Along with being a board-certified hypnotist, Annelle Soponis has a Ph.D. in biology and taught anatomy and physiology at the college level. Her unique approach combines a scientific background with hypnosis, which means that she can help clients visualize the body. Anatomically, she can explain better than other hypnotists how pain travels within the body. She specializes in teaching how to interrupt the pain pathway. 

Not all hypnotists have a scientific background, and this sets Soponis apart. As a Certified Consulting Hypnotist from the National Guild of Hypnotists, she has been invited to present her talk, titled Neuroanatomy of the Pain Pathway, in August, at the National Guild of Hypnotists convention in Massachusetts. 

Soponis employs both energy techniques as well as hypnotic techniques to counteract pain and help remove beliefs that people are holding onto, such as negative self-talk, or unreleased emotions. “Thoughts go to the tissue level, and this can cause anxiety, stress and actual pain,” relates Soponis. “When done over a span of many years, the pain becomes chronic and goes deep.” 

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping, is an energy technique that addresses the emotional cause of discomfort by gently releasing negative emotions and beliefs.  It undoes the negative repetitions about pain. Once the emotions are addressed, the pain goes away. 

A hypnotic technique called glove anesthesia involves creating numbness. Under hypnosis, the hand is put to sleep. Soponis then directs the client to place the hand to numb other painful body parts.  

Pain can be acute or chronic. An example of acute pain is a headache. It is simpler to deal with because there is not much emotion attached to the pain; it is organic in the body. Using a technique like EFT can easily help the pain go away. 

Chronic pain is more complicated because the person is dealing with the emotional side of the pain. The thought process is, “Here I go again. How many pills will it take to get rid of this pain?” A person may be holding onto an emotion which is producing the pain. For example, someone was in a car accident and after careful assessment, a medical professional says the joints, ligaments and bones are fine, but pain continues to exist in the body. The person may be holding onto an emotion, such as anger. 

Neuro-linquistic programming is another modality that provides ways to approach life, change the thought process and view past life events. “A hypnotist can be called a stress-reduction specialist because clients learn techniques to relieve them of fear, frustration, stress, anxiety and habits,” suggests Soponis. “I have always believed in the mind-body connection—that is, if you can change your mind, you can change your body.” 

As a Reiki Master, Soponis also does spiritual hypnosis in conjunction with past life regression to connect with the mind-body-spirit. “The idea of past life removes the fear of death,” she notes. 

Soponis teaches her clients many techniques, including self-hypnosis, to resolve their issues. She also teaches a course on how to become a hypnotist. 

One of the best things about her life’s work is that she gets to witness the happiness of clients when their emotional and physical pain are relieved. “When I witness people receiving answers and becoming joyful, I know that I provided support to them,” she enthuses. “It is about being present for each and every person.”  

Bridge Hypnosis is located in Reading. For appointments, call 610-509-7610. For more information, visit BridgeHypnosis.com. 

Gisele Rinaldi Siebold is a contributing writer to Natural Awakenings Lancaster-Berks edition. Connect with her at [email protected].