The founders of The Wellness Institute, Diane Zimberoff and David Hartman tell students that they began their work because they were called to heal the healers. The stress that therapists are exposed to as a result of holding space for their patients as they go through their recovery does take its toll. Even without that, though, there are many reasons why therapists, as healers, need to do their own healing.

What brought you here?

Although it isn’t true of all mental health professionals, more than a few of them go into the field after experiencing some healing of their own issues. Others go into psychology-centered practices to learn about how the mind works, because they sense their own need to soothe childhood trauma or work through other issues.

Ultimately, most therapists find their way to at least some level of healing, but without the right tools, the journey can be a circuitous route. When therapists fail to fully address their own issues, they can encounter many problems with their clients. Countertransference is one of the issues that can arise.

When unconscious issues are not resolved, they tend to interfere with our work. Countertransference is one way this occurs. Read this Wellness blog post to learn more about this all-too-common phenomenon. Other difficulties can arise, as well. While listening to client’s shocking and sad accounts of past trauma, therapists who have had similar experiences can be triggered. If the issue has not been resolved, the therapist invites the possibility of becoming distracted from the client’s problems because their own feelings are so overwhelming.

Because the presence and purity of the therapist’s own internal state is so crucial to the healing of their clients, therapists serve their clients and themselves by tending to their own healing.

Learning by doing has its perks

There are many ways therapists can seek healing. Of course, therapists are required to undergo therapy as a part of their training. Years after getting licensed and running busy practices, however, it’s difficult for therapists to take the time to re-engage in therapy. Far too many neglect their own needs for support and growth due to the “busy-ness” of their lives

When therapists do take time for themselves, it is often to take courses to gain new skills, and hopefully, to earn CEUs to retain their licensure. This can often be an eye-opening experience for therapists, but in most instances, training courses don’t necessarily address the issue of helping the therapist to heal. At The Wellness Institute, we place it as our highest priority.

Wellness Institute training is centered as much on the therapist as it is on the therapist’s clients. Our classes provide plenty of didactic material about hypnotherapy, how it works, and how it can be used in the average therapy practice. They also involve a great deal of experiential learning.

Six-Day Training and Certification Program participants learn how to conduct hypnotherapy sessions by doing. The Institute provides skilled hypnotherapists to guide them through the process of being a therapist and observer. Most important, each participant gets two chances to be the client during the six days of training.

For many, the power of Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy opens the door to deep and profound healing experiences. Many participants have additional experiences as they work with peers to complete the additional sessions required for certification. Many are so deeply affected, they choose to continue their own work while developing more advanced skills they can use with their clients.

The Wellness Institute offers opportunities for this even deeper healing through the Advanced Internship Program, The Personal Transformation Intensive Leadership Program, and The Mentorship Program. Each level of study is a transformative experience, where the healing of the participants is as important, and in some instances, more so, than the techniques being presented. In many cases, the training sessions help you earn CEUs.

We invite you to explore the unique and profound training we offer at The Wellness Institute. All classes are offered online, so you won’t need to leave your home or office milieu. You’ll avoid transportation costs and the expense of room and board. The online communities that are formed during these trainings are close-knit, deeply connected, and lasting.

Our training classes are filling up fast, so don’t hesitate. Contact Desiree with any questions you might have about the trainings, and

Enroll in the Six-Day Training and Certification Program now!