John Lee LMHC began using hypnosis for his own insomnia since the Summer of 1986. Shortly after he began college, he had a professor who was from Bombay, India. In the beginning of the first class the professor had everyone close their eyes and relax. This experience was an awakening for John. He discovered that by practicing a short meditation before class he was able to increase his focus and was better able to retain what was learned.
Also, please note to add to John’s credibility he has battled Post traumatic Stress Disorder, and is a recovering addict. John has had many battles in his life that he has conquered. His sobriety date is April 1986 and has been able to accept his PTSD symptoms for many years. However PTSD is real and it sneaks up on a person. There can be just a scent in the air to cause a reaction. However John learned many years ago by practicing Self Hypnosis 20 minutes every day he has been able to stabilize the hyper arousal and the hyper vigilance of the illness. Living with PTSD is like learning to walk with a limp. Some days John walks a little better than others. Because of his own personal battles John believes he can better help those who come to his office.
As the semester continued, John learned that his professor had meditation classes on Sunday afternoons and became an active participant learning both breathing exercises and meditation techniques from one who had been meditating since age 5,
In 1996, John graduated from Governors State University with an M.A. degree in counseling/psychology with honors. The Masters program was 60 semester hours with a 300 hour practicum and a 750 hour internship at Riverside Hospital in Kankakee, Illinois with a focus on Borderline Personality Disorder utilizing Marsha Linehan’s Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
With master’s degree in hand John moved to sunny Florida but the road to becoming a licensed counselor was just beginning. Before he could take the tests mandated by the state of Florida, John had to complete 100 hours of Clinical Supervision which was over a two year process.
The road wasn’t over. After becoming a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Florida Law required a 50 hour course in Hypnosis which John completed in 2008. In 2009, John became a member of the Florida Society of Clinical Hypnosis and completed FSCH’s 20 hour basic and 12 hour Advanced Hypnotherapy Course in Integrative Medicine and Hypnosis: Harnessing Mind-Body Connection for Powerful Healing.
The Florida Society of Clinical Hypnosis is a branch of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. These two bodies are the only Hypnosis Societies recognized by both the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association.
John began his counseling career in 1990 and has been using mediation techniques ever since his university experience. John has used his Hypnotherapy talents with successful outcomes in the treatment of PTSD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Insomnia, Smoking Cessation, and many other anxiety based issues. John has also been part of a Psychiatric Team at a local community mental health center and has had successful outcomes using meditation and core mindfulness techniques in the treatment of Chronic Mental Illness and Borderline Personality Disorder. John has over 20 years experience with many successful outcomes. As one client said recently, “John is one of the most effective therapists I have ever had.”