Tag: Boynton Beach

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Depression

The Difference Between Sadness and Depression | Delray Beach, FL

There is a decisive difference between sadness and depression, but the two are often misconstrued and mixed up. About one in every 15 adults will be adversely affected by depression each year with obstacles such as Covid-19 tipping the scale.

Feelings of sadness occur when we lose something we need and care about such as a job or a partner. It is often associated with the loss of some aspect of one’s identity (e.g., a job, a personal relationship, the end of a life state). Feeling sad is a natural response to unfavorable circumstances and loss. Clinical depression on the other hand negatively affects how you think, feel, and act. Fortunately, feelings of sadness will pass in time, and depression is treatable.

If you are still wondering how to classify the way you are or have been feeling, here are some symptoms of depression to be aware of.

  • Feeling down or low for no apparent reason, lasting a week or two or longer.
  • Losing interest in the activities you enjoy.
  • Experience a change in appetite leading to weight gain or loss.
  • Have difficulty sleeping or experience the desire to sleep all day.
  • Feeling worn out or fatigued.
  • Feelings of guilt or unworthiness.
  • Having difficulty thinking, keeping focused, or making decisions.
  • Thinking about death or contemplating suicide.

It’s important to remember that life ebbs and flows, and that whether you are sad or depressed, there are several ways to overcome these feelings. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT is an evidence-based psychological treatment for clinical depression. When antidepressant medication is needed, combining medication and CBT can increase the effectiveness of both treatments. CBT teaches coping skills while meds alone do not. Often hypnotherapy can enhance the effectiveness of both of the above treatments. 

If you would like to learn more about my practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in West Pam Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

Categories
Pain Relief

How Pain Psychology Can Help You Today | Delray Beach, FL

As a licensed board-certified clinical psychologist, I have a deep understanding of pain and pain management. I myself have had to work through my own chronic pain symptoms, and I am passionate about helping my patients through theirs. Since 1991, I have provided patients with the counseling, psychotherapy, clinical hypnosis and hypnotherapy services they needed to tame their persistent physical and emotional pain. If you are suffering from chronic pain, I can help you cope more effectively and learn how to manage your chronic pain and associated emotional stress with less strain.

When we are continually fighting with persistent pain, it drains us and can take away from the experience of truly living. As I am a Ph.D. psychologist and not an MD, I utilize methods to enable you to cope with your symptoms more effectively and comfortably without the influence of drugs. These methods include education, talk therapy, guidance counseling, problem solving therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation therapy, energy healing, and clinical hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

When we work together in a Pain Management Psychotherapy(PMP) session or in a Pain Control Hypnosis (PCH) session, here is what you can expect. A typical session will last 50 minutes, and extended sessions will last 90 minutes. Our first visit is an initial consultation wherein I will evaluate your pain, your goals and objectives, your needs, and your prior experiences with attempting to manage your pain. This will provide me with the information necessary to formulate an individualized treatment plan.

The areas I commonly address with patients include but are not limited to the following:

  • Safe and effective non-drug methods to manage pain, such as hypnosis.
  • Exploring any depression or anxiety you may be experiencing that heightens your pain.
  • Introducing and teaching pain management strategies.
  • Teaching effective relaxation, meditation, and self-hypnosis skills.
  • Education about the safe and proper use of pain medication
  • Exploring and treating any anger, shame, and feelings of isolation and/or alienation.
  • Improving your interpersonal relationships,
  • Teaching effective means of dealing with family tension.
  • Addressing any substance abuse issues which you may be having.
  • Resolving emotional issues that may be exacerbating your persistent pain.

If you have been unable to find an effective way to deal with your ongoing pain, and you have had appropriate medical workups, and treatment, then Pain Management Psychotherapy and Pain Control Hypnosis may provide the solutions you need.

If you would like to learn more about this practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer is a licensed board-certified clinical psychologist and certified hypnotherapist who proudly serves patients in West Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

Categories
Anxiety

Anxiety and You: How Therapy Can Help | Delray Beach, FL

Instability, illness, change, and uncertainty can activate feelings of vulnerability. As a result, these experiences can trigger anxiety – especially when a person does not feel he or she possesses the resources to cope effectively. Feeling vulnerable is an experience no one wants to have. Unfortunately, it can often lead a person to make poor decisions which worsen the situation. 

