Building a Stronger Hypnosis Community in Ontario
- Jennifer Wood
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
On August 23, 2026, our monthly hypnosis networking meeting brought together Hypnotists and wellness professionals with a wide range of backgrounds, skills, and experience. It was a day of hypno-conversation, hands-on practice, shared ideas, and an opportunity to learn something outside our individual areas of expertise.
Historically, our meetings have taken place in Pefferlaw and Bradford, Ontario, depending on our host and the nature of the gathering.
This August meeting was sponsored by Jennifer Johnston, with Chris Priebe, Daniela Brydges, David Galloway, Jan Freethy, and Jennifer Wood in attendance. This month, Karen Hicks was our featured speaker and introduced the group to HeartMath.
Although the meetings are currently private or by invite, the group is growing. Moving forward, we are in discussions to hold twice-yearly public events, creating an opportunity for the wider community, hypnosis students, and other professionals to take part in selected educational events.
Learning From Different Skills and Perspectives
The exchange of knowledge is really what this group is about.
Professional development in hypnosis does not end when formal training is complete. Much of what makes someone better at their work develops through experience, continued education, observation, discussion, and the opportunity to practise alongside other professionals.
Everyone brings different qualifications, specialties, professional experiences, and communication styles. Alongside hypnosis, some have experience with Neuro-Linguistic Programming, commonly known as NLP, coaching, communication techniques, breathwork, and other related approaches.
One practitioner may have extensive experience with smoking cessation, while another may specialize in confidence, stress, regression, sports performance, or another area. Others may bring particular strengths in communication, questioning, working with analytical clients, or adapting language to the individual.
Coming together as a group is an important opportunity to see methods that may be different from the ones we use every day.
Karen Hicks Introduces the Group to HeartMath
That type of cross-disciplinary learning was part of our August gathering when Karen Hicks spoke about HeartMath.
HeartMath includes self-regulation techniques involving breathing, focused attention, emotional regulation, and heart rate variability, commonly called HRV. Heart rate variability refers to the natural variation in time between heartbeats and is influenced by the autonomic nervous system.
HeartMath allows a person to observe changes in physiological patterns while practising breathing and self-regulation techniques.
It was an opportunity to learn about another framework and consider how concepts involving attention, breathing, physiological regulation, and communication may relate to the work we already do.
From Conversation to Hands-On Practice
Learning from one another is not limited to sitting around a table talking about techniques.
Where appropriate, our meetings include hands-on practice. Members may work with hypnosis techniques, NLP skills, reframing, questioning methods, communication strategies, and other practical approaches.
Practising with colleagues gives everyone an opportunity to experiment, observe, ask questions, and receive constructive feedback without needing everyone in the room to work in exactly the same way.
Sometimes the most valuable thing you learn from another professional is a completely new technique. At other times, it may be one sentence, one question, or one small adjustment that makes something you already do more effective.
Thank You to Our August Sponsor
Our August 2026 meeting was sponsored by Jennifer Johnston.
Jennifer brings a broad, practical approach to wellbeing through her work as a Wellbeing Coach, Master Hypnotist, Energy Reiki Master, and NLP Practitioner.
Her practice focuses primarily on energy healing, hypnosis, and neuro-linguistic programming, with an emphasis on helping people make meaningful changes in the areas they can influence within themselves.
Drawing in part from her own personal healing experiences, Jennifer works with clients who may be dealing with stress, overwhelm, unwanted behaviours, or simply looking for additional tools to support their overall wellbeing. A central theme in her work is the idea that taking care of ourselves can have an impact well beyond the individual, influencing how we show up in our relationships, families, professional lives, and everyday interactions.
Opening the Doors Twice a Year
Until now, our regular networking meetings have remained private, giving practitioners space for candid professional discussion, peer learning, demonstrations, and hands-on practice.
We also see value in occasionally opening that environment to a wider audience. Moving forward, we are exploring the logistics of holding two public events each year in Ontario.
These events may include guest speakers, educational presentations, demonstrations where appropriate, opportunities to meet practitioners, and discussions involving hypnosis, NLP, communication techniques, and related professional skills.
For people who are simply curious about hypnosis, it offers a chance to learn more without booking a private session or enrolling in a course. For students and newer practitioners, it provides exposure to professionals with different specialties and approaches. For experienced practitioners, it creates another opportunity to learn, connect, and exchange ideas.
Public events may also help address some of the misunderstandings that still surround hypnosis. Meeting practitioners, hearing thoughtful professional discussions, and asking straightforward questions can present a very different picture from the stereotypes people often encounter.
Our private meetings will continue, but we look forward to sharing part of what makes them valuable with a wider audience.
The purpose of the group remains simple: to keep learning, practise our skills, share what we know, learn what we do not, and build stronger professional relationships.
The Professionals Behind the Group
The strength of a networking group comes from the people willing to contribute their knowledge and experience.
Our August 23 gathering included:
Chris Priebe
Chris has more than a decade of experience studying and applying Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and hypnosis. His work focuses on helping people with areas such as anxiety, stress, smoking cessation, weight-related goals, communication, and personal growth.
Karen Hicks
Karen is a Transformational Coach and HeartMath Certified Trainer who focuses on stress management, emotional resilience, communication, relationships, and personal growth. She uses practical tools including HeartMath, EFT, and NLP to help people create meaningful change in their everyday lives.
Jennifer Johnston
Jennifer is a Wellbeing Coach, Master Hypnotist, Energy Reiki Master, and NLP Practitioner focused on energy healing, hypnosis, and NLP. She supports people with stress, overwhelm, unwanted behaviours, and personal growth.
David Galloway
David is the creator of Diamond Transformation Therapy, a Resource Therapy Clinical Trainer, Clinical Hypnotist, Orthomolecular Nutritionist, and NLP-certified practitioner. His work focuses on emotional and behavioural patterns, anxiety, emotional eating, confidence, self-sabotage, and identity-level change.
Jan Freethy
Jan Freethy is a Barrie-based practitioner who uses hypnosis, NLP, Time Line Therapy™, and energy-based approaches to support personal change. Her work focuses on helping people move through limiting patterns, manage challenges, and create meaningful, lasting growth.
Daniela Brydges
Daniela's introduction to hypnosis began through her own personal transformation, starting with weight loss and expanding into many areas of her life. She now brings that experience into her work, with a focus on long-term change, persistence, and the deeper patterns behind behaviour.
Jennifer Wood
Jennifer is a Consulting Hypnotist and founder of Wellness Canada, with a primary focus on smoking cessation and client-centred hypnosis. She also teaches hypnosis through the Wellness Canada School of Hypnosis, helping students develop practical skills and confidence for professional practice.
Comments