We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carla Chalah a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Carla , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
From the outside looking in, I had it all. I was in the midst of wrapping up my clinical psychology program at Harvard University, while simultaneously lending my skills as a doctoral research assistant at the Museum of Science in Cambridge. I was surrounded by amazing friends, had a charming apartment, and was on track to a secure, prosperous and stable career in psychology. Yet, beneath the surface, I felt like a ship lost at sea, overpowered by feelings of hollowness, desolation, and relentless anxiety. This dichotomy between my external reality and my internal state was striking.
The incentive behind my decision to study clinical psychology was personal – to heal myself from the deep emotional wounds sustained during a series of traumatic events in my adolescence. Talk therapy, despite the significant time I had devoted to it (or, as I eventually began to refer to it, ‘verbal diarrhea’), had made little to no impact on my well-being. So, “logically,” I assumed immersing myself in the domain of psychology would grant me a deeper understanding of my anxiety and hence, a way to conquer it.
As I dove deeper, however, the more disillusioned I became. The therapeutic methodologies, diagnostic procedures, and strategies I was learning appeared to merely skim the surface, offering nothing more than temporary respite, analogous to a band-aid on a grievous wound, spreading its malignancy akin to a rampant cancer.
Amid this disheartening realization, my final semester brought about a turning point. My grandmother fell sick, necessitating my travel overseas to care for her. Consequently, I missed a vital statistics class, next due only in the following academic year. At this juncture, rather than idle away, I sought alternate avenues to quench my thirst for genuine healing.
It was during this period that I chanced upon hypnosis. Upon my return from South Africa, I made the dramatic decision to halt my studies at Harvard and instead dive into an esteemed hypnosis training program in California. This detour from my established path was met with incredulity and ridicule, not least from my father, who had envisioned a more orthodox and secure career for me. He made his disdain known. It made me nervous, but determined to prove myself.
Despite the backlash and resultant strain, I found myself fired up, driven by the same disapproval that was intended to deter me. I was eager to chart my own course, drawing strength from the stubborn determination and entrepreneurial spirit that ran in my family, encapsulated in Joshua Shipp’s words, “Perseverance is stubbornness with purpose.”
With this in mind, I embarked on my Californian adventure, unsure of what the future held. To my amazement, the first two weeks in my hypnosis training, instigated a personal transformation that had eluded years of talk therapy. Despite initial skepticism, I was propelled by an inner instinct that assured me this risk was worth taking. I leaped into the unknown, allowing my faith to dwarf my fears, hoping my parachute would open. It did, surpassing my wildest expectations.
Hypnosis proved to be my savior, drawing me out of a vortex of darkness that once seemed inescapable. Hypnosis didn’t merely alter the course of my life – it rescued it. The truth is hypnosis didn’t just change my life – it saved it. While the world looked upon the veneer of my fortunate existence, hypnosis ignited through my subconscious mind, genuine inner happiness, healing, and liberation. This journey earned me the label of a “Harvard dropout”, a choice as scandalous to my parents as my departure from the Catholic Church…
Yet, choosing hypnosis as a conduit for both personal healing and as a means to assist others remains one of the most gratifying risks and decisions I’ve ever undertaken. It’s a journey that has sparked deep-seated transformation and a life story that’s still being written. I have a profound passion for my work and am continually amazed by the positive reverberations it has set off in not just my own life, but also in the lives of my clients and those who have chosen to follow in my footsteps as my hypnosis certification students and practitioners. Given the chance, I would wholeheartedly embrace this risk once more.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m delighted to have this opportunity to share my journey with those who may be new to my work. My name is Carla Chalah, the founder of Hemisphere Hypnotherapy and EveryBody in Mind Wellness Center, both situated in Sudbury, Massachusetts. My career path leading to the field of hypnotherapy and holistic wellness was influenced by personal life traumas, a stark departure from my conventional academic trajectory in clinical psychology at Harvard University. Through my personal struggles, I discovered the transformative potential and power of hypnotherapy and holistic wellness.
Once upon a time, I harbored the belief that strength equated to self-sufficiency, to dealing with life’s trials and tribulations single-handedly. This misconception fueled my determination to weather the storms of my life unaided, an approach that gradually extracted a heavy toll on my physical and mental well-being. In navigating this challenging period, I was introduced to hypnotherapy. The impact was nothing short of life-changing; hypnotherapy was a beacon of hope that helped me reestablish my equilibrium. It saved my life. It was through this process that I grasped a vital truth – real strength isn’t synonymous with solitary struggle, but rather in recognizing when to reach out for support. Moreover, hypnotherapy enabled me to address deep-seated, latent traumas that had begun to shape my self-perception and relationships in negative ways.
