As a goalie with Junior A hockey in Ontario, Canada, Scott Cooper of Independence Township learned the value of meditation.
‘It helped me focus,? Cooper said. ‘You would picture the team you were playing against, and see what would happen.?
Then the team would make it happen, he said.
As a father, meditation became even more important. By this time, he had learned self-hypnosis techniques as a way to work out the problems and issues of the day.
He studied hypnotherapy for about eight years, formally for two, and now sees clients as a certified therapist.
‘I just want to help people,? he said. ‘I enjoy it. I find the real story, the truth.?
He doesn’t use hypnosis for entertainment. Instead, he uses it to help people break through the conscious mind to the subconscious.
Clients are referred by doctors for help in pain management and recovery, and by other therapists. Most cases are referred by other clients, or just by word of mouth.
‘I heard him talking about it at a garage sale a few weeks ago,? said Chris, a first-time client who asked that her full name not be used. ‘I was curious about it. My grandmother had herself hypnotized years ago.?
Her first session involved guided meditation, with Cooper helping her reach goals they set beforehand.
‘What I do is break down blocks,? he said. ‘I remove labels for a living. The fewer labels you have, the freer you are.?
If successful, hypnotherapy redirects the subconscious to achieve a person’s goals, he said.
The subconscious records everything, good and bad. In a hypnotic trance, clients can regress into their subconscious to the source of their negative thoughts, into their childhoods or before, into former lives, he said.
‘You relive it, look at it through the third person,? he said. ‘Rewind it, edit it, remove the negative energy ? it’s made me a better dad.?
Hypnotherapy helps people stop smoking, beat alcoholism, lose weight, and become better spouses, parents, and people, he said.
‘I love what I do ? it’s very satisfying,? he said. ‘I love to see people be happy. It makes me happy.?
Misconceptions include that people placed in a trance won’t be able to come back, or they can be brainwashed while under hypnosis.
‘If I tried to put something in that was not true to the person, you’d reject it,? he said.
Religious faith, Western and Eastern, is compatible with hypnotherapy, Cooper said, and he encourages clients to ‘let go and let God.?
Cooper grew up in Ontario, Canada, and played hockey in the 1980s for teams in New York, Denver, and Flint.
‘I still love hockey,? he said.
He, his wife, Maureen, and their sons Ryan and Sean moved in December from Rochester Hills to a house on a lake in Independence Township.
‘My wife grew up on a lake ? we wanted the same kind of place,? Cooper said. ‘We’re fortunate to be here.?
For more information on Cooper’s Hypnosis for Happiness, call 248-933-3368 or e-mail scottcooper1@msn.com.