One reason people who feel vulnerable can be led to make poor decisions is that the symptoms of anxiety that are triggered cloud their better judgment and hinder their ability to employ their coping skills. These symptoms can include feelings of nervousness, tension, dread, or panic, as well as physiological symptoms such as rapid breathing, sweating, muscle twitching, weakness, and hyper-arousal or lethargy.

If you are experiencing these symptoms of anxiety, it may be a sign that you should seek help from either your trusted peers or a professional therapist. Research has repeatedly shown that therapy for anxiety is a more effective treatment method than medication alone. While medications work to treat the symptoms you are experiencing, Anxiety Management Therapy can help you understand, address, and begin to work through the underlying causes of your anxiety and worry.

As a licensed clinical psychologist, I utilize evidence-based methods which include cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness techniques, and clinical hypnosis to address your anxiety and assist you in working through it. During our initial consultation, I will work to gain an understanding of your anxiety, your previous attempts at resolving it, and your goals. In our sessions to follow, I will teach you how to relax, gain new perspectives, and assist you in developing effective coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills so that you can control your worries. 

There is this concept that there are three types of mind. They are the heart-mind, the brain-mind, and the gut mind. Each mind has its own way of processing our experiences and notifying us about the meaning of those experiences. Ideally, we should learn how to listen to all three of our minds and give appropriate weight to the type of mind that might provide the most useful information in a particular situation. 

The heart mind and the gut mind can be guiding beacons to your truest innermost feelings. However, if you suffer from persistent worrying and anxiety, equipped with the right knowledge and skills, your brain mind can provide relief. I believe that the old saying, let not your tender heart be troubled refers to the idea that your heart sometimes needs rational help from your brain. Romantics tell us to trust our hearts. And I agree that this is often the way to go. However, we must also educate our brains to guide us out of sticky situations. 

If you would like to learn more about how you can cultivate all three types of mind in a balanced manner to help you tame anxiety, you can schedule a free 15-minute consultation appointment by visiting us online or you can call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer is a licensed board-certified clinical psychologist and certified hypnotherapist who proudly serves patients in West Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

Categories
Hypnotherapy

Couples Counseling Through Hypnotherapy | Delray Beach, FL

Dr. Bruce Eimer teaching

I take a solution-focused strategic approach to couples counseling. This means that my approach begins by understanding each individual’s dedication to the relationship itself, their willingness
to improve it, and where the partners differ in that equation. I also attempt to understand how each individual defines their own loyalty to the partnership, in order to get a well-rounded understanding of what’s really going on for them.


When a couple seeks my guidance, it’s usually because they are at odds with how they view or attend to the notion of loyalty. Unfortunately, if the individuals involved are at odds about their
commitment to repairing the relationship, couples counseling is unlikely to be effective. If however, each partner is committed to repairing their commitment to one another, the work can begin.


To provide couples with the help they seek, we begin by recalling the positive memories they hold of one another, and the relationship as a whole. Through hypnosis, we relax their defenses, which is important because upon entering couples therapy, defenses run high. The aim in this process is to make relationship repair an enjoyable experience, even though the process requires real work. In essence, I facilitate a safe place wherein the couple can re-bond. This is
accomplished by providing each partner with the opportunity to safely release their immediate frustrations and to create new positive memories together.


Hypnotherapy can provide couples the moment of pause they need to remember what brought them together, so they can rekindle their relationship.

If you would like to learn more about this practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our
office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in West Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

Categories
Weight Loss

Struggling With Your Weight? Hypnosis Can Help | Delray Beach, FL

Many Americans struggle with their weight; this is not a new concept, but it is a modern issue. If you have sought the assistance of weight loss programs, juice cleanses, or diet pills, and nothing has worked, it may be time to consider hypnotherapy. I am a licensed psychologist and professional hypnotherapist serving individuals struggling with their weight loss journey for over thirty years. My Weight Reduction Hypnosis Program based on scientific principles has helped countless individuals meet their weight loss goals.


The benefits of achieving your optimal weight are many, and any practitioner will tell you that healthy weight loss is your gain in wellness. Numerous patients have told me how their health has improved as they made dietary changes to achieve their weight loss goal. As an individual with type 2 diabetes, I have first-hand experience with how effective hypnotherapy can be. It’s hard to say ‘no’ to our favorite foods, but the repercussions of not having our weight under control are worse than our fleeting cravings.


