Firstly, let me start by saying I am the one and only sole practitioner of Indigo Phoenix Hypnotherapy; the lone ranger!!! So whilst being a hypnotherapist is absolutely my passion and it is an honour to have back-to-back clients on a daily basis, this does at times make it difficult to balance out other duties required on a daily basis which include accounts, emails to/from clients and client phone calls (often tended to outside of working hours), administration duties, marketing and business liaisons – plus much MUCH more. Even reading that last sentence over again makes me need to sit back and take a deep breath ;)
So on that note it is my pleasure to introduce the newest team member to Indigo Phoenix Hypnotherapy, KIRSTY TRAEGER. When we met approximately six (6) months ago for the very first time to discuss a business proposition (well truth be told, it ended up more like a friendly coffee, chat & laugh…), it was undeniable that Kirsty had a wonderful personality, contagious energy and a bubbly laugh which I just loved soaking in!!!! Since then Kirsty and I have stayed in contact, professionally as well as personally, and I am just ecstatic that she will now be a member of my team. Her passion for improving mental health on the Lower Eyre Peninsula combined with that infectious personality and awesome energy is the perfect combination for what I need for both me and my clients, and as mentioned above, I am finally looking forward to the assistance to help distribute the workload (*sighs with relief*!). So let us get to know her a little:-
“[I have a] loud, bright and bubbly personality which is always friendly, non-judgmental and welcoming (and may mean that you need to hold the phone away from your face!)”
My loud, bright and bubbly personality which is always friendly, non-judgmental and welcoming (and may mean that you need to hold the phone away from your face!)
Why did you choose to become a team member of Indigo Phoenix Hypnotherapy?
I am an incredibly passionate person and love fulfilling roles where I feel like I am contributing to something I truly believe in. I found one such passion in hypnotherapy, after only 2 sessions which gave me the confidence to face and conquer my personal phobia of public speaking, and have since, chosen to learn hypnobirthing with Chantelle to create a positive birthing experience for my husband, baby and self.
I had an instant connection with Chantelle, and knew that we’d have a lot of fun working together, and that with our joint passion, bubbly personalities, and positive outlook on life, that we could really empower other clients to improve their mental fitness and to help them with everyday struggles that we have as human beings such as confidence issues, smoking, breaking bad eating habits, facing our fears like spiders and public speaking.
When the opportunity arose to start working for a company I believed in, with a “boss” who had become a friend, I had to pinch myself, because it simply felt too good to be true!
Would you mind sharing a little bit about your personal journey to mental health?
Four years ago I suffered from severe depression and anxiety; two illnesses that I knew little about (and what I did was quite mislead), and I never ever thought that they would ever affect such an outgoing person like me. Boy was I wrong, and boy have I learnt so much since thing. While it still saddens me to think back to that incredibly difficult time in my life, I can now appreciate how much it has shaped my life, and turned me into the mentally fit, resilient, happy, healthy person that I am today. After suffering I made a decision that I was going to do everything in my power to prevent mental illness from impacting my life again, and I made a goal to become “mentally fit” (something I also knew little about at the time). Since then I have signed up to weekly meditation classes, mana mamas run through the Mana Wellbeing Centre, I have downloaded mindfulness apps that I listen to when I’m feeling stressed, I practice my breathing techniques and have conquered my fear of public speaking and am conquering my fear of delivering my baby, through the use of hypnotherapy.
While mental illness affects 1 in 5 in their lifetime, mental fitness affects everyone, and I think we can all learn tips and tricks to exercise our mind!
Life’s too short to be unhappy!
What are you passionate about and why?
I am passionate about many things including creating a “Mentally Fit EP”. I know this is a big big dream, and while I know everyone won’t ever skip down the street holding hands, I truly believe that if we can empower people to conquer their fears, learn ways to manage their stresses, provide opportunities for self love and care, and speak openly about our feelings and experiences, then we can improve the overall happiness and resilience of our community; prevention is always better then cure I say!
I also love food. Food is gooooood. Food and coffee. Food and coffee and friends and family.
What is one thing you want to say to all Indigo Phoenix Hypnotherapy’s readers?
If there’s something that you’re not happy about in your life, then you can make the choice to change it, so why not give hypnotherapy a try; you just never know what doors it may open or what happiness it may unlock!
I can’t wait to meet you all and to share in your journey!
KIRSTY you are so So SO very welcome on my team and I look forward to working with you, bouncing off you, and indulging in our passion for helping others :)
“If there’s something that you’re not happy about in your life, then you can make the choice to change it…”