Bad habits, tics and addictions are behavioral issues that affect performance, health, and quality of life. 

Yet these behavioral issues are not diseases per se, and often not even the problem itself, but rather the poor way some people deal with their problems.

Human behavior is complex and determined by multiple factors coherently described by various behavior models. Although cognitive models are still popular, the major cognitive theories are only three of the 82 contemporary behavioral models. Understanding that human behavior is not an exact science and assessing which of these models best applies to you is your job!

According to my approach, bad habits and addictions are subconscious behavioral programs driven by emotions rather than repeated bad choices. In real life, people smoke, take drugs, drink alcohol, overeat, or indulge in many other bad habits, not because they rationally want to harm themselves, but because they feel the urge to do so. Somatic Hypnotherapy is not a magic spell aimed at altering your perception or the physiology of your cells so that you can maintain your bad habits without being negatively affected, nor at forcing you under hypnosis to change your habits.

Whatever their nature, in the beginning, bad habits are nothing but unhealthy coping strategies to deal with disturbing feelings. When you overindulge in comfort food or other bad habits, the brain compensates by diminishing the associated sense of reward. As a result, you will develop a tolerance and want more and more of your dose to achieve the same "high" you once had. Even though you understand that what you are doing is getting you nowhere, you feel the urge to do it. Thus, you develop addictions that become stronger and stronger.

Although your logic and rational mind understand that your bad habit has become an addiction, it will probably be challenging to overcome it using willpower alone. Since addictions are behavioral programs stored in your subconscious mind and are driven by emotions, addictive behaviors are difficult to reprogram by better understanding the root causes or by rational will alone. Quitting an addiction for good could be a challenge since the nature of addictions is to control and manipulate your thoughts and decisions so that you keep denying it and indulging in your guilty pleasures.

Once you are addicted, I would not bet you can control your addiction just by thinking about it, talking about it, or understanding what is happening. The instant you start thinking of your favorite chocolate, last sip, last cigarette, or last fix, the next one is already on its way. Unfortunately, it seems difficult not to think about it, as this is the nature of all addictions: to control your thoughts through powerful feelings associated with withdrawal symptoms each time the fix does not come in time. You will have less and less time to react and make the right decisions, because the time between your "fixes" is getting shorter. However, tapping into your subconscious resources through somatic hypnotherapy could make your change much easier.

Craving is that powerful urge, that desire to get your “fix,” the driving force behind all your withdrawal symptoms. This craving can give you various emotional and physical symptoms because craving is the root source of your withdrawal symptoms. The Somatic Hypnotherapy approach helps you release the withdrawal symptoms by easing their root source by winnowing away the powerful feelings associated with the craving and relinquishing the desire to consume. The best I can do is help you eliminate the emotional trigger of your addiction, of your "craving."

Thanks to privileged access to your subconsciousness, Somatic Hypnotherapy is the tool of choice to overcome an addiction because your subconscious mind keeps you hooked, even though your rational mind understands how much your addiction harms you. According to my holistic approach, addictions are bad habits triggered by stress, anxiety, emotional trauma, and other toxic feelings fueled by boredom, primarily due to the lack of existential meaning. You are probably right if you think your addiction may be due to causes other than those mentioned above. In this situation, Somatic Hypnotherapy is not your therapy of choice.

Whatever the nature of your addiction, Somatic Hypnotherapy can help you to overcome it, as this approach allows you to uproot the emotional roots of your addiction, dissociate the "fun" of your consumption, and thus to ease your withdrawal symptoms. My approach aims to help you develop healthy and lasting control of your behaviors by eliminating the emotional roots of your bad habits and thus breaking the vicious circle of your addictions.

Addressing the emotional root causes of your addiction will prevent you from migrating your bad habits. Once the emotional motivation for your addictive behavior is significantly reduced, the risk of going from "smoking" to "overeating" or "other bad habits" is greatly reduced. This is why, during your first session, we will exclusively address the emotional roots of your compulsive behavior.

After your first session, once the emotional roots of your addictive or compulsive behavior are gone, you can stop the unwanted behavior by willpower alone. If not, we will schedule a follow-up session to focus on any remaining driving forces, particularly the habit of unwanted behavior.

You already have the resources to overcome an addiction or a bad habit: I am here to help you release the power of your subconscious and use it to change your habits as you wish. However, the decision to quit is yours.

Whatever your addiction or bad habit, don't allow it to cripple your life.

Unfortunately, I cannot accept new clients for substance abuse or weight management issues.

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

**When dealing with addictions and bad habits, the guarantee of good results covers the stress, the anxiety and whatever other negative feelings that could be the root cause of your addiction or bad habit.

Disclaimer: The above article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author. It is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute psychological or medical professional advice. I don't diagnose medical conditions, nor do I interfere with any treatments given by your medical professional.

If you already are under the care of a doctor or under medical treatment, follow the advice and treatment recommended by your doctor. For any medical emergency, call the Info-Santé service by dialing 8-1-1

*The results may vary from person to person.

Somatic Hypnotherapy - 186 Sutton Pl, suite 104, Beaconsfield, Montréal, Qc, H9W5S3