Nice Article in Kearny Observer
The following article appeared this week in The Kearny Observer by Celeste Regal, Editor.
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.
