 6 year olds…they were asleep in minutes! When my daughter (who is usually a great sleeper) has trouble sleeping, I remind her about the jars and she falls asleep fast too. Thank you!”

      —Bridget McGee, Baltimore

    • TRICHOTILLOMANIA – HAIR PULLING  “Was thinking of you this afternoon, thinking if I lived closer, I’d come by to give you a hug.  I’m feeling better, more relaxed and enjoying having a better tool/behavior in place of the old one, and so I wanted to thank you for being so open and understanding.  Every time […]

      —Melissa S., Wilmington

    • CONFIDENCE AND JOB INTERVIEW  “I want to provide you a follow-up after our great session this morning.  As we talked about positive thinking and career affirmations today, I received a phone call from the University scheduling a phone interview on March 30th.  This tapping and positive thinking really, really works. Thanks for an enlightened session.”

      —H. Brown, NY

    • “The techniques that you taught and shared with me really helped me in calming my fears about a new and unfamiliar experience, particularly testifying in a court case.  Participating in hypnotherapy eliminated some the stress and nervousness I had associated with speaking in front of a jury, being cross examined by another attorney, and hearing […]

      —W. Mitchell, West Chester

    • MOTIVATION TO EXERCISE   “I wanted to let you know that the exercise work we did had an unbelievable and immediate impact. I have done 7 workouts of 25 – 35 minutes each since we met which was 11 days ago. I can’t explain it and don’t need to – I can only report and […]

      —Francis B., Philadelphia

    • CAN’T SWALLOW PILLS  “Thank you Wendy SO much for giving me a confidence within myself that I don’t know if I have ever had, for ridding me of my anxiety, and for curing my pill phobia!! I really owe you my life for this and I am forever grateful. You will remain in my thoughts for […]

      —Emily B. Wayne, PA

    • Wendy made the whole subject of hypnosis come alive for me as she shared her vast personal experience with the class. She gave each student a lot of feedback and personal attention as well as ideas on how we could best use our certifications in building new careers or enhancing our current life’s work with […]

      —Steve W., Collegevlle

    • SPORTS IMPROVEMENT – GOLF  “Just wanted to let you know that my golf season has just started and I actually won the first event yesterday shooting a 70! My putting has improved measurably!”

      —S. B., New York

    • “Helped me get over my fears about flying.”

      —Superman

    • FEAR OF FLYING  “Thanks very much for spending so much time with me. The session was very helpful –- not that I didn’t think it would be; I just didn’t know what to expect. I’m really starting to look forward to my trip. Instead of thinking, ‘Maybe the flight won’t be bumpy,’ I’m thinking, ‘It […]

      —S.G., Bryn Mawr, PA

    • FOOD ISSUES  “Wendy is a very warm and nonjudgemental person who makes you feel completely at ease. The experience was an overwhelmingly positive one. I saw results right away and I continue to use the insights and techniques I learned to improve myself and my attitudes. I felt very comfortable and at ease even though […]

      —Matt Stromberg, Chester County, PA

    • WEIGHT LOSS  “The mind-body connection is such an AMAZING thing! Hypnosis is a wonderful, safe way to connect with yourself on a much deeper level. You do have the power to change, and it lies within! Wendy is an awesome hypnotherapist – she gets right at the heart of your issue and her voice is […]

      —Stacy Meyers, Providence, RI

© Copyright 2021 The Center of Success. · All Rights Reserved · Website by The Webscaper.