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Hypnosis to Help You Change the Patterns That Are Holding You Back
Individual hypnosis sessions with Colleen McKay, board-certified hypnotist. In person in Bradford and across York Region, or online wherever you are.
Start with a free 15 to 20 minute consultation. No charge, and no obligation to book anything else.
Board Certified Hypnotist, National Guild of Hypnotists · NLP Master Practitioner and Licensed Trainer of Trainers · Timeline Therapy Practitioner · Professional Neuroplastician (P.npn) · Practising NLP since 2014
What would you like to change?
Maybe you’ve tried to change it before. You know what you should be doing. You’ve read the books, made the plan and promised yourself that tomorrow will be different.
And yet the same pattern keeps showing up.
That usually isn’t a lack of intelligence or effort. A pattern you’ve repeated for years starts to run on its own, faster than a conscious decision. Hypnosis gives us a focused way to work with it directly.
Which of these sounds most like you?
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“I keep putting off the things that matter.” What’s stopping you from starting?
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“I know I’m capable, but I don’t feel it when it counts.” What’s driving the self-doubt?
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“My mind won’t switch off, even at night.” What’s keeping your mind on alert?
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“I perform well until the pressure is on.” What happens in the moments that matter?
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“I want to stop a habit I’ve outgrown.” What is the habit still doing for you?
The first problem isn’t always the whole story
What looks like procrastination is often fear of getting it wrong. What looks like low motivation is often overwhelm. A business problem can turn out to be a confidence problem, and a habit that won’t shift is often tied to stress or a response that fires before you’ve had time to think.
That’s why every session plan is individual. We start with what you want to change, look at the pattern underneath it, and then use hypnosis to work with that pattern.
What you want to change → The pattern underneath → An approach built for you → New responses you practise
How hypnosis helps
Hypnosis is a state of focused attention, with less awareness of what’s around you, in which you respond more readily to helpful suggestions. That’s close to how the American Psychological Association’s hypnosis division defines it. It isn’t sleep. You hear everything, you can talk, and you can stop whenever you want.
Brain imaging research at Stanford University found that during hypnosis, activity drops in an area of the brain involved in scanning for problems. At the same time, connections shift between areas involved in planning, body awareness and self-reflection. In plain terms: the part of you that second-guesses everything quiets down, and your attention settles on what we’re working on.
That focused state is useful for change. It lets you rehearse a new response, link it to the situations where you need it, and practise it before you’re back in the real moment. Lasting change still comes from repetition, which is why your sessions come with recordings and short practices for between appointments.
Three things hypnosis is not
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Not mind control. You stay aware and you choose what you do.
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Not sleep. Most people describe it as deeply relaxed and unusually focused.
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Not stage hypnosis. There’s no performance and no audience. It’s a private, practical conversation that happens in a focused state.
What people come to work on
Most people arrive with one thing in mind. These are the areas I work with most often.
Confidence and self-doubt
For when you know you’re capable but don’t feel it when it counts: in meetings, in sales conversations, when you’re visible or when you’re being judged. We work on the reaction that kicks in before your experience has a chance to speak.
Procrastination, overthinking and self-sabotage
For when you know exactly what to do and still don’t do it, or think it through so many times that the moment passes. We look at what the delay is protecting you from, then rehearse starting.
Stress, switching off and sleep
For a mind that stays on long after the workday ends. Sessions focus on helping your body and attention settle, with a recording you can use at night. If sleep problems are persistent or you suspect a sleep disorder, start with your doctor. Hypnosis can sit alongside that care.
Performance under pressure
Presentations, public speaking, interviews, exams, competition and high-stakes conversations. We rehearse the moment in advance, so your body has done it before you walk in.
Habits and lifestyle
Unwanted habits, emotional eating patterns, healthier routines, smoking cessation, and support with weight-management goals alongside guidance from your healthcare provider. The focus is on the automatic responses that keep the habit in place.
Fears that get in the way
Fear of flying, public speaking nerves, and specific fears that interfere with everyday life. We’ll use the consultation to make sure hypnosis is the right fit for what you’re experiencing.
