When most people hear the word “hypnosis,” they picture stage performers convincing audience members to cluck like chickens or forget their own names.
For Abbey Sangmeister, MS.Ed, LPC, ACS — a therapist, hypnosis practitioner and founder of Evolving Whole — that stereotype couldn’t be further from reality.
Instead, she sees hypnosis as a tool for helping people quiet the noise, reconnect with themselves and shift limiting beliefs that may be holding them back.
“It’s not about controlling someone’s mind,” Sangmeister, explained. “Your brain is only going to take in what it wants to take in. If there was something you truly didn’t want to do, your brain isn’t going to go down that path.”
Based in Egg Harbor Township, Sangmeister has spent more than 16 years working in the mental health field. While she remains a strong advocate for traditional therapy, she became increasingly interested in hypnosis and subconscious change work as a way to help clients complement the insights they gain in counseling.
“I love traditional therapy. I think it’s amazing,” she said. “But it takes time. I wanted to find other ways to support clients and help them achieve their goals.”
Her journey into hypnosis grew from her own experiences challenging beliefs she had carried for years. As a child, she said she was never considered “the smart one” in her family. Later, when she decided to pursue graduate school and become a therapist, she had to consciously work through those narratives.
“There were stories that could have held me back,” she said. “I had to learn to believe in myself and not let other people’s experiences determine what was possible for me.”
That philosophy now influences much of her work.
Many of Sangmeister’s clients seek help letting go of limiting beliefs, building confidence, managing stress or achieving specific goals. Some are entrepreneurs looking to increase visibility in their businesses. Others are athletes preparing for competitions or people hoping to feel more comfortable in social situations.
One client, she recalled, was preparing to give a major public presentation. The individual was comfortable on stage, but wanted to create a meaningful connection with the audience.
“We created a hypnosis around exactly how they wanted to feel and how they wanted the audience to feel,” Sangmeister said. “They listened to it leading up to the event, and afterward they felt they had achieved exactly what they wanted.”
For many people, hypnosis conjures images of stage performers, swinging pocket watches or audience volunteers barking like dogs on command. Abbey says those misconceptions are one of the biggest hurdles she encounters when introducing people to therapeutic hypnosis.
“People often think, ‘I’m going to be hypnotized to do something silly or something I don’t want to do,'” she said. “But that’s not the work that I do.”
According to Sangmeister, hypnosis is not mind control. Rather, it is a deeply relaxed, focused state in which people become more receptive to positive suggestions and new ways of thinking. Participants remain aware of their surroundings and retain control over their actions.
“It’s like that state when you’re first waking up in the morning and you’re half awake, half asleep,” she explained. “You’re relaxed, but you’re still aware.”
One common myth is that a hypnotist can make someone do something against their will. Sangmeister said that simply is not how hypnosis works.
“Your brain has its own protective measures,” she said. “If I was suggesting something that you really didn’t want to do, you wouldn’t do it.”
Another misconception is that hypnosis puts people into a trance where they lose consciousness. In reality, many participants remember the entire experience and can often hear everything being said throughout the session.
“Your subconscious is doing the work,” she said. “I’m just guiding the journey.”
Sangmeister’s next public event takes place June 19 at Sunday Drive Farm, a lavender farm in Egg Harbor Township.
The session will be focused on creating a calm mind, but Sangmeister assured that she plans on reaching out to each registrant to ask about their preferences, background, and goals.
The evening will begin with a guided walk through the property before participants settle into the lavender fields for a group hypnosis session focused on stress relief and nervous system regulation.
Following the hypnosis session, attendees will have an opportunity to journal, reflect and connect with others. That sense of community, Sangmeister says, is one of the most important parts of the experience.
“Something we’re really missing in the world is community,” she said. “People often feel like they’re the only ones struggling with something, but they’re not. When people come together and realize they’re not alone, that’s powerful.”
For those who remain skeptical, Sangmeister encourages curiosity.
“If you’re willing, open and curious, that’s enough,” she said. “Why not try it?”
Additional hypnosis events, retreats and workshops are planned throughout the year. For more information visit evolvingwhole.com
