What is Clinical Hypnosis?

Clinical hypnosis, also known as hypnotherapy, is a therapeutic method that can create a state of deep relaxation where your attention is focused and your unconscious mind is open to making positive changes.

Clinical Hypnosis

When performed by a qualified hypnotherapist, clinical hypnosis can improve your emotional health and overall well being.

Misconceptions About Clinical Hypnosis
There are many misconceptions about clinical hypnosis, most likely because people confuse clinical hypnosis with stage hypnosis that they have seen in movies or heard about where people quack like a duck or bark like a dog or do other embarrassing things. That is not clinical hypnosis.

From the outset, let's be clear that there are important distinctions between clinical hypnosis and stage hypnosis. Clinical hypnosis is a collaborative treatment. You have complete control at all times. You are awake and maintain dual awareness of everything around you in the here and now as well as in the hypnotic state. No one can make you do anything that you don't want to do.

Clinical hypnosis as Therapeutic Method
Clinical hypnosis is used to treat many issues, including: weight loss, insomnia, pain management, enhancing creativity, overcoming writer's block or other creative blocks, overcoming fears, performance enhancement for athletes, actors, singers, musicians, public speakers, executives, and sales people.

Clinical hypnosis is also used to stop smoking and to overcome other negative habits, as well as for stress management, test anxiety, stage fright, anxiety, relationship issues, and many other issues.

About Me
I am a licensed psychotherapist and hypnotherapist in New York City.

To find out more about me, visit my website:  Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist & Hypnotherapist

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 or email me.

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a form of psychotherapy that was developed by psychologist, Francine Shapiro, in the 1980s (see my article: Experiential Therapy, Like EMDR, Can Achieve Emotional Breakthroughs).

What is EMDR Therapy?

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR was originally developed to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since that time, EMDR has been used successfully for many other issues, including stress, insomnia, performance anxiety, performance enhancement, abuse, substance abuse, sexual addiction and many other issues (see my article: How EMDR Therapy Works: EMDR and the Brain).

Why is EMDR Therapy More Effective Than Regular Talk Therapy?

EMDR Tends to Work Faster Than Talk Therapy for Trauma: 

Generally speaking, EMDR tends to work faster for trauma than most talk therapies. Among other things, much depends on the skill of the therapist as well as the rapport between therapist and client. Also, most clients will require a period of time where the EMDR therapist helps clients to develop internal resources and coping skills before the actual EMDR processing begins (see my article: EMDR Therapy: When Talk Therapy Isn't Enough).

EMDR Uses a 3-Pronged Approach: Past, Present, Future: 

EMDR uses a three-pronged protocol: working with the client's past, present and future. EMDR processes old memories, creating new links with adaptive functioning.

Current problems are targeted and desensitized and past and future events are integrated to assist clients in healthy functioning. 

There has been quite a bit of research on the success of EMDR and the treatment of trauma and PTSD. However, no one is completely sure as to how or why EMDR works. It is believed that part of its success is due to the fact that EMDR uses Rapid Eye Movement (REM) as its basis.

EMDR helps process negative memories and emotions. It helps the brain to successfully process these experiences.

Getting Help in EMDR Therapy

If you have been unable to work through your history of trauma, you could benefit from working with an EMDR therapist.

Once you are free from the effects of your traumatic history, you can live a more fulfilling life.

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist who works with individual adults and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

How EMDR Works: Overcoming Emotional Trauma

What is Adjunctive EMDR Therapy?

Living a Balanced Life

What does "a balanced life" mean to you?

Living a Balanced Life

It often helps to start by asking yourself:

• What are the various areas in your life that are important to you?
• Do they come together to form a meaningful whole?

What are the categories you would include to have a balanced life?

Everyone is different when it comes to defining what is meaningful.  

Here's a Possible List of What Might Be Meaningful to You:

Your Family (including pets)

Your Health

Your Love Life

Your Friends/Social Support

Your Career/Professional Life

Your Sense of Spirituality

Your Playful Side

Your Personal Growth

Your Sense of Financial Security

Maybe your list would have other categories than the examples that I've given.

