The Unexpected Journey That Changed My Practice

The quiet moment when something ends and something else begins. [sunset image]

Where This All Begins

Over the years, I’ve had the joy of working with so many amazing people—and I don’t say that lightly. It’s an honor to support not just the aha moments, but the tender and quietly transformative ones too.

Sometimes, change happens faster than we expect.

A recent client said at the start of his first session, “I’m not expecting a miracle.” By the end of the second, he told me the work had helped him more than years of therapy.

Even trauma that had lingered for years had softened—less like a fresh wound, more like a distant story.

Hypnosis has always been at the heart of what I do. That hasn’t changed.

But something new has been unfolding alongside it. A way to offer more breadth. More integration. More space to evolve.

I didn’t set out to “add coaching.” I was just following what felt alive.

And it became a natural extension of how I already work—but with a twist.

When What Was Working... Stops

A while back, I found myself in a season of in-between.

Things looked fine on paper. My practice was steady, clients were getting great results—and yet... something was off.

But internally? I felt a little off—like the outer success wasn’t matching the inner rhythm I wanted to feel.

Because when change happens fast—and it often does with hypnosis—clients aren’t always seeing me for months or years.

I was trained for those powerful one-and-done sessions. And while those still have a place, I began to feel something was missing.

Some days, my work started to feel oddly transactional.

As if someone walked in and said, “I’d like a package of calm, please.” And I’d wrap it up, hand it over, and off they’d go.

But I started wondering: will this change hold? Will it last beyond the session?

And maybe more importantly: what would I want if I were on the other side of the chair?

I didn’t have a clear answer. I just knew I wanted something deeper. Something more.

A Few Life-Changing Questions

That’s when I crossed paths—at first from a distance—with Sandra Grace.

She was hosting a Self-Care Room at the HypnoThoughts Live conference, and something about her presence stood out.

Later that weekend, another hypnotist I admire, Freddy Jacquin, shared that Sandra had coached him. And he repeated a few of the questions she’d asked—the kind that can change your life:

— What has to happen for you to love yourself enough to treat yourself to the life you want? 

— If you’re not living that life right now, why not? 

— What do you need to achieve that goal? 

— What are you willing to do to create that life for yourself? 

Those questions opened something for me.

Then came the synchronicity—a simple Facebook post from Sandra saying she had space for a few new clients.

It wasn’t an ad. There wasn’t even contact info. I had to comment to ask, “How can I get in touch with you?” And she actually gave me her phone number. A phone number! On Facebook! I couldn’t believe it—but I knew I had to say yes. At that point, I felt a little like Alice in Wonderland.

So I texted her.

I Didn’t Know What I Needed—But Something was Calling to Me

When we had our consultation call, I shared what I was sitting with.

Sandra listened and then said, “I can tell you why you’re feeling blocked.”

I asked, “Why?”

Her answer: Energy management.

I didn’t fully know what she meant—but I felt something shift in me. This wasn’t about me doing more.

It was about being more fully me, and ultimately bringing that more into my work.

Over the next few weeks (and eventually months), my inner process unfolded.

And so did the evolution of my work.

My practice began to feel less transactional.
More value-centered.
More meaning-centered.

And by value, I don’t mean dollars.
I mean: time. Priorities. Energy. Intuition. Dreams. Health. Rest. Creativity.

I was fully committed.

Some sessions felt like wiping fog from a mirror.
Other sessions and the in between times, I was waking up parts of myself I hadn’t heard from in a while.

Sometimes we used hypnosis. Sometimes we talked practical strategy or nervous system care. Sometimes she just asked the kind of question that cut through the noise of busyness and helped me reconnect with my values.

It always felt like a return to center.

I had reached out to work on one thing. But (as I witness happening with my own clients too), the thing I thought was the issue? Wasn’t even the point!

The Real Shift: Identifying What I Really Want

Something clicked for me along the way.

I didn’t just want to receive this kind of support.

I felt I wanted to offer it to clients.

Because what Sandra was doing felt like everything I’d trained in—hypnosis, mindfulness, energy work, somatic intelligence, intuitive presence—was flowing into one fluid, organic, powerful approach.

I wanted to understand how.

So when the new year came around, I enrolled in her Integrative Coaching Certification Program.

What I Took Away (Besides a Certification)

What was ultimately most satisfying?

Creating my own framework and protocol.

I gathered the breadth of what I’ve studied and benefitted from myself:

— Hypnosis
— Mindfulness
— Parts Work
— NLP
— Emotional Detox
— Reiki
— Self-Care
— Tiny Habits
— Nervous System Regulation
— Identity Work

...and shaped it into something personal, practical, and intuitive. And transferable.

I was uncovering a living, breathing process.

And no—it doesn’t replace hypnosis.

Hypnosis is still the heart of how I work.

But for those who want continuity, more space to integrate, or support around multiple areas of life—we now have room to stretch.

So... What Does That Actually Look Like?

🌀 Holistic Hypnotherapy

These sessions are designed to support a specific result and we focus on that. Often, 3 to 5 sessions is all it takes.

With hypnosis, we let your unconscious wisdom do the heavy lifting.

Whether it’s anxiety, fear, trauma, a stuck habit, or identity work—this is where transformation unfolds. It can even be what we refer to as “content-free.

🌱 Integrative Coaching

Sometimes we’re more in touch with what’s not working than with what we actually want instead.

Coaching helps you refine your “why,” live more in tune with it, and create a life that truly supports it.

Yes, hypnosis tools still show up (when useful). But coaching is more comprehensive—and supports embodying the kind of life you actually want.

What it might include:

-A blend of coaching + hypnosis (when called for)

-Goal-setting that honors your values

-Gentle questions that get you unstuck

-Support with energy, rhythms, rest, hydration, movement

-Somatic and nervous system tools

-Energy-based support: EFT, Reiki, Emotional Detox, Kinetic Shift

-Ongoing accountability, attunement, and space to grow

Every session’s its own thing. No script. No formula. Just us, working with what’s real that day.

Just real support for your real life.

But Wait, There’s More

Continuing Transformation Program

(For returning clients)

If you’ve already done some foundational work and want to stay connected to the momentum—this is for you.

You pick the rhythm that fits: weekly, every other week, or just once a month to stay in the flow.

There’s a 3-month commitment (paid monthly or upfront) and a thoughtful, accessible fee structure.

This isn’t about being “in therapy” forever.
It’s about being in relationship with your own growth—ongoing, intuitive, and real.

Is This Speaking to You?

If something here sparked a flicker of curiosity or perhaps a big Yes! Finally!...

Let’s talk.

There’s no pressure. Just a no-cost, 30-minute Zoom consult.

Click here to book your call. And if we’re meant to work together, I trust it will feel clear.

I’ll also be sharing more soon—especially around the pillars of health, identity-based change, and the tools I’m loving lately.

Thanks for reading. (Share this with someone you think might love it too.)

—Denise

June 2025, UC Davis Arboretum, Davis, CA