The profound personal healing and transformation I experienced inspired me to delve into the practice of hypnotherapy, culminating in the establishment of Hemisphere Hypnotherapy in 2010. My goal was to extend a helping hand to others confronting similar hardships, offering them an alternative avenue to mental and emotional well-being. With over a decade of practice and witnessing the intensified demand for competent hypnotherapists during the pandemic, I began to offer ICBCH (International Certification Board of Coaches and Hypnotists) endorsed hypnotherapy certification training classes more actively. I love teaching and sharing my knowledge and experience in the field with others.
Hemisphere Hypnotherapy is dedicated to providing a suite of services to assist individuals to tap into their subconscious to surmount personal obstacles. This includes aiding individuals to manage stress and anxiety, conquer fears and phobias, lose weight, handle trauma, and boost self-esteem. Our methodology is characterized by personalization, recognizing that each individual’s experiences and needs are unique and distinct.
What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to create a safe and comforting environment wherein clients can express their vulnerabilities without fear, knowing they’re not alone on their journey. We are firm believers in empowering our clients, imparting practical tools and techniques they can incorporate into their daily routines.
The achievement I’m most proud of is seeing the profound positive impact my work has had on clients’ lives and the lives of my students. It’s incredibly rewarding to witness someone break free from their struggles and start embracing life with newfound strength and optimism.
For anyone considering Hemisphere Hypnotherapy, it’s crucial to understand that we are more than a service provider. We represent a community of individuals who have navigated the journey of self-healing and are here to provide guidance and support every step of the way. We acknowledge the bravery it takes to seek assistance, and we honor that courage in all our clients. Remember, you are not alone, and together, we can chart a course toward healing and self-discovery.
In 2019, I founded EveryBody in Mind Wellness Center as a supplementary venture to my work at Hemisphere Hypnotherapy. I envisaged the wellness center as a nexus for exploring the interconnectedness of mind and body and advancing holistic wellness.
EveryBody in Mind Wellness Center is committed to providing an inviting, empowering, and inspirational space for achieving holistic well-being. We endeavor to nurture physical, mental, and spiritual health, promoting overall healing. I firmly believe that true wellness should be an enjoyable, engaging, creative journey with an emphasis on prevention instead of cure. As I continue on my personal growth journey, my vision has evolved to encompass a wide variety of complementary modalities, classes, and innovative technologies, all aimed at providing a comprehensive, synergistic wellness experience for our clients. Trance-form and empower your life by exploring the art of your being with Hemisphere Hypnotherapy and EveryBody in Mind Wellness Center. We can’t wait to meet you!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Well, that’s an excellent question. A lesson that I had to unlearn, interestingly enough, was the notion that strength means handling everything by myself. Growing up, I came to believe that being strong meant carrying all burdens on my own, never showing vulnerability, and not seeking help, even when things got tough. My understanding was that toughness was synonymous with strength. This was a pattern reinforced by my parents. My father, a determined entrepreneur, believed in handling any problem solo and displayed virtually no emotions, even in testing times. Meanwhile, my mother, always seeking to please others, invariably prioritized others’ needs over her own, adversely affecting her mental and physical well-being. Her ability to manage a lot in a day, her so-called ‘strength’ and stamina, were lauded by the world around her. Yet, at home, she carried her burnout and depression as a sign of her capacity to achieve (or, indeed, endure) everything independently. As the eldest of three daughters, I was always commended for my abilities, strength, and independence. I received minimal support and seldom asked for any, as I perceived needing help as a sign of weakness.
In my junior year of high school, I was selected as a Rotary exchange student to complete my senior year in Oregon from South Africa. I didn’t even have a clue where Oregon was on the United States map. Ready to embrace the unknown, my 17-year-old self embarked on a year-long adventure, leaving my family and friends behind. The program had a rule against dating during the year, which, much like many teens, I chose not to adhere to. Online dating had just started becoming ‘a thing’ and I was ready to explore it. The very first guy I met up with seemed like such a ‘nice guy.’ I naively let my guard down and allowed him to drive me home. Without getting into too much graphic detail, what transpired was nothing short of a living nightmare. Nobody was home. This predator brutally raped me and robbed me of my virginity that day. As he smothered my initial panicked screams with a pillow, I gasped for air and wasn’t sure I would survive. My screams dissipated into a silent denial as I disconnected from my body and the unreal dissociated reality unfolding around me and on top of me. We heard the door open as someone arrived at the house and quite possibly saved my life that day. He got up, pulled his pants on, and smiled at me with a sickening Chesire Cat smile. But since it was my ‘fault’ for not following the rules, naively inviting him into my home, I was strong and sheepishly smiled as I followed him to the front door and waved goodbye. The person who had arrived could tell something was off, but I was ‘fine,’ since, after all, I was strong.
