Casey Giovinco, a consulting hypnotist and yoga-inspired life coach, attests that we are all constantly bombarded with subliminal suggestions. “Whether you know it or not, if you watch TV, listen to the radio or have relationships with other people, you’re hearing hidden suggestions that you’re not even aware of,” he says. “So why not use it to our advantage?” Once Giovinco realized the magnitude of the power of hypnotic suggestion, he became inspired to use the art and science of subliminal messages to help others gain back control of their lives.

While hypnosis is used to treat a wide variety of conditions, Giovinco shares that it is an especially effective tool for weight loss. “That’s because it works on anything that has an emotional component to it,” he explains. “Lots of weight-related issues are caused by an emotional attachment to something. For instance, if a woman has experienced some kind of physical abuse in her past, she may subconsciously make herself overweight to protect herself from further abuse. By using hypnosis, she’ll be able to remove the programming that is keeping her overweight. ”

In addition to removing subconscious blocks, hypnosis can target certain behaviors associated with weight gain. “For instance—late night snacking—that’s a common one,” says Giovinco.  “So many people stay up late watching television, and many of the commercials tap into their unconscious fears. They don’t want those feelings, so they end up snacking. Hypnosis can help with that.”

Giovinco thinks hypnosis is an ideal modality to complement any healthy lifestyle choice. “If you’re really focused on eating well, hypnosis can help mitigate cravings. A hypnotic suggestion placed under your gym playlist can make you want to go to the gym. Hypnosis can address your issues from so many angles,” he assures. 

Giovinco notes that one question he often gets is if hypnosis works for everybody. “It always works as long as two things are in place—trust in your hypnotherapist and consent for whatever suggestions they have for you. If you don’t consent, the suggestions won’t work,” he advises. “But if you do consent, hypnotherapy is an amazing modality.”

Face-to-face, phone, video chat and email sessions are available. For more information, call 717-462-6393 or visit CaseyGiovinco.com.

Erin Lehn Floresca is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.