To put it simply, our desire feeds our imagination and vice versa. The imagination is created by the subconscious mind, and your imagination influences how your brain processes the bulk of
the information you receive. Your unconscious mind controls your desires, feeds your imagination, and controls all your habits. And your unconscious mind is literal and concrete. It does not differentiate what you imagine doing, and what you actually do. Therefore, when your unconscious is repeatedly given messages that you crave certain foods, it imagines eating them, and this makes you want them more.


My Weight Reduction Hypnosis Program is designed to make it easy for you to replace your unhealthy food cravings with healthy eating habits. I provide patients with individualized hypnotic suggestions in the particular language their unconscious understands. This means I feed suggestions to your unconscious that feel familiar and are therefore accepted because it feels as if these suggestions were thought by you. In other words, you feel as if these ideas came from you, and therefore you make them your own. These ideas then translate into actionable steps to achieve your goals, easily and naturally.


If you would like to learn more about my Weight Reduction Hypnosis Program and my practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today
at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in West Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

Categories
Uncategorized

Hypnotherapy Can Help Smokers Stop Smoking for Good | Delray Beach, FL

Nicotine addiction is a very real physical and mental need people who smoke cigarettes or vape nicotine develop. Moving away from nicotine becomes more difficult the longer you smoke. Why? You form an oral fixation on the act of smoking and become neurologically dependent on the way nicotine helps you deal with stress and ward off withdrawal symptoms. In fact, the withdrawal alone will halt people in their tracks when it comes to quitting cigarettes or vaping.

Hypnotherapy may not be the first method of quitting you consider, but it can be a powerful tool to overcome your addiction. If you have tried nicotine patches, going cold turkey, cutting back off the amount you smoke, or any other means and failed, it may be time to try hypnotherapy. In fact, if you have tried these methods, you have already recognized that you need help to stop smoking. 

Our habits are controlled by the subconscious mind, and hypnotherapy taps into your subconscious to unlock lasting change. When your conscious and unconscious mind begins to interact and cooperate through hypnotherapy, it will be easier to stop smoking because you will feel less stress, and experience little to no withdrawal symptoms.

Dr. Eimer has been working with cigarette-dependent patients for years and has developed a means of helping you to kick your habit in one visit. He feels the following are essential to the process and are what anyone who really wants to quit smoking needs.

  • A compelling, emotionally valid reason
  • An understanding of the effects of cigarettes on your health
  • Recognizing the consequences of continuing the habit
  • Understanding the benefits of being a non-smoker
  • A way to manage the stress of quitting the habit

The best results come from having a powerful individualized live session, however, Dr. Eimer authored the Best Stop Smoking With Hypnosis Program available for purchase here. 

If you would like to learn more about this practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in West Pam Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

Categories
Pain Relief

Say Goodbye to Pain Through Hypnosis | Delray Beach, FL

Chronic pain is an affliction many people struggle with every day, often for years without relief and no end in sight. While the right medications often can help, we have seen the use of opioids destroy individuals, and plague communities. The fact is that medication is not a stand-alone solution and I would encourage you to seek out alternatives. There is a range of care options to help you get pain relief. One of those options is hypnotherapy. For over 30 years, I have been using hypnosis for pain management to improve the lives of people suffering from chronic pain. 

Hypnosis is a technique that involves inducing a trance-like state in which a person becomes highly relaxed and focused, with an increased ability to concentrate and respond to suggestions effortlessly. Hypnosis is highly effective as a tool for facilitating pain relief for both acute and chronic pain. While the exact mechanisms behind how hypnosis relieves pain are still not fully understood, there are several theories that suggest how it may work.

One theory suggests that hypnosis can alter a person’s perception of pain by changing the way the brain processes and interprets pain signals. The brain has the ability to modulate pain signals, and hypnosis may help activate this mechanism. There are multiple ways to activate this pain modulation mechanism. 

1. One method is a distraction. During hypnosis, a person may be guided to imagine themselves in a pleasant or relaxing setting, which can help distract them from the pain they are experiencing. 

2. Another method is developing direct awareness. Hypnosis can help a person become more mindful and aware of their thoughts and emotions, which can help them develop a better coping strategy for managing pain.

