Welcome to episode #28 of "Living Hypnotically," where we explore how professional hypnotists are transforming lives through the power of hypnosis.
I'm excited to share my conversation with Tommy Flick, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who's been practicing in Spokane, Washington for over a decade. Tommy also specializes in EMDR and works with teens and adults navigating trauma, anxiety, and relationship challenges.
Earlier this year, Tommy took our professional hypnosis certification training and discovered how to help clients transform faster - and how it made him a better therapist in the process.
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Tommy came to hypnosis training already successful with evidence-based practices like EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy. But he noticed something that many therapists eventually discover: a lot of traditional therapy falls on the therapist to decide what the client needs.
"Obviously your client is deciding for you what they want to do, where they want to go," Tommy explained. "When they come in the door with confusion, being able to sort through that - because ultimately at some level, there's no confusion. The brain knows what it needs."
That's where hypnosis comes in.
Tommy shared the story of a high-functioning client who came to him. They used EMDR to help with trauma, but then she needed more support to really resolve the issues in her marriage. She was stuck in cognitive overthinking, trying to intellectually solve her marriage challenges.
When Tommy introduced her to hypnosis, something profound happened.
Through the hypnotic process, this client went back and recognized patterns from when she was five or six years old - feeling responsible for her family's happiness in an environment of high criticism and performance expectations.
"It was an epiphany for her to make that conscious," Tommy said. "These are ways that I'm reenacting this with my husband."
She stopped trying to fix her husband and started healing herself - and her marriage improved dramatically as a result.
Tommy shared a small moment that revealed profound change: when coffee spilled in his lap at a drive-through, his instant response was "Oh well, that's a good luck drip."
No irritation, or "why does this always happen to me?" Just an immediate reframe.
"That's what [self hypnosis] gives me," Tommy explained. "A process of choice to not respond in a negative way."
This is the power of hypnosis at work - in the pause between stimulus and response where choice lives.
Tommy told me about a 28-year-old client who struggled with anxiety. Through self-hypnosis practice, this young man began creating new ideas about where he wanted to go in life, businesses he wanted to create.
"There's literally no fear," Tommy said. "Every time we meet, there's no fear. It's let go. There's just nothing there anymore that perturbs him or keeps him blocked from his dreams." When a coworker is rude, he recognizes it has nothing to do with him. He gives grace and stays focused on what he wants to accomplish.
For Tommy, this completely shifted his understanding: "My false belief was that high performers have some anxious drive - that Type-A thing. But I recognize that the more relaxed I become and the more relaxed I help my clientele become, the higher performing they become."
Tommy's hypnosis training transformed his parenting too. When his six-year-old son was nervous about a school Halloween event, Tommy didn't default to, "You'll be okay" or, "It's gonna be fun."
He asked what was causing the feeling. His son's answer was, "I don't know."
There was the anxiety attached to not knowing what's coming next.
Tommy's response: "That's okay, to not know. We just have to admit that we don't know. And then you can be present in this moment."
He helped his son think it through: "Do you think they'd have the carnival if people didn't enjoy it?"
The next morning, his son was up early, excited and ready.
Here's something every mental health professional knows: if you have one hour with a client each week, there are 167 hours/week when they're not in your office.
Traditional therapy often leaves clients uncertain about what to do during those hours. They have insights from session, but not practical tools to apply moment-by-moment.
This is where hypnosis - and particularly self-hypnosis - becomes even more transformative.
"What [self hypnosis] teaches is where my brain will go and where I can go to make the rest of the week a win," Tommy explained. "That immediately removes residual anxiety. I know where I'm gonna go, how I'm gonna do it, and what tools I'll use if things become difficult."
When I asked Tommy what he would tell people about becoming a hypnotist, his answer speaks directly to therapists, counselors, and social workers:
"Becoming a hypnotist has made me a better therapist. It's helped me learn more about the brain, about different avenues of thought and where people come in."
Tommy had systems he'd been taught that worked effectively. But understanding hypnosis deepened that awareness - and the results.
"I say to all my clients: I will help you become a student of your own mind," Tommy explained. "And it proves true every time."
Ready to start helping your clients at a deeper level? Our next Professional Hypnosis Certification starts January 25th.
Something I've noticed in my own practice that Tommy echoed: the gentler the approach, the more profound the results.
"I really try to be super gentle and invite my clients to an approach," I shared with Tommy. "People feel safe, and then they do it naturally."
When clients feel safe, the walls come down. There's no fighting or pushing against resistance.
Tommy agreed: "Letting people recognize that their own pace is going to be fast enough for the healing. The healing takes place so quickly at their own pace."
When I asked Tommy how he lives hypnotically, his answer reveals what every mental health professional wants:
"Living hypnotically has helped me recognize further levels of peace, gratitude, and appreciation for my life and everyone in it."
A friend recently asked: "You're always in a good mood. How can you do your work and be in a good mood?"
Tommy's answer reveals the gift of hypnosis training:
"I see where they're gonna go before they see where they're gonna go. So there's nothing to worry about regarding the outcome."
This is what we get to do as hypnotists - we hold the hope for our clients until they can claim it themselves. We see them at their best self in our mind's eye, even when they can't see it yet.
To be clear, you do not need to be a licensed mental health professional or have a background in psychology to become a highly effective certified hypnotist.
However, if you are a therapist, counselor, social worker, or psychiatrist, Tommy's message is clear: becoming a hypnotist will make you better at what you already do.
Hypnosis enhances everything you're already doing by:
We've trained numerous mental health professionals, from social workers to PhD psychiatrists. Many have gone onto center their practices around hypnosis because they deeply appreciate the results and efficiency.
With hypnosis, you can help people make real headway and experience real relief in a shorter amount of time.
And as Tommy discovered, you'll find yourself more peaceful, more present, and more effective - not just as a professional, but as a human being.
To learn more about Tommy and his practice, visit www.flickconnection.com
His office is in Spokane, Washington, where he continues to integrate EMDR, hypnotherapy, and his extensive clinical experience to help individuals and families navigate anxiety, trauma, and relationship challenges.
Interested in learning more about hypnosis? Subscribe to our podcast, Living Hypnotically, where we explore the benefits and applications of hypnosis with professional hypnotists like Tommy Flick.
If this conversation inspired you to explore hypnosis as a career, we invite you to:
Download my FREE book: “Can You Be a Hypnotist?”
Join our professional hypnosis training masterclass: CascadeHypnosisTraining.com/masterclass
Learn about our next Hypnosis Certification Course
For more information and resources on hypnosis, visit CascadeHypnosisTraining.com/