Occasionally we host free talks in our events space, which are simultaneously streamed to YouTube, as a way to share our insights with the public, and to contribute to a much-needed discussion about how to best serve those who are suffering deeply.
The following series, taught by Luke Chao, was held in May 2023:
Answering the Skeptics of Hypnotherapy
Saturday May 6 at 4:30 p.m.
Skepticism of hypnosis is seldomly based on knowledge of the subject—unlike skepticism of much alternative health. In this hour-long talk, we answer common charges against the hypnotherapy profession, from scientific, medical and legal perspectives, at the same time that we seek to define it precisely. There will be time for questions at the end: please bring additional criticisms that we might have missed.
How to Inhabit a Traumatized Body
Saturday May 13 at 4:30 p.m.
After trauma, we do not have the option literally to escape our bodies. Because we must inhabit our bodies, our mind escapes instead, often to places that do not serve us. In this hour-long talk, we share approaches for inhabiting our own bodies during the lengthy process of healing from trauma.
How to Properly See and Hear
Saturday May 20 at 4:30 p.m.
When somebody says, “I see you and I hear you,” what exactly do they mean? We have eyes and ears, but even those of us who are fully abled do not always make full use of them—often preferring imagination or memory to the evidence of our senses. In this hour-long talk, we bring meaning to the idea of being “present.”
A New Paradigm for Mental Health
Saturday May 27 at 4:30 p.m.
The outcomes we’ve been achieving as hypnotherapists obligate us to advocate for a new approach to mental health during the ongoing crises of addiction, anxiety and depression in Canada. It will not be a paradigm of treating illness, but a paradigm of educating individuals in how to live a fulfilling life. We will address the concern that this is naive or paternalistic: we imagine ourselves as neither. This hour-long talk speaks primarily to mental health professionals who feel hamstrung by the profession they’ve joined, but all members of the public are welcome to join. For a preview of the content, please read our opinion essay on the subject.