Business of the mind

Local hypnotherapists help clients reach root of personal issues

By Shannon Wells

The Gresham Outlook, Mar 25, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

John Klicker / The Outlook

Dr. Jay Irvin, of the Gresham Hypnotherapy Clinic, found his true calling after years as a psychologist and restaurant owner. He found his way from the Hypnotherapy Academy of America in Santa Fe, N.M., to a full-time hypnotherapy practice in Gresham.

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Dr. Jay Irvin compares the mechanics of hypnotherapy to riding a horse. While some riders believe they are in control, the horse ultimately makes the decisions.

And so it goes with human consciousness.

“Most people think the conscious mind is in charge,” he said, “but the subconscious is really in charge of about 90 percent of our lives.”

After decades of media stereotypes likening the practice with magic, voodoo and mind control, hypnotherapy is gaining ground – as well as respectability – in a growing field of non-traditional wellness options. That growth is being felt in East County, where the number of naturopathic doctors, chiropractors and massage therapists grows steadily.

Clinical hypnotherapists Johnny E. McDonald and Irvin offer alternative routes to personal growth and healing with their full-time hypnotherapy practices.

Irvin, a psychologist and former restaurateur who’s been in business for nearly three years at the Gresham Hypnotherapy Clinic,16 N.E. Hogan Dr., started his practice in Southwest Portland. He had plenty of clients, but thought he could offer more east of the larger city.

“When I first came here, there was no one actively practicing hypnotherapy,” he said. “I came here believing there was an underserved community in East County.”

A North Carolina native, Irvin, 47, is aware of stereotypes that the Gresham area is less alternative-minded than the faster-paced Portland. With population growth and migration, however, he sees things changing fast. And Irvin would rather be early than late to the party.

“Stereotypes are changing in Gresham,” he said. “You can either be an early adopter or an also-ran.”

A hypnotherapist helps bring subconscious thoughts, feelings and motivations to the conscious mind. A practitioner helps clients harness the useful ones while scrutinizing those that keep them from getting where they want to go, Irvin and McDonald said.

With clients seeking ways to cope with everything from grief and anxiety to smoking cessation and weight loss, modern hypnotherapy offers something for everyone.

“So many great things can be done,” said McDonald, 59, who started his practice at 135 N.W. First St. last November. “Clients say ‘I wish I had known about this 20 years ago.’ I’ve been amazed at how often people get at least some, if not total, relief from this.”

A vocational work-adjustment counselor for 20 years, McDonald has practiced hypnotherapy in New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Louisiana. By coincidence, he and Irvin both studied at the Hypnotherapy Academy of America in Santa Fe, N.M.

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