International Hypnosis Research Institute - Coaching

Beyond Sessions & Treatments: Healer as Lighthouse

Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:38:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer

Alternative healers who've been in classes of mine of late have heard me speak of lighthouses. You might scratch your head and wonder why a CE provider and alternative healer coach, such as myself, is talking to healers about buildings that stay lit all night long for ships in the dark. It's because one important ingredient for therapists to succeed in this economy is to stay lit for all those ships--read, human beings--who are sailing--or more precisely, flailing--around in the dark. There are people running around in circles, running on treadmills like lab rats, and getting mighty tired, stressed, and scared in the process. All that fatigue, tension, and fear gets stored in the muscles of their ravaged bodies. They need to find a steady light to help them through this dark time. You can be that light for them--and if you do, you can thrive even during this difficult economy. [More]

Transform your mind, then market your business

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 14:32:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer

A marketing coach for alternative therapists, my work is a lot like these healers who I work with in that we both relieve headaches, stress, and strain. Perhaps because my name is Bayer--the name of a pain reliever that works wonders--some coaching clients sometimes wish that my coaching would solve all their business problems. Coaching plus a therapist's efforts, can. But coaching alone isn't a wonder drug that you pop into your mouth and you suddenly have more clients than you can handle. Don't get me wrong...usually, when a healer makes attitudinal shifts that coaching brings about, business suddenly picks up. But ongoing success usually requires combining attitudinal shifts with marketing changes. As the saying goes, "Only a new seed yields a new crop." [More]

Ever Heard of Rambling Daisies?

Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:49:00 -0500

by Joyce-Anne Locking Although it's not the usual sort of thing you would pick up from a gardening book, this is what I have discovered. Daisies have been sorely under-rated and misunderstood for a great number of years. There are songs about roses, many songs about roses, but not nearly so many songs about daisies. One very popular song comes to mind, however. Still somewhat popular today, it has stood the test of time. That's the song that goes like this: " Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true, I'm half crazy over the likes of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage..." In this case, Daisy is the name of a girl, and the song is about a marriage proposal. Daisy, interestingly enough, is also the name of the girl in the book, The Great Gatsby. The Daisy, this time, is characterized as being somewhat frivolous and irresponsible. She looks sweet enough in the beginning, but then she shrugs off all of her true nature by the end of the story and simply walks away. See what I mean. Even girls by the name of Daisy seem to be given the role of portraying a weak or unsustaining nature. [More]

You Have a Business — not a Massage Practice

Fri, 12 Jul 2013 13:42:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer

The extraordinary amount of time that you spent studying your healing art--probably somewhere in the range of about 500 to 750 hours if you studied massage, years if you're a counselor--prepared you expertly in the art of giving another person a professional session. I refer to this part of your knowledge as your healing arts practice. I use the word practice because you literally practiced it many times before you mastered it. When you were a small boy or girl, in elementary school, you practiced the multiplication table and, in time, you mastered it. Years later, as a teenager, you practiced the conjugation of verbs in Spanish or French and, in time, you mastered that, too. Still, years later, as an adult in your professional training, you practiced your modality and, in time, mastered that, as well. In fact, one of your assignments as your education unfolded was to practice on real human bodies and minds the techniques that you were taught in textbooks and in the classroom. And some lucky guinea pigs were glad that you did. [More]

Looking a Gift Certificate in the Mouth

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:57:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer

When I was growing up, I often heard an expression from my family that goes: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Today, I'm going to look a gift certificate in the mouth. The reason is that, contrary to the belief of most of the 300-plus alternative healers whom I've coached, I'm not a big fan of gift certificates. I know this is a controversial topic, because when I'm asked about them at my CE seminars at state conferences, my answer often ruffles so many feathers and rattles so many cages that one might conclude that healer is a bird. [More]

Let my People Go (To See you as Often as they Like)

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:54:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer "How often should I see you?" It's a question that just about every alternative therapist is typically asked by new clients or prospective clients with regard to the ideal frequency for treatments. It's a terrific question for any healer to be asked for a number of reasons, the least of which is that it generally means that the person doing the asking will soon be doing the receiving of your healing hands, deep insights, and expanded perception, and she'll be revitalizing her achy body, tired mind, and worried heart. Unfortunately, I have seen far too many healers answer this important question in ways that sound something along the lines of:

"Whenever you think best." or
"Once a month is usually a good frequency."

[More]

Let the Moment Color the Way!

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:02:00 -0500

by Joyce-Anne Locking This is the time of your life whether or not you find ways to enjoy each minute of the day or take the time to express the direction of your dearest dreams. Today is the day you begin again to solve whatever problems are holding you back from doing the things you were meant to do. Plan your life in a way that expects you to succeed. Things happen to work out for the better when you focus on goals that encourage progress by offering you rewards at the end. When you keep your mind set to the intention of achieving your goal, you will find it much easier to enjoy the moment. [More]

Do the Healing Work You Love & the Money will Follow...But When?

