By Colleen Reynolds
Reporter

RUTHERFORD (April 2, 2009) — Hypnosis no longer involves just a staring hypnotist swinging a watch while chanting, “You are getting very sleepy.”

Barry Wolfson, director of the Hypnosis Counseling Center, conducted two hypnotherapy sessions for the Rutherford Adult School Wednesday, March 25. Wolfson, who has been hypnotizing adults in Rutherford for nearly 20 years, offered workshops for those who wanted to quit smoking or lose weight.

“Most people don’t like this; they love it,” claims Wolfson, who reports a 67 percent success rate over his 23-year career.

An initial skeptic, Wolfson became a supporter of the practice after a cousin hypnotized him while he was earning his Master of Science degree in counseling at Upsala College. “It’s more mainstream now,” the former basketball coach said of the current practice of hypnosis. “It’s opened me up to the power of the mind.”

After emphasizing the deleterious effects of smoking and extra weight and highlighting the benefits of improvement, he guided the classes through “progressive relaxation.”
“It’s an alpha state of mind, a dreamlike state, similar to the feeling you get before you fall asleep,” he said, “where I can plant positive suggestions for change at the subconscious level.”

Those who are creative and have positive attitudes tend to make the best candidates, he added.

Gradually, the participants were mentally transported from the classroom setting to their own imagery of beaches and the countryside.

Catherine Cannizzo, of Wood-Ridge, had been a double-pack-a-day smoker for two decades when she attended one of Wolfson’s classes in the 1980s. After just one session, she said she was able to quit and has not touched a cigarette since.

Cannizzo attended the most recent weight loss workshop for help in achieving her latest goal. She did not realize it would be the same hypnotist, but was hopeful the therapy will yield positive results. “I’ll know tomorrow if it worked,” she said.

A 60-year-old civil engineer from Rutherford also reported single-session success. His wife’s smoking cessation through hypnosis inspired him to enroll in the course for weight loss. “Hopefully, it will work for me, too,” he said, later admitting that he felt his scientific background was disadvantageous. According to Wolfson, those who are analytical may not enjoy the same results.

The Hypnosis Counseling Center (www.hypnosisnj.com) offers hypnotherapy for a range of issues, including public speaking, insomnia and even a lack of confidence in athletes. Wolfson will hypnotize again for smoking at 6:30 p.m. and weight loss at 7:30 p.m. at 554 Bloomfield Ave. in Bloomfield Tuesday, April 14.

USING HYPNOSIS TO BREAK BAD HABITS, BARRY WOLFSON AT KEARNY ADULT SCHOOL

Barry Wolfson, Director of the Hypnosis Counseling Center, came to give two different sessions on March 5 at the Kearny Adult School. The classes – one on overcoming the smoking habit and one on overeating – were held at Kearny High at 6:30. Wolfson has been coming to the adult school for 23 years and has offices in Bloomfield, Flemington and Frenchtown. The Center can help people with a variety of problems from migraine headaches to sales motivation. His literature lists 18 areas where he says hypnosis can relieve not only fears and habits you wish to change but also ways in which you would like to respond to life.

He is originally from Newark and the Oranges and became interested in hypnosis while he was coaching college basketball at Upsala College in East Orange when the players would come to him with their problems and concerns, as well as many friends and family.

I took some courses and went back (to school) for my masters in counseling. I had a cousin who was a social worker in hypnotherapy,” he said. ” She got me involved with the people who trained her and I trained there as well.”

Wolfson has a Master of Science in counseling; certifications from the Institute of Hypnotherapy and Habit Hypnosis Control Systems, both in New York City. He said that most of his clients come from referral and his success rates are excellent.

“I’ve been coming to schools like the one in Kearny for years and if people didn’t do well, they probably wouldn’t keep having me come,” he explained.

The hypnosis session I attended was the “quit smoking” class. Although I don’t smoke I found the experience very pleasant. After a number of breathing exercises, Wolfson takes the class through a kind of guided imagery path where his soothing voice compels you through gentle suggestions to go deeper into a state of relaxation and meditation.

You are not asleep or unconscious since you can hear everything that is going on around you but the routine had a curiously happy affect. I felt happy and calm (not the general state for an extremely stressful job like an editor.) I don’t know about the others but there was a bounce in my step as I left and I felt energized.

Wolfson said he likes to help people achieve things that are “tough to do on their own.”

Even if I see people in a group or individually a couple of times and they no longer smoke, then they’re going to live a heck of a lot longer so that’s pretty satisfying,” he said. “It doesn’t work for everybody but it works for most folks if they are open to it. If you think you’re going to achieve it you will.”

Another surprise is that while Wolfson seems demure upon first meeting him, he is very funny in class and gets everyone in a familiar state with each other. It was really a fun time and the hour went quickly. I had no idea I would benefit from going through the hypnotic suggestions but I did focus on a behavioral change instead of a smoking one, and that worked out well.

To find out more about Wolfson and his work or to see a schedule for upcoming classes visit his Web site at http://hypnosisnj.com/site/. There is a a lot of written information and YouTube videos/. You can also call 908-996-3311.

You can visit on other pages on the website and watch video on the Home page, Smoking, weight loss page, Stress page and “How It Works ” page. You could also go directly to Youtube.com and enter Hypnosis Counseling Center or Barry Wolfson in the search bar.

SAY YES TO HYP-NO-SIS

Can’t kick that nicotine habit? Having trouble putting down that cheeseburger? Want to accomplish something you never thought you could?

Help is available – in the form of hypnosis. Using “progressive relaxation techniques,” the only tools needed to succeed are the mind and the desire, claims Barry Wolfson of Bloomfield’s Hypnosis Counseling Center.

Anyone can accomplish their goals without prescription drugs, fad diets or expensive meals plans, Wolfson said. Hypnosis is safe, medically approved and it works, he said.

“It plants positive suggestions for behavioral change at the subconscious level to help people to do things that are difficult to achieve on their own,” he said.

With office in Bloomfield, Flemington and Frenchtown, Wolfson’s program offers both individual and group counseling. Using an audio CD, Wolfson crafts a message geared to the individual’s particular need.

” Keeping your resolution is a long term goal,” he said.

Wolfson received a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University and a Master of Science in counseling at Upsala College. He has formal training in counseling and hypnotherapy.

The Hypnosis Counsleing Center is located on 554 Bloomfield Ave., lower level, L2.

Foul Shot Doc Barry Wolfson, others in field defend hypnosis for athletes
by Express-Times staff

Hunterdon County is home to the Foul Shot Doc.

Barry Wolfson, a hypnotherapist in Flemington who specializes in sports psychology, believes he can improve athletes’ abilities through his practice.

Barry Wolfson, the Foul Shot Doc, says hypnosis can help athletes. He said his work helped Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson improve his free throws.
Magic guard Jameer Nelson’s game was helped by hypnosis, according to Flemington hypnotherapist Barry Wolfson.

His proof? Orlando Magic All-Star guard Jameer Nelson, with whom Wolfson worked when he was a NBA rookie. Nelson struggled with free throws during his first season as a pro, but now he’s one of the top 15 free throw shooters in the NBA.

Wolfson, also worked with Trevor Ariza, starting forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, who is having a career best year.

But not everyone is such a fan of using hypnosis to improve athletes. A Kansas school board recently banned hypnosis for the St. John’s High School basketball team.

Wolfson and other local hypnotists panned the move.

“It’s a great tool that people don’t understand a whole lot about,” Wolfson said. “Tapping into the subconscious helps people do a lot of things. Why not use it to improve?”