About Alex V. Priala

        I am Alex V. Priala - a retired professional who continues to practice on a part-time basis, dedicated to supporting long-standing clients, welcoming new referrals, and assisting those facing complex or seemingly intractable problems, often as a last-resort solution. With a lifelong commitment to holistic approaches to health and well-being, I bring decades of experience as a seasoned naturopath, professional hypnotherapist, author, and leading practitioner of Somatic Hypnotherapy. I also travel to  deliver lectures and lead workshops , sharing this innovative approach to emotional healing with diverse communities.

Caring by nature and driven by an enduring curiosity shaped by a phenomenological, pragmatic epistemology, I have always sought to expand the boundaries of our understanding of human nature and healing - while steadfastly defending freedom of opinion and informed choice in matters of health and well-being. An eternal learner and tireless seeker of truth, I remain committed to integrity and high professional standards, and actively involved in respected professional bodies, including the Complementary Medical Association.

A Pragmatic Path to Healing

With a solid background in applied sciences and a degree in social sciences, I pursued my vocation through many years of dedicated study - exploring naturopathy, hypnotherapy, ritual healing practices, medical anthropology, parapsychology, and transpersonal and somatic psychology - earning several certifications and degrees in various holistic and naturopathic disciplines. Over time, by pragmatically integrating beyond purely academic frameworks, I have specialized and refined my practice of Somatic Hypnotherapy, grounding it above all in the tacit expertise that only lived clinical experience can cultivate. Yet my understanding of feelings, emotions, and behavior remains firmly rooted in biological, neurological, and medical foundations, enriched by transpersonal psychology.

Over the years, I have come to see that in the vast and rapidly evolving field of health and wellness, knowledge can sometimes be contradictory or influenced by external pressures, making it challenging to find reliable guidance. What truly matters, in my experience, are consistent, reproducible, and predictable therapeutic outcomes - these alone confirm the real value of any approach. Extraordinary results emerge when we align with the true nature of healing, guided by moral integrity, the sanctity of life, a commitment to truth, and respect for freedom of choice. Above all, I have learned that genuine insight often arises from the heart, and that the deepest fulfillment comes from helping others precisely when they need it most.

It all began over 40 years ago. After my efforts to address serious degenerative health problems through conventional means fell short, I discovered first-hand the remarkable effectiveness of certain traditional healing approaches. These personal experiences revealed to me the surprising power of language as a coherent semiotic system - and marked the beginning of a lifelong passion for ancient forms of hypnotherapy and ancestral healing rituals. Various archaic forms of what is known today as the coherent and scientifically grounded approach of Somatic Hypnotherapy have long been known and practiced in several Eastern European countries, under various local names - such as "bajalica" (word-conjuring healers) in the Balkans or "znakhar" traditions in Slavic regions. These time-tested somatic and suggestion-based practices rely on the same intuitive, body - centered principles that continue to deliver profound results today.

I left everything behind, devoted years to deep study and clinical practice, and gradually became what I can only call a passionate artisan of well-being - a master practitioner of the art of Somatic Hypnotherapy. Since then, helping people has been my mission, and I love what I do. My references attest to both my integrity and the calibre of the results this approach consistently achieves.

What I Do — and How I Can Help You

The distinctive hallmarks of this hypnotherapy approach are its ablative hypnosis – which dissolves unwanted emotional patterns rather than merely managing them -, a feelings-centered philosophy that places the client’s lived emotional experience at the core of the process, and the strategic use of specific metaphorical language - built not on ordinary semantics but on the semiotic power of words. This language initiates a subtle yet powerful process of neuro-linguistic modulation that activates innate healing mechanisms, thereby dissolving unwanted feelings, shifting states of mind, regulating physiology, and transforming the perception of unwanted emotional or somatic experiences.

Somatic Hypnotherapy is a brief, pragmatic, and results-oriented approach to alleviating a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and somatic concerns. My role is not to coach you or to tell you how to live your life. What you choose to think, believe, or do - because you genuinely want to - is entirely your own affair. However, when you find yourself repeatedly thinking, feeling, or behaving in ways that happen to you rather than being chosen by you - patterns that bother you, hold you back, or outright poison your daily life - that is precisely where I can help. The practical goal of my work is to help you reclaim control and live the life you envision, by releasing inadequate emotional response patterns and restoring clarity of mind, healthier behavior, and an improved quality of life. This represents a genuine paradigm shift: rather than managing the symptoms of chronic stress, anxiety, and trauma, we uproot them - restoring serenity, well-being, and health at their source.

