What can a client expect from one-on-one sessions?

We will work together to find the best approach for a particular person. Because Dr. Flegal uses a variety of techniques and approaches, he is able to work with you to pick and choose those techniques that work best for each individual. Sessions are skill-based, allowing clients to make very quick progress. Typically, clients learn the skills they need in 5-10 sessions. This means, unlike many programs, you won’t be in weekly sessions for the rest of your life. Dr. Flegal uses a non-psychological approach to problem solving that allows clients to discover their own power and move past the fears that are holding them back. Using state-of-the-art personal growth techniques for personal improvement, clients learn new ways of responding to stressors and negative inputs, allowing them to make positive life-direction changes. By learning the difference between pseudo-stress management and real stress management, clients learn new skills that last a lifetime – skills, not pills.

How do you know if you’re experiencing (suffering) from stress?

Physical symptoms such as headaches, backaches, not sleeping, anger, irritability, anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure can be signs of stress. Stress management techniques can greatly enhance medical treatments for these, and other symptoms. Dr. Flegal can work in concert with your current physician or counselor if you desire.

Behavioral symptoms, such as over-eating, binging, substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, cigarettes) are also stress-related. Traditional medical treatments can be greatly helped using complimentary stress management techniques and hypnosis.

What does Hypnosis have to do with Stress Management?

Hypnosis is a wonderfully effective technique to augment relaxation training. Hypnosis has been accepted by the American Medical Association as a complimentary technique and can be applied to many conditions, including, but not limited to: quitting smoking, weight control, anger management, sleep improvement, pain management, headaches, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chemo nausea, improved sports performance, and test anxiety.

How can these techniques help with Anger Management?

Anger is one of our most dynamic and forceful emotions, and as such has the potential to move us in powerful ways. Emotions are not good or bad – they are simply part of us as human beings. It is what we DO with emotions that determines whether they are labeled positive or negative. Anger can actually be a positive motivating factor in helping someone find the cure to a disease or improve social conditions.

Negatively directed anger results from a learned pattern of thinking and responding to stimuli in the world. But if something is learned, it can be “unlearned.” The process of Anger Management taught by Dr. Flegal is most effective when the person involved realizes the problem and is interested in helping themselves learn new patterns of thinking and behaving.

How can Stress Management help reduce pain?

When a person is experiencing pain, one of the basic and natural responses is to tighten the muscles surrounding the pain in an effort to hold it still or immobilize that part of the body and reduce the pain. The problem with this is that tightening or tensing muscles adds to the body’s feeling of pain. Relaxation training can help reduce sensations of pain by helping to reduce tension in the body. Additionally, hypnosis can help to reduce the sensations of pain a person experiences by accessing the mind/body connection and helping the person to “let go” of their discomfort.

Can these techniques help me quit smoking?

Smoking is one of the most common of the pseudo-stress management activities that people engage in. Dr. Flegal helps clients learn real stress management skills to replace the “fake” stress management provided by nicotine. A combination of techniques, including relaxation training, hypnosis, dietary suggestions, and behavioral changes makes this approach highly successful. Dr. Flegal developed the smoking cessation program for a major hospital in the 90’s, and his on-going training has refined the process into a highly successful program.

Is Dr. Flegal available to speak to my Corporate or Civic Group?

Dr. Flegal is available to speak on a number of topics that fall under his areas of expertise. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Learning Self-Hypnosis
• Stress Management and Relaxation Skill Training
• Anger Management
• Finding Your Ideal Performance State
• Smoking Cessation
• The Wellness Concept — How to Apply It to Your Life
• And more

Please contact him for availability, fees, and scheduling.