3. A third method is learning how to distort the pain signal itself. Hypnosis can help a person transform their perception of pain.

There are additional hypnotic strategies that can work effectively but the key to their effectiveness is to thoroughly evaluate the patient’s personality and coping style and to match the methods to the patient. 

Another theory about how hypnosis works for creating pain relief suggests that hypnosis may help regulate the release of certain neurotransmitters and hormones in the body, such as endorphins and cortisol, which can help reduce pain and stress levels. Endorphins are natural painkillers that the body produces, and hypnosis may help stimulate the production of these chemicals. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can increase inflammation and pain, and hypnosis may help lower cortisol levels, which can lead to decreased pain.

Overall, while the exact mechanisms behind how hypnosis relieves pain are still not fully understood, there is solid evidence that hypnosis can be an effective complementary therapy for managing pain, especially when used in conjunction with other treatments. It is important to note that hypnosis should always be performed by a trained professional and should never be used as a substitute for medical treatment.

Please Note: Pain Control Hypnosis is NOT a substitute for appropriate medical evaluation, treatment, and care. Clinical Hypnosis can serve as a powerful supplement or complementary method to your ongoing medical care.

For over 30 years, I have helped thousands of patients who suffered from persistent pain syndromes get pain relief and lead more fulfilling lives. If you would like to learn more about my practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in West Pam Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.

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Uncategorized

Hypnotherapy and Panic Disorder | Boca Raton, FL

More often than not, when people consider panic, it’s in regard to stimuli that result in a physical reaction, such as a panic attack. Many people experience at least one panic attack during their life, but panic disorder is a prolonged experience.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause… if you’ve had recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and spent long periods in constant fear of another attack, you may have a condition called panic disorder.”

Symptoms

The symptoms of a panic attack include but are not limited to shaking, feeling disorientated, nausea, rapid heartbeats, dry mouth, breathlessness, and sweating. At the moment that this occurs, a panic attack can be alleviated through slow, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. As noted above, many people are likely to experience this sensation, but it’s the prolonged experience of living in fear of another attack that defines panic disorder. Panic disorder, unfortunately, cannot necessarily be alleviated in this way. That’s where hypnotherapy can help.

How hypnotherapy can help

Hypnotherapy works to reduce the likelihood that an individual may experience a panic attack by addressing the subconscious reasons why it may occur in the first place. I work with you to understand the unique behavioral patterns and triggers that are stimulated when your mind is under stress. Once that has been assessed, we can begin to replace these with more appropriate responses, allowing you to regain control of your reactions. In time, stressors will begin to feel less overwhelming, you will be able to practice these methods in your daily life, and begin to avert panic attacks altogether.

For 30 years, I have helped thousands of patients who struggle with panic disorder overcome their symptoms, and begin to live a life free of the symptoms they experience. If you would like to learn more about this practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, and surrounding areas.

Categories
PTSD

PTSD and Its Link to Chronic Pain | Boca Raton, FL

One might not consider that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain can be directly correlated with one another. Yet, according to Psychiatric Times, “Many individuals with chronic pain suffer from PTSD due to the incidents that caused trauma-related distress, but chronic pain is also commonly found in individuals with PTSD as their primary disorder. Hence, a better understanding of this comorbidity may be important for the treatment of both disorders.”

According to the studies examined in the full Psychiatric Times article above, there are three potential explanations as to why the two may not only coexist but negatively enhance one another. Here is a breakdown of these potential explanations, and how hypnotherapy can work to alleviate both PTSD and chronic pain for individuals who experience one or both of these life-altering conditions.

One study found “that underlying predisposing factors or traits cause the development of both PTSD and chronic pain. In particular, anxiety sensitivity may amplify the intensity of the initial emotional response to a traumatic event, thereby increasing the risk of developing either condition.” This is referred to as shared vulnerabilities and is one of the potential reasons why PTSD and chronic pain may coexist for someone.

An individual’s sensitivity to pain can also be traced to PTSD as traumatic events may heighten or decrease one’s sensitivity to pain. According to the research, PTSD from combat-related incidents increases a person’s pain threshold, meaning these individuals develop a greater tolerance to sensations of pain. Yet, for those whose PTSD is not combat-related, disassociation can actually increase someone’s bias towards the sensation of pain resulting in a lower threshold for withstanding pain.

