Divorce can bring anxiety, self-doubt, and beliefs about ourselves that we may not even realize we are carrying. Sometimes those beliefs have been with us for decades, quietly influencing what we think we can handle, what we expect from ourselves, and even what we believe our life is supposed to look like.
Today, Strategic Divorce Consultant Mardi Winder welcomes back Performance and Mindset Expert Karen Ross for a fascinating conversation about hypnotherapy, guided visualization, and the power of our subconscious beliefs.
Karen explains what hypnotherapy actually looks like and clears up some of the misconceptions created by stage hypnosis. Mardi and Karen also discuss how guided visualization can help people become more aware of limiting beliefs and begin creating a different picture of what they want moving forward.
For someone navigating divorce, these techniques may be particularly useful when dealing with anxiety surrounding mediation, difficult communication, or beliefs such as “I can't handle this on my own” or “my life was supposed to look different.” Rather than remaining focused entirely on the problem, Karen encourages clients to begin asking a different question: How do I want this to be?
Q&A
Q: What does hypnotherapy actually feel like?
A: You aren't asleep or unaware of what's happening. Karen and Mardi describe it as a deeply relaxed state that can feel similar to guided meditation, except the experience is personalized around your specific goals. You remain conscious and aware throughout the process.
Q: Can a hypnotherapist make you do something you don't want to do?
A: No. Hypnotherapy isn't mind control, and the suggestions used in a session are based on what the client wants to accomplish. Mardi and Karen explain that the process isn't about overriding someone's values or beliefs. It is designed to help the client work toward changes they have chosen for themselves.
Q: How could hypnotherapy be helpful during divorce?
A: Divorce can create considerable anxiety and can also bring long-standing limiting beliefs to the surface. Mardi shares how she uses hypnotherapy with clients preparing for mediation to help them relax, reduce anxiety, and visualize themselves moving through the experience in a more positive way. It can also be used after divorce when someone is working through beliefs about what their life “should” look like.
Q: What if a positive statement doesn't feel believable to you?
A: Karen suggests starting with willingness. Instead of forcing yourself to say something you don't believe, you might begin with “I'm willing to...” and move toward the change. Mardi shares another approach: “There's a part of me that knows I can...” Both can create room for a new possibility without requiring you to pretend you already believe something you don't.
Q: Is hypnotherapy usually a one-session process?
A: Not necessarily. Both Karen and Mardi discuss the value of repetition and reinforcement. Karen combines solution-focused coaching with hypnotherapy and typically begins by helping clients identify what they want to be different. The hypnotherapy can then reinforce that new vision, while clients also learn techniques they can use on their own.
About the Guest:
Karen Ross is a Performance Mindset Expert who uses dynamic guided visualization, solution-focused coaching and hypnotherapy to help clients break through mental barriers so they perform at a higher level. While she has a strong niche with athletes of all ages, executives, entrepreneurs and other high-achievers also overcome anxiety, sharpen focus, strengthen confidence, and unlock peak performance in both life and business.
Her diverse background, from executive search to interviewing renowned thought leaders on a former Chicago radio show, has sharpened her ability to quickly connect with people and uncover what truly drives their success. This work can include hypnosis and many are surprised to learn that the practice of hypnosis has been used by icons like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Albert Einstein, and is now used at renowned institutions like Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. When used as a therapeutic process, it can be life-changing.
For Karen’s gift: https://karenrossnow.com/
To connect with Karen:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenrossnow/
Website: https://karenrossnow.com/
Email: [email protected]
About the Host
Mardi Winder is a Strategic Divorce Consultant and High-Conflict Divorce Coach who helps high-achieving individuals navigate divorce with clarity, confidence, and control. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in mediation, divorce coaching and conflict resolution, she supports clients in making smart decisions while reducing emotional and financial fallout, particularly in high-conflict, high-asset and complex divorces. Mardi is the founder of Positive Communication Systems, LLC, and the Strategic Divorce Directory, LLC.
For Mardi’s gift: The Resilience Building Blueprint: A 28-Day Journey To A Stronger You https://www.divorcecoach4women.com/rbb
Connect with Mardi on Social Media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Divorcecoach4women
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mardiwinder/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divorcecoach4women/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@divorcecoach4women
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