Somatic Hypnotherapy is a contemporary evolution of Traditional Hypnotherapy - as originally described by Dr. James Braid as an empirical medical approach - now updated with the rigour of several contemporary scientific models. Grounded in a Transpersonal Psychology perspective, it integrates several ground-breaking interoceptive constructionist models: notably Dr. Antonio Damasio’s Somatic Markers Hypothesis, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett’s Theory of Constructed Emotion, as well as the concept of Emotional Coherence, and the Ritual Healing Theory. This integration is especially meaningful in light of the historical context: in many East European countries, modern Western cognitive or person-centered psychological approaches remained largely unknown and unavailable in clinical practice until after the fall of communism in the early 1990s. As a result, these ancestral somatic and intuitive healing traditions continued to serve as the primary, effective means of addressing emotional and psychosomatic distress - a living heritage that Somatic Hypnotherapy now brings into a clear, contemporary therapeutic framework.

You do not need to be familiar with these theories to benefit from this approach. Somatic Hypnotherapy is deeply intuitive in practice. What matters is not what you think about your feelings, but the felt experience of those feelings themselves. You don’t need to understand the exact cause of your problems to be able to uproot them - just as a broken bone will heal with proper care, whether or not you understand or remember how it broke. In this approach, there is no need to reveal details of painful or embarrassing memories that you would prefer to keep to yourself. Healing does not depend on it.

By exploring unconventional ideas and models such as Transpersonal Psychology, and Dr. R. Sheldrake’s Morphic Resonance, my intention is not to challenge any scientific consensus, but to fill gaps where phenomena remain poorly understood or lack explanation altogether. My goal is simply to apply and promote what genuinely works.

What You Can Expect

Unlike therapeutic approaches that promise results you may experience at some uncertain future point, with Somatic Hypnotherapy you will assess most of your results on the spot. Following your first session, you will notice profound changes. Over the course of therapy, you will be able to shift the emotional reading of your past - significantly relieving or completely uprooting** trauma, stress, anxiety, grief, guilt, shame, pain, and much more. Please bear in mind that complete remission of complex or deep-seated issues - due to long periods of suffering or many failed attempts to heal - may require more than one session.

However, I rarely see a client more than three times, regardless of the issue. You will experience meaningful improvement after each session, no matter the extent or severity of the problem being addressed. This approach also works with virtually everyone - provided you are not psychotic or alexithymic (disconnected from your emotional feelings).

The “No Results — No Pay” principle is the guarantor of my integrity and applies to all of my therapies.*** My excellent references speak for themselves.

Practical Information

My consultations and therapy sessions are always private, confidential, face-to-face, and by appointment only, at my clinic in Beaconsfield, Montréal. Your first therapy session will follow a free intake assessment lasting 15 to 60 minutes. Please allow 2 to 3 hours for our initial meeting. Fees are charged at a flat rate of $160 for the first session (2–3 hours) and $120 for each follow-up session. Payment is accepted in cash or by e-transfer, at the end of your session.

As a certified hypnotherapist based in Québec, I remain bound by professional secrecy and all applicable national and provincial regulations. My services are still covered by certain private insurers - please contact your insurance provider for details on your coverage.

Before booking, I invite you to self-assess your anxiety online - as stress and anxiety are most likely at the root of your issues - and make your choice from a place of genuine awareness.

I look forward to accompanying you on what may well turn out to be one of the most meaningful experiences of your life.

You can reach me by filling out the contact form below.

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Disclaimer: The content of this page reflects the opinion of its author, is provided for educational and general informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical, psychological, or professional advice. I do not make any diagnoses according to recognized classifications (DSM-5, ICD-10) and I do not interfere in any way with ongoing treatments.

If you are already under medical care or treatment, follow their advice and treatment. I am not a doctor or licensed psychologist in Quebec; therefore, I cannot establish or continue a treatment based on your diagnosis. If you decide to consult me, be prepared to tell me what is bothering you and how you feel about it. 

For any medical emergency, call the Info-Santé service by dialing 811.

*In Somatic Hypnotherapy, the terms "feelings" and "emotional feelings" are often used interchangeably and refer to sensory experiences perceived onto or within the body, assessed, interpreted, and integrated through interoception and conceptualized by the rational mind as "emotions." - which is consistent with their traditional, biological and medical meanings, but differs considerably from the meaning of the term 'feeling' in cognitive psychology, where it often converges and merges with the term 'emotion'.

**The results may vary from person to person.

***In other words, if at the end of your session you don't see any improvement in the issues addressed in therapy, I won't accept your money!

Somatic Hypnotherapy - 186 Sutton Pl, suite 104, Beaconsfield, Montréal, Qc, H9W5S