Hypnosis may boost sales goals

Here's an article from The Detroit News about small business owners using hypnosis to improve their business.

Hypnotherapist Dr. Hena Husain has used her training to help hundreds of Metro Detroiters quit smoking and lose weight. Now, she is marketing to a new group: small business owners.

It may sound unconventional, but business people may find techniques like hypnotherapy could break down the mental barriers hindering their success, said Husain, owner of Balance 4 Life in Sterling Heights and Farmington Hills.

Just as people struggle with personal problems -- like stress, anxieties, fears and phobias -- they also have professional struggles, Husain said. She said her techniques allow small business owners to reach the next level in their business, such as boosting their sales or finding new clients.

"We all have blocks in achieving our goals," Husain said. "I help (business owners) remove their blocks and change negative thoughts into positive ones.

So far, she has worked with a variety of professionals, like financial advisors, health insurance agents, business coaches, salespeople and business people such as Stan Broyles, owner of Hot Room Cold Room Solutions in Waterford.

Broyles said he went to Husain initially to assist him with pain management, but he also learned how to manage his mind and attitude.

"I was hurting. But then I went to a one-hour session with Hena," Broyles said. "I got more relief in that one session than I did from three days in the hospital and $11,000 in hospital bills."

Husain said her long-term goal is to become an internationally recognized public speaker and work with larger companies such as General Motors Corp., helping their employees with stress management and the like.

Husain is certified in three areas: Neuro-linguistic programming or NLP, Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT and hypnotherapy. NLP is the branch of linguistics that explores how the brain encodes language, and EFT has been described as an emotional version of acupuncture.

A typical client pays a per-session fee or can receive a discounted rate if they sign up for multiple sessions. Costs are similar to going to a massage therapist, Husain said. During these sessions, the client learns self-hypnosis, NLP and EFT to become self-sufficient in managing their targeted issues.

Husain grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Simon Fraizer University. She earned her doctorate in behavior science from Alpha University in Louisiana. She received her hypnotherapy training from Institute of Transformational Hypnotherapy in Lansing.

For those who worry about what they will say or do during a session, Husain said they need not worry. She is very professional, Broyles said, and she is bounded by privacy rules.

"You're in control of your session at all times," Husain said. "Everything I do is ethical, confidential and professional."

While there are no guarantees, Husain said her clients tend to leave their sessions feeling like they can take on the world -- or at least become more self-satisfied and motivated toward their goals.

"I tell people, 'If you always think what you've thought, then you'll only get what you've got," Husain said.

If you're interested in trying hypnosis yourself and you're located in the Los Angeles area, visit Gregory Stacy's website here and make an appointment for a free consultation.