Liz Morrisroe felt stuck. 

The Barrington resident said her husband had settled happily into a new job a few years ago, and their four adult children were busy with their own lives. But Ms. Morrisroe had closed her business and was struggling with her self-confidence. 

“My sister suggested that I explore hypnosis, so I decided to give it a try,” Ms. Morrisroe wrote in an email to the Times.

Two sessions later, she was sold. 

“The negative self-talk disappeared, and I began to see the world with endless possibilities and opportunities,” she wrote.

Ms. Morrisroe decided to learn more about hypnosis, and during the pandemic she trained to become a professional hypnotherapist. She recently opened Riverwalk Hypnotherapy, LLC, in Richmond Square in Providence. She said hypnotherapy can help people heal, overcome fears, reduce anxiety, lose weight, improve performance in sports and the arts, and much more.

• How does hypnotherapy work? “Hypnosis is the process of putting the conscious mind on pause, so we can communicate directly with the subconscious mind. We do that by relaxing the client and once relaxed introducing the client’s desired suggestions directly into the subconscious mind.”

• What does it feel like? “Hypnosis can feel differently to different people. Some people say it feels like a deep meditation or prayer while others say it feels like a daydream. Still others experience pleasant tingling or heaviness in their limbs and one my clients felt she was floating above her body. After a session, most of my clients feel incredibly relaxed and energized.”

• Hypnotherapy via Zoom? “Hypnosis can be performed in my office but also by Zoom. In fact, most of my clients meet me through Zoom in their home where they can interact with me from a place where they feel relaxed and comfortable.”

• How can it help people? “The most common are weight loss and smoking cessation. But it can also help eliminate negative habits, fears or phobias, reduce insomnia and anxiety, manage stress and pain, increase motivation and confidence, and improve school and sports performance. The challenges that hypnosis can be used to help solve are as limitless as the human mind itself.”

• Anxiety relief: “The pandemic has really increased anxiety levels enormously and people are looking for creative ways to lessen anxiety. Hypnosis is one of those creative ways… Hypnosis is an amazing way to slow down and relax. Many of us have experienced increased anxiety throughout the pandemic. Hypnosis can be very effective in reducing anxiety so we can focus on goals that are important to us.”

• Hypnotherapy for the stars: “According to my research, many famous individuals have successfully utilized hypnotherapy. Some examples include Ellen DeGeneres, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have publicly stated hypnosis helped them stop smoking. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus both use hypnosis to improve their concentration and focus during games. Orlando Bloom and Geri Halliwell (Spice Girl) used hypnotherapy to lose weight and get fit. Kevin Costner used hypnosis to cure him from seasickness while he was filming a movie.”

• Reiki Master: “I have always had an interest in alternative healing modalities, and a number of years ago became a Reiki Master volunteering with cancer patients while they were receiving chemotherapy at Hartford Hospital. When we moved to RI, I volunteered at (The) Miriam Hospital as a reiki practitioner with cancer patients and stress reduction for hospital employees. I found the experience incredibly rewarding.”

Ms. Morrisroe can be reached at riverwalkhypno@gmail.com or by calling 860-508-6930.