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:47:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer About a year ago, a friend of mine, who's a hypnotherapist who never tried to build a business after receiving her training and license to practice, was fed up with the job she was doing to pick up a paycheck. About half a year earlier, she had read the book, Do What You Love, the Money will Follow, by Marsha Sinetar, and decided it was high time she finally quit and pursue her passion--to build a healing business once and for all. But after six months of not getting enough clients to get her practice off the ground, the money wasn't following. She did a lot of waiting and complaining, but little else. She did little to proactively make the money follow, something I've observed often in many of the three hundred-plus alternative healer clients I've coached the past 10 years. She was living off her savings, which were running low. Panicked, she asked me what to do. [More]

First to Market, First to Thrive

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:16:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer In this column you will learn quite a bit about innovators who brought something new to their world. Bear with the examples because there is a great marketing lesson in store for you if you do. [More]

Get out walking in your natural environment

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:04:00 -0500

by Joyce-Anne Locking If you had to name the most valuable thing in your life at this moment, you may come up with all sorts of different answers. If you had to name the most valuable thing in your life at this moment, what would it be? You may come up with all sorts of different answers. You may name loved ones, friendships or material things such as cars, houses or bank accounts. Perhaps you might think of objects of art, private yachts or glitzy getaways. Some may name pets, pianos or possessions. The truth is, our most valuable possession is our next breath, because without it, nothing else would matter to us at all. There is great power in the momentum of one breath. You can use a breath to begin to fill a balloon, begin to tell a story, or actually, to begin anything at all. It all depends on how you put it to use. The use of your own breath can also hold fantastic healing powers and can be used to eliminate pain in your own body. By focusing on your breathing you can get yourself into a state of calm. Then by concentrating on aiming the breath into the centre of any pain, you may be experiencing in your body, or your life in general, you can begin to fill the pain pocket with the light of your own breath and, in so doing, push the pain outside of your personal space, thereby eliminating it from the inside out. Breathing can be used to lower blood pressure, create calm, eliminate headaches, remove stress and heal the body. Simply by focusing on your own breathing you can create new things in your own life. Just think: we are nothing without our next breath and we can begin to change anything about our situation with the power of our next breath. Breathing is the most important potential in our lives. Learn to use your inbred, natural power to become the person you were created to be. Then you will possess the greatest wealth available to mankind. To get in tune with your personal potential, begin a daily walking routine wherever you live, work, or spend time regularly. Start with short walks and focus on breathing as you walk. Notice how you regulate your breath by the pace of your step. Get out walking in your natural environment to get in touch with how you feel and what you need to change in your daily routine. Nature will automatically reply to your request by refreshing your mood and replacing any negativity with a generous helping of recreating power. Gradually lengthen walking time to reach deeper personal fulfillment.

The Frequent Session Program

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:24:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer A couple of years ago, my wife and I flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles, then to Melbourne, Australia, and after that to Singapore. On the way back, we headed from Bangkok to Melbourne, then back to L.A, and from southern California to southern Florida. All these flights were either first class or business class. The remarkable thing about this exotic and long-distance itinerary is that these journeys didn't cost me a penny; they were all "paid" for by American Airlines, or by one of their partner airlines around the world as part of American's frequent flyer program. [More]

Achieving Goals with Greater Success

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:19:00 -0500

by Tim Brunson, PhD The one area in which most people consistently fail involves setting and achieving goals. Whether this involves projects around the house, education, or changing bad habits, en vogue methods of goal setting and achievement rarely help us achieve the intended results. Even though I agree that it is essential to consciously select, write down, and proclaim objectives to others, from that point forward many find insurmountable difficulties causing delays or total abandonment of their dreams. [More]

Manage your Clients' Body Problems and/or Emotional Issues, but Not their Finances of Schedules

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 13:29:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer If your bodywork client has suffered an injury--to her back in a car crash, for example--you probably have no problem recommending to her that she come back to see you in two days after the massage that you just gave her. If you do psychological counseling you wouldn't think twice about recommending to your client in a marital crisis to see you more than once a week until the crisis is settled. This is despite the fact that she might not have insurance to cover the cost of your treatment. You also don't think twice about how she might arrange her appointments to see you within 48 hours of stepping off your table--gingerly, of course, if her back is bad--or soberly if she's depressed. [More]

Don't Keep your Blessings to Yourself

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:24:00 -0500

by Joyce-Anne Locking This is the time of year to consider all the blessings and gifts we have. Blessings, also know as spiritual gifts, are like flowers. They need to be picked up, and placed on an open space to be admired and enjoyed. As they are, seeds are planted and more production takes place. If gifts such as these are left unused, we soon stop practising them and lose our ability to keep them in shape. Spiritual gifts, like blessings, need to be maintained daily. To do this, we must learn to hear our own creative voice. Listen to what your heart is telling you. What are the things you like most and enjoy spending time on. [More]

Become a Facebook Fan of your Healing Business

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:07:00 -0500

by Coach Cary Bayer A day barely goes by that I don't receive an invitation, often by one massage therapist or alternative healer or another from Maine to California, to become a fan of this professional group or that. To which I say to these healers: I'm glad that you're a fan of John Doe or the XYZ Healing Business. Now let me ask you a question: Are you also a fan of your healing arts business? If not, I suggest that you first become a fan of your business before giving up your time to follow the pursuits of Mr. Doe. You'd be far better off using that time to market and network your own business. It's far more profitable for you to take some time to empower yourself and your business than to give over your power to someone else. [More]