For an entire year, I kept this harrowing experience to myself, acting as though it had never happened. I believed in my own strength to cope with it independently. This ordeal manifested physically as I put on substantial weight (around 60lb within a year), and yet, I had grown remarkably adept at maintaining an appearance of strength and happiness, always presenting myself with a smile.
As time marched on, I returned to South Africa by the end of the exchange year to commence my bachelor’s degree in January. To the outside world, I was an ordinary, resilient young woman adeptly handling the rigors of a triple major in English, Psychology, and Sociology. But beneath the surface, I was shattered and tormented, hidden behind the thick, cheerful facade I had meticulously constructed for self-protection. At the conclusion of my freshman year in college, I returned to Oregon for the summer, reuniting with my host family and friends and securing a summer job (given that December is the summer season in South Africa). Yet, without delving into all the distressing specifics, the experiences that followed served to test the boundaries of my resilience in a transformative way.
I was jarred awake midway through a red-eye flight to London by a flight attendant who caught an elderly man with his fingers inside me. He had drugged me and sexually assaulted me. Upon landing, he was arrested and escorted off the flight. What ensued was a turbulent legal battle that resulted in his sentencing to three months in jail and the revocation of his passport. Despite enduring years of talk therapy without substantial progress, I moved on to undertake graduate studies in clinical psychology at Harvard University upon completing my bachelor’s degree. I was of the conviction that if I could intellectually understand what had transpired and possess enough resilience to confront it, I could piece together the broken fragments of my being. So, I journeyed through my days, weeks, months, and years, shrouded in my own strength and survival instinct. But everyone has a breaking point… by my final semester, I grew weary of the temporary fixes. It was time for me to regain my true self, and so I embarked on exploring alternative methods of healing.
So, there I was, a Harvard dropout, beginning my quest for authentic, profound healing. After two weeks of training and experiencing hypnotherapy, I witnessed more healing than I had throughout years of talk therapy or during my graduate studies. It became glaringly clear that the strength I had prided myself on had become my biggest weakness. I was grappling with high stress and anxiety levels, balancing career demands and personal life. I shouldered all the responsibilities myself, under the impression that this was what being ‘strong’ meant. But it only led to fatigue and burnout.
When I discovered hypnotherapy, albeit skeptically, it was a lifesaver. It was transformative. I discovered that strength does not equate to solitary struggle; it means recognizing when to seek assistance and taking measures for self-care. So inspired was I by the positive shifts I experienced that I chose to become a hypnotherapist to guide others on their path to wellness.
Unlearning the erroneous notion of strength was far from easy. It demanded self-compassion, patience, and extensive introspection. Nevertheless, it was a critical step in my personal and professional journey. As the founder of Hemisphere Hypnotherapy now, my mission is to help my clients understand that reaching out and seeking assistance is not a display of weakness but one of the greatest demonstrations of genuine strength.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I believe the foundation of my reputation in this field is built upon my personal journey of healing. Having navigated my own path, I have a unique understanding of what works, and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t. This hands-on experience has equipped me with valuable insights and empathy for my clients, enhancing my ability to provide effective, sustainable hypnotherapeutic and wellness solutions, and thereby solidifying my standing in the industry.
Moreover, I genuinely care about the success of my clients. I am deeply invested in their healing journey, and I believe this sincerity translates into the therapeutic relationship we build. Happy clients are indeed the best advocates for your work. Word-of-mouth referrals have significantly contributed to building my reputation as they continue to spread the word about their transformative experiences.
In addition to this, my passion for hypnotherapy has opened up unique avenues for collaboration and outreach. I have forged meaningful relationships within the broader community, including physicians, therapists, dentists, and educational institutions. These connections have allowed me to broaden my impact and have further cemented my reputation as a trusted expert in my field.
Lastly, I attribute much of my success in building a solid reputation to my personal attributes of perseverance, faith, and resilience. This journey hasn’t been easy, but my determination to stay the course, even during challenging times, has proven invaluable. I have stood firm in my faith in the transformative power of hypnotherapy, and holistic wellness approaches, and my resilience has allowed me to continue providing top-notch services to my clients even in the face of adversity.
In conclusion, a blend of personal experience, client success, community outreach, and personal tenacity has been instrumental in building my reputation in the field and in my market.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hemispherehypnotherapy.com & https://www.instagram.com/everybodyinmindwellness/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hemisphere_hypnotherapy/ & https://www.instagram.com/everybodyinmindwellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hhypnotherapy & https://www.facebook.com/EveryBodyinMindWellness
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlachalah/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVqsOyDdrayl3Y4zZ5hHUfQ/videos & https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7JagHCqfK0BdeeEOXxak1g
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hemisphere-hypnotherapy-sudbury & https://www.yelp.com/biz/everybody-in-mind-wellness-center-sudbury
- TikTok: @everybodymindwellness