For professionals, founders and business owners
The patterns don’t stay at work. The self-doubt that shows up before a sales call is often the same one that shows up before a hard conversation at home, and the mind that won’t switch off at midnight is the one making decisions at 9 a.m.
Before coaching, I spent years in finance and investor relations, where pressure, visibility and high-stakes conversations were daily work. I understand the environment many of my clients come from, and sessions stay practical: what you want to do differently next week, and the pattern in the way. Hypnosis can be a session on its own or part of a broader NLP and performance coaching plan.
What Hypnosis Clients Say
C.B.
Even at my level, there were things about how I handled pressure and made decisions that needed to change. Colleen helped me see what was driving those reactions, and then actually shift them. Now when something difficult comes up, I pause first, and I respond with a clear head rather than out of frustration. This went well past traditional coaching.
CEO, Publicly Traded Company
A.F.
I didn’t need someone to tell me how to run my business. I needed to change how I was showing up in it. Colleen helped me see where I was stuck and why. When something goes sideways now, I don’t jump in and try to control everything. I step back, think it through, and I don’t carry all the pressure myself anymore.
Construction Company Owner, GTA
G.D.
I knew what to do. Something kept getting in the way of doing it. I’d put off follow-ups and calls because I’d overthink how the conversation might go. Colleen helped me figure out what was behind that and change it. Now I just make the call and move on to the next thing. I second-guess myself a lot less.
Mortgage Broker, Ontario
T.M.
I knew what I should be doing to grow my business, and I kept finding reasons not to: putting myself out there, following up, having the conversations that actually lead to business. Colleen helped me understand why I was getting in my own way. I don’t wait until I feel completely ready anymore. I’m much more consistent, and I’ve stopped overthinking every decision.
Real Estate Agent, GTA
P.F.
Even when I knew exactly what needed doing, pressure and second-guessing would get in the way, especially in difficult conversations where I felt a lot was riding on the outcome. Colleen helped me see what was behind those reactions. I walk into those conversations calmer now, and I trust my own judgment. I run my business very differently.
Real Estate Agent
A.N.
As a coach, I understand mindset and behaviour, and I’d helped other people through similar issues. But there were things I couldn’t coach myself through, even knowing exactly what I was supposed to do. Colleen got underneath them. I stopped trying to reason my way out of the problem, and the pattern behind it actually changed. Her mix of NLP and subconscious work was unlike anything I’d tried. I’d recommend her without hesitation.
NLP Coach
C.L.
Performing means staying confident and present under pressure, and self-doubt used to pull me out of that. Colleen did a lot more than tell me to ‘be confident.’ At my next audition, I stayed present. I wasn’t caught up in how I was coming across or trying to get everything perfect. I just focused on the performance. I feel ready when it counts now.
Theatre & Commercial Actress
What a hypnosis session looks like
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Free consultation (15 to 20 minutes, by phone or video). You tell me what you’d like to change, ask anything you want, and we decide together whether hypnosis is a good fit. If it isn’t, I’ll tell you.
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Your first session (90 minutes). We map the pattern: when it shows up, what sets it off, what it does for you and what you want instead. Then we use hypnosis focused on exactly that, often combined with NLP techniques. You leave with a personalized recording or a simple practice.
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Follow-up sessions (60 minutes). We build on what’s changed, adjust what hasn’t, and rehearse the new response in the situations that matter most to you.
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Between sessions. You use your recording and practice, and you can tell me what you’re noticing.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on what you’re working on and how long the pattern has been there. These are typical ranges, not promises:
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One focused issue or performance goal: 1 to 3 sessions
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Confidence, self-doubt, procrastination, overthinking: 3 to 5 sessions
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Habits and behavioural change: 3 to 6 sessions
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Stress, relaxation and sleep-related patterns: 2 to 5 sessions
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Smoking cessation: 1 to 3 sessions
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Fears: 3 to 6 or more sessions
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Broader personal change across several patterns: 4 to 8 or more sessions
Many people choose a package of 3, 5 or 6 or more sessions. We’ll talk about what’s realistic for you, and about fees, during your consultation.