The third link, mutual maintenance, refers to the seven means by which PTSD and chronic pain work to negatively enhance one another. Essentially, the researchers uncovered seven different ways an individual may begin to experience “heightened expectations, overestimations, and selective and negative interpretations of both pain-evoking and fear-evoking stimuli… evoking fear and PTSD intrusion and hyperarousal… physical deconditioning, inactivity, disability… limited capacity to employ adaptive coping strategies.”

How Hypnotherapy Can Help

This is a lot for any individual to manage; either disorder is likely to shake one’s ability to move through life, and both may leave someone feeling hopeless. Thankfully, strategically formulated hypnotherapy can address and resolve the underlying conflicts that keep a person from functioning well and getting the most out of life. 

As a licensed clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and hypnotherapist, I can work with you to formulate an individualized program to address your pain and teach you how to tame it. I can help you to safely access your memories, examine and reprocess them, and better understand your feelings about the trauma you carry. 

Together, we can begin to reduce the negative impressions fixed in your subconscious by your traumatic experience and help you gain control over and reduce your pain. Relief is possible, and if you have tried other interventions without success, hypnotherapy may be the solution you have been looking for.

For 30 years, I have helped thousands of patients who struggle with PTSD and chronic pain overcome their symptoms and begin to live a life free of the symptoms they experience. If you would like to learn more about my practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, and surrounding areas.

Categories
Anxiety

Hypnotherapy to Treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder | Boca Raton, FL

Life during covid-19 pandemic. Portrait of stressed stylish woman in blue blouse with medical mask outdoors on the city street.

Persistent anxiety associated with pervasive worrying, apprehension, and nervousness is called generalized anxiety disorder. Symptoms of this disorder also include restlessness, feelings of panic or dread, rapid breathing, trembling or muscle twitching, difficulty focusing, and an obsession or preoccupation with the inability to prevent bad things from happening. 

Anyone can experience anxiety when external factors make us fearful, nervous, or tense, but it’s when we feel this way consistently that it starts to become a diagnosable issue. In fact, a generalized anxiety disorder can seriously impact our ability to work, be social, and wind down when it is appropriate to do so. Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder remain wound up most of the time. This degrades a person’s quality of life and can lead to dependence or addiction to tranquilizers, sedatives, or pain pills.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “generalized anxiety disorder includes persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about activities or events — even ordinary, routine issues. The worry is out of proportion to the actual circumstance, is difficult to control, and affects how you feel physically. It often occurs along with other anxiety disorders or depression.” In fact, untreated generalized anxiety disorder often gives rise to clinical depression as persistent feelings of helplessness eventually turn into hopelessness. 

Hypnotherapy is a commonly overlooked solution to generalized anxiety. It is a powerful tool for treating the symptoms of anxiety and for finding the underlying causes and resolving them. However, as with any tool, hypnosis is effective if it is employed by a trained and experienced professional therapist. In the wrong hands, a tool can be ineffective or worse, cause damage. Therefore, in searching for a therapist to help you overcome generalized anxiety, it is important to do your homework. Your best bet is a licensed mental health professional with an appropriate graduate degree (e.g., Ph.D., Psy.D., MD, DO, LCSW, LMFT) who has the requisite education and experience. And you need to feel comfortable honestly confiding in this person for therapy to work!

In my practice, I employ an evidence-based approach that combines cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and clinical hypnosis techniques. When we work together, you will learn how to relax and reevaluate external triggers, as well as develop coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills that work for your anxiety. Over time, as we work together and you begin to apply these methods in your daily life, you will respond differently to the situations that used to trigger you. You will build your self-confidence and achieve freedom from debilitating anxiety.

If you have tried and exhausted multiple treatment options without finding relief, hypnotherapy may be the solution you have been seeking. 

For 30 years, I have helped thousands of patients who struggle with generalized anxiety disorder overcome their symptoms, and begin to live a life free of anxiety. If you would like to learn more about my practice or would like to schedule a free consultation appointment, visit us online or call our office today at (561) 377-1039.

Dr. Eimer proudly serves patients in West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Wellington, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Parkland, Coral Springs, Hallandale, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and surrounding areas.