Faces of the Valley: Tarentum hypnotist puts mind over matter

Step into Jan Lee’s Tarentum office and you may eventually enter a different mental state.

But her type of hypnosis isn’t the kind that you’d see at a comedy show.

Lee, 62, of Harrison worked as a psychiatric nurse for more than 35 years, which she says was likely what got her interested in learning more about hypnosis.

She attended a hypnosis presentation in 2005 and, five years later, became a certified hypnotist from the National Guild of Hypnotists. Executive Director Jereme Bachand confirmed Lee has been a guild member since July 2010.

Hypnosis is a safe way to get past a person’s conscious mind and access their subconscious mind, Lee said. The subconscious mind is home to a person’s memories and habits.

In September, Lee opened an office in the Murphy Building.

“Hypnosis, for me, has been amazing to see how it can change people and how it can create change,” she said. “The key thing, for me, is it is still so misunderstood.”

Since 2010, Lee has hypnotized hundreds of clients. She stressed that she is a clinical hypnotist — which is much different than a stage hypnotist people might watch for entertainment.

That creates a stigma for hypnosis that Lee said she is working to overcome. Hypnosis isn’t voodoo, magic, a religious process or mind control — instead, it’s a natural process for wellness, she said.

“Hypnosis is one tool for health,” Lee said. “It’s something you can take out of your toolbox. It’s not the end-all be-all.”

She can work with people struggling with anxiety, fears and phobias, addictions, bullying, sports performance, self-esteem, grief and pain management, for example.

The goal is to reprogram a person’s mind to get through their grief or trauma in a different way.

She said her work could supplement that of a counselor or therapist.

Lee first starts with a 20- to 30-minute interview of a prospective client to help find out why they want to be hypnotized and what their goals are.

She then creates a script to use during their session — which can be face-to-face or through an audio recording — and does the exercises with people.

She always checks in with clients after a session.

No one ever fails a session, Lee said, but some things that can sabotage it are a client misunderstanding hypnosis, having unrealistic expectations or being wary of the process.

Lee charges $200 for a one-on-one session, which includes the interview and the presentation. About 90% of her clients use one session with her.

“The big high, for me, is if I know someone has made a change that is positive,” she said. “When they make a change that is positively impacting their life and I’m part of it — a small part of it — that’s a high for me.”