In person or online
In person: sessions are available in Bradford, Ontario. I can also come to you in York Region and the Greater Toronto Area, for an additional travel fee.
Online: sessions by secure video for clients across Ontario, Canada and North America. Many people prefer working from home. All you need is a quiet, private room, headphones and a stable internet connection. We’ll do a short connection check before your first session.
Why work with Colleen
I learned early how much of performance happens in the mind. I was a multiple-time Canadian dance champion, then built a career in finance, a male-dominated industry where I was often underestimated. NLP and hypnosis changed how I handled that pressure. I’ve been licensed in NLP and coaching people since 2014, and in 2018 I founded Transcending Minds to help other people make the same kind of change.
My training:
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Board Certified Hypnotist, National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH). Board certification is the NGH’s higher designation. It requires prior certification, a published paper, at least a year in practice, a written exam and an oral interview.
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NLP Master Practitioner and Licensed Trainer of Trainers, National Federation of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NFNLP)
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Timeline Therapy Practitioner, NFNLP
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Professional Neuroplastician (P.npn), NPN Institute of Applied and Organizational Neuroscience
Every session is one-on-one, discreet and practical. There’s no script read off a page. Each session is built around you, and what you share stays confidential.
Read Colleen’s background
A note on scope
Transcending Minds offers hypnosis for personal development, performance and behavioural change. It isn’t psychotherapy or medical treatment, and I don’t diagnose or treat mental-health or medical conditions. If you’re living with depression, trauma, an eating disorder, chronic pain or another health condition, please work with a qualified healthcare professional. In some cases hypnosis can complement that care, with your provider’s knowledge.
Frequently asked questions
What does hypnosis feel like?
Most people describe it as deeply relaxed but focused, like being absorbed in a good book or a long drive. You’re aware throughout, and many people are surprised by how ordinary it feels.
Will I lose control or say something I don’t want to?
No. You stay aware and in charge of your own choices. You can speak, move and end the session at any time.
Can everyone be hypnotized?
People vary in how readily they respond to hypnosis. Researchers consider it a fairly stable trait, a bit like how easily you get absorbed in a film. Many people can reach a focused, relaxed state that’s useful for this work, and we’ll talk about what to expect in your consultation.
Does online hypnosis work?
Online sessions follow the same process as in-person ones: a conversation, a focused state and a recording afterwards. You just need a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on the goal and how long the pattern has been in place. Many people work with me for about 3 to 5 sessions. See the ranges above.
Is this hypnotherapy?
No. I’m a board-certified hypnotist. “Hypnotherapy” generally means using hypnosis to treat a medical or psychological condition, which is how the American Psychological Association’s hypnosis division defines it. My work focuses on personal change, habits and performance. If you’re looking for treatment of a health condition, a regulated healthcare professional is the right starting point.
Can hypnosis help me quit smoking?
Quitting is one of the most common reasons people try hypnosis. The research is mixed: a 2019 Cochrane review found there wasn’t enough evidence to say whether hypnosis works better than other forms of quitting support. I treat hypnosis as one part of a quit plan, and I encourage you to talk with your doctor or pharmacist about nicotine replacement or medication. They can be used alongside our sessions.
Do you work with teenagers?
Yes, with a parent or guardian’s participation. During the consultation we confirm that hypnosis is appropriate for your teen’s situation.
How much does it cost?
Fees depend on the number of sessions and whether we meet in person or online. I’ll go through the options and packages during your free consultation, so you know exactly what you’re committing to before you decide.
Is what I share confidential?
Yes. Discretion is part of how I work, whatever your role or profile.
Ready to talk about what you’d like to change?
You don’t need to know exactly why you’re stuck. You only need to know something isn’t working. The consultation is free, it takes 15 to 20 minutes, and there’s no obligation.
Prefer to talk first? Call (289) 231-9026.
In person in Bradford, Ontario, and across York Region and the GTA. Online across Ontario, Canada and North America.