Lights – Action!
(From Frank)
Robert had been a working actor and director for many years — highly competent, “at the top of his game.”
J
Cut to a current play, opening scene, first line — and it was all gone in a flash. Robert lost it. Couldn’t remember his lines. Short term, he felt sick to his stomach and mentally disoriented. Long term, his self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-identity as an actor all exited the stage of his life.
L
His wife insisted he try hypnosis. Though skeptical, he called us, made an appointment, kept it, and during his interview I discovered that an almost identical scene in an L.A. play years ago had gone very badly when he performed while suffering from the flu.
During hypnosis we helped him break the association in his mind between those two events, plus two specific techniques developed at Evergreen for anxiety and panic attacks — after which he said with appropriate gusto, “I feel like myself again!”
C
Upon Robert’s enthusiastic invitation, Ginny and I sat in the audience on opening night and took secret pride in knowing we had contributed to a performance that then received an outstanding review in the local paper. It, including his picture (autographed and expressing his thanks), is now framed on our Wall of Fame.
Since then we’ve followed his career, which continues to bring joy into his own life as well as the lives of his many fans!