Nicholas Pollak

When I recently traveled to the United Kingdom to bury a friend of 43 years, I was reminded that we all eventually grow old and die. I am approaching an age I never thought I would reach. Although the trip was a sad occasion, my wife and I enjoyed...

Even after many years, I am amazed at the variety of issues clients bring to me on a daily basis. My newest client wanted to deal with his continuous outbursts of temper, not a new impediment for him. He also wanted to stop drinking. Consuming two to four glasses of wine nightly turned him into...

I received news the other day that upset me, and the result was a flurry of hectic activity trying to book a flight to London and hotel arrangements. My best friend for 40 years had died. A punch to the stomach. I had to go to the funeral.

Depression is awful for anyone who suffers from it. Good days and bad days, but every day is as if you are walking through a fog, unable to connect with anyone. When you visit the doctor, he sends you to a psychiatrist who prescribes an anti- depressant that soon enough stops working. The doctor next recommends a separate medication intended to boost what you already are taking. It helps temporarily. Depression, though, creeps back

A 60ish lady who had been treated poorly as a child, married three times, twice to alcoholics who abused her, came to see me for her second session. Now she is...

Some people don’t get hypnosis. They think their problems will be resolved right after being hypnotized, without any further effort on their part. It is just not possible for a hypnotist to help such a person. After setting an appointment and showing up, the key for the client is to accept that he/she must take an active part in recovery.

I recently received a nervous call from a 55-year-old female recovering alcoholic and drug addict. She has been sober 15 years, but now she is experiencing a problem with what she called her sugar addiction. I have helped many people with this issue.

The mother of a 12-year-old boy called to ask if I would see children, and whether she could sit in. I cautioned her that sometimes it was best to not to witness session because it can inhibit a child. When she stepped out, I would ensure that the child was telling me everything without...

On vacation in Las Vegas, my wife and I were walking to our room when a large gentleman in the middle of the path slowed us. Three hundred and fifty pounds, sweating profusely, he appeared to be in pain. At his side, his two grandchildren were tugging at him to hurry up.

As a hypnotherapist, it can be difficult keeping pace with the multitude of changes in my field –medical discoveries, new findings about the mind and how it works, new medications. Hypnosis is one of the few areas of life that is unchanged after thousands of years. It has been around that long and effectively used.