These anxious behaviors continued & luckily, I had a great spouse who loved me anyways. I got pregnant months after we were married, & little did I know the challenges ahead would be a crucial part in my life changing experience. My first introduction to hypnosis was in one of my college classes. I was terrified of birth at first. My conversations with others, about birth, always seemed to be negative. I knew there was something better. I wanted to have a peaceful calm birth. Finally, in class one day, I overheard a lady talking about hypnobirthing & she could not stop talking about how amazing & peaceful it was. I started asking her questions & she told me she had taken a hypnobirthing class, from a nurse at the hospital. When I took the class for myself I learned a little about hypnosis & how powerful these natural states of mind can be. I practiced a lot, spending time daily practicing going to different levels of hypnosis. I was able to have my baby completely in peace without any drugs. I labored for about 8 hours in complete silence taking deep breaths & using hypnosis to experience natural analgesia, meaning there is a sense of pressure but not intense pain. My nurse came in, as I was about to deliver the baby. When the pressure was at its peak she looked at me, in my silence, & said to my husband, "I have been a labor & delivery nurse for 10 years & I have never seen anything like this." The experience was one I will never forget the doctors & nurses were amazed & I knew the knowledge I had gained was special. I had no idea how this knowledge would affect me years later.

After having my first baby I struggled with, as you can probably guess, anxiety & postpartum. Months went by of extreme confusion, anxiety, & just feeling like I wasn’t myself. I felt as if I was seeing my life through a fog & it was the hardest experience of my life. The extreme anxiety got a little better as our son got older but still lingered. I got pregnant again & I had our second baby the same peaceful way using hypnosis. This labor & delivery was even quicker & more peaceful than the first. I showed up to the birth center after my water broke & they sent me home because I had only dilated to a three. We left for a couple of hours & the labor progressed quickly. I have no doubt in my mind it was due to how relaxed I was during labor. I called the midwife back & because it was the middle of the night, I only labored for a few more hours, & because of how peaceful & calm I was I could see a little frustration on her face. I don’t know what she was thinking exactly but I would guess she was thinking I had brought her back for nothing. They asked me to sit down & lay back, so they could check & see how far I had “progressed” but too her surprise the baby’s head was there! Our little girl came a few minutes later. I had similar awe & praise from my second birth but still after the birth the extreme anxiety hit me.

I hit the point in my life that the pain of staying the same far outweighed the pain of making a change & I decided I was going to find help. I knew there was such a thing as Hypnotherapy, so I found the closest hypnotherapist, luckily one trained by Dennis, & over a few months of meeting on a weekly basis my life changed forever. Through hard work this emotional, anxious, wreck of a girl became more confident, peaceful, clam, & happy. After going through this life changing experience, learning about hypnosis & how to manage my mind consciously, I decided I had to know more. I became a certified clinical hypnotherapist and began assisting others in experiencing this incredible peace of mind & clarity of thought. I have experienced the amazing results that come from using hypnosis in birth also how to use that same knowledge in overcoming some of my biggest weaknesses. My goal is to assist expecting mothers in preparing to have their baby naturally in a way they never thought possible. Along with helping them through any emotional trials they face before or after having their baby, teaching them tools that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.