Mai-Lis Bahr
- Oct 13, 2016
- 2 min read

Amy Bernstein hypnotizes away your weight and worries

Updated: Jan 30, 2019

How did you decide to become a hypnotherapist?

I was working as a counselor for a few years, and in 1999 my husband was hypnotized to stop procrastinating. To this day, he still does not procrastinate! When I saw how well it worked for him, I decided to get trained in it. I opened Lakeside Counseling & Hypnotherapy in the year 2000, which was a great time to open a business, as it was a new millennium!

What is your academic and professional background?

In 1991, I graduated from NC State University with a BA in communication, a concentration in public relations, and a minor in journalism. I went back to school for a BS in social work at UNC Greensboro and graduated in 1996. I graduated from the University of South Carolina Master of Social Work program in 1997. I worked as a home health/hospice social worker and as a counselor at a community mental health center, before opening my own practice in 2000.

What are your most popular hypnotherapy programs?

My two most popular programs are Alleviating Anxiety and Weight Loss. My other popular programs are Confidence, Optimal Health, Clarity and Sleeping Better.

What do your counseling/hypnotherapy sessions involve?

Twenty-five percent of my clients see me for counseling exclusively. The other 75% see me for counseling and hypnotherapy. The first part of the session is counseling, and the second part is hypnosis. Sessions can last as long as 90 minutes, and I do record the hypnosis part of the session on to a CD or I send clients an mp3 link. That way, they always have their hypnosis to listen to, even after we’re finished working together.

What is your family like?

I met my husband when I was 21, and we got married when I was 23. We have been married 23 years! My best friend dated his best friend in high school, but for some reason we never met until years later. We have a daughter who is a sophomore and a son who just started middle school.