By Joanne McQuarrie
Sierra Franklin has been providing clinical hypnotherapy to clients, both locals and people from around the world for the last few months.
Getting hypnotherapy herself propelled Franklin, based in Invermere, to learn the skill and help people as she had been helped. “I tried hypnotherapy and it completely changed me as a person,” she said, “and that’s why I decided to train to be a clinical hypnotherapist.”
Franklin graduated from a two-year program at the College of Professional Hypnotherapy based in Calgary, in September, 2022, and started her business, Moving Mountains Hypnotherapy, soon after that. Franklin has been practicing hypnotherapy well before graduation though, training with practitioners during the course, since 2020.
“Hypnotherapy gives you direct access to the subconscious mind, and all of your beliefs and habits live in your subconscious mind,” Franklin explained. “With hypnotherapy you can process emotions and create positive habits and mindsets. I tend to find with all the things people come to me about, that the root cause is usually past trauma.”
“… if you have fears or stress, we process it through the session and at the finish, let it go. So when you leave you feel positive, well-rested and amazing.
“The client really guides the session; I follow their lead,” Franklin continued. “It’s very similar to a guided meditation; it’s very relaxing. On the relaxation thing: 15 minutes in hypnosis can be the equivalent of four hours of deep sleep.”
The length of sessions, Franklin said, depends on what is being worked on. “I recommend between three and six sessions; it can be as little as one session, it can be as many as ten sessions. I get more weight loss clients than anything else, as well as clients with anxiety.”
Franklin noted, “Hypnotherapy is not yet regulated in Canada; we’re in the process of getting it regulated, which means it’s not covered by insurance.” Franklin urged people to phone those who organize work-related benefits, to encourage insurance providers to cover it in the future.
In addition to the therapeutic side of matters, Franklin is a hypnotist entertainer, with a stage name of ‘Sierra Says’. “I saw it when I was a kid; I thought it was fun and exciting!” She took part in theatre productions in school too. “I love being onstage! I’m available to hire for birthday parties, bachelor and staff parties, pubs, local events and more.”