How satisfied are you with the categories you've defined?
If you made a list of these categories and took the time to think about each one carefully:

• How satisfied are you with each one, rating each one on a scale of 0-100% (with 0% being not at all satisfied and 100% being completely satisfied and not wanting to change a thing)? 
• As you think about and rate each category, what have you noticed?
• Are there certain areas that you would like to improve? 
• What might it take to improve a particular area by 5%.

For instance, if you are only 10% satisfied with your overall learning and growth, what small step could you take to increase your satisfaction in this area so that you could go from 10% to 15% satisfaction?

You might say: "Why aim so low? I want to be at least 95% satisfied with where I am and I want that now."

I would say that this is an excellent goal to aspire to ultimately, and that it shows how important this area is to you.

I would also ask: "When you think about going from 10% to 95% satisfaction immediately and what it would actually take to achieve that, does it feel overwhelming to you?" Chances are it does. So, in most cases, I recommend that you start by taking small, manageable and achievable steps that will be more likely to lead you to your ultimate goal.

Think of it as a process. If you try to do too much at once, you might become discouraged and give up your efforts all together. Has this ever happened to you?

As you look at your categories, do you find that you are spending more time and effort in certain areas that you care less about and less time in other areas that are actually more important to you?

What can you do to align your priorities so that you feel that you are living a more balanced life? 
For instance, if you are spending most of your time focused on your career and you are not allowing any time at all for play and fun in your life, what small step could you take to bring more balance into this area of your life?

Again, notice that, in most cases, I am suggesting "baby steps" to start and not a complete and immediate overhaul. With each small step that you achieve, you are more likely to build confidence and satisfaction. This, in turn, will increase your motivation to take the next step.

Once again, a balanced life means different things to different people. Start by identifying what you feel makes up a balanced life for you. Think about where you are in terms of overall satisfaction and then set small, manageable goals that will lead you to your ultimate goal.

Getting Help in Therapy
It may be difficult to get started on this process. You might know that you want to lead a more balanced life, but maybe you tend to put off thinking about it. 

It often helps to work with a professional where you have a weekly time and place to focus on your goals. The time and effort that you spend on it now will usually reap rewards for you in the long run.

About Me
I am a licensed NYC psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and EMDR Therapist.  

I work with individual adults and couples.

I have helped many clients to live a more balanced life and to achieve overall satisfaction with their lives.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.

About Josephine Ferraro, LCSW

I am a licensed psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, Somatic Experiencing and Sex Therapist in New York City.

Psychological Growth in Therapy

I have been assisting clients since 1996.

I have a Masters degree (MSW/LCSW) from Fordham Graduate School of Social Work, advanced psychoanalytic/psychodynamic training from the Postgraduate Center of Mental Health in NYC, advanced EMDR training from EMDRIA, advanced clinical hypnosis training from Center for the Advancement of Training in Clinical Hypnosis and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH),  advanced Somatic Experience training and Sex Therapy training from the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy.

I help clients to overcome obstacles that prevent them from maximizing their potential.

I work in a positive, dynamic and interactive way and provide an empathic and supportive treatment environment.

Every client is unique.

Every treatment is developed based on the needs of each client.

I would work with you in a collaborative way to develop the treatment plan that is right for you.

My specialties include: depression, anxiety, trauma. relationship issues, marriage counseling, sex therapy, lesbian, gay and bisexual issues, substance abuse after care, sexual addiction, Internet addiction, compulsive overeating. compulsive gambling, compulsive overspending, codependence, stress management, coping skills, phobias, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), performance enhancement for executives, singers, actors, public speakers, artists and others engaged in creative endeavors, bereavement and loss, and major life changes.

I am conveniently located in New York City.

I work with individuals and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.


Feel free to call me to set up an appointment: (917) 742-2624 during regular business hours or email me