

When we embark on our healing journey, we can experience a plethora of shifts and personal milestones that affirm our forward progression. But as we face our trauma and reach a deeper level of self-awareness, there comes a point in our journey where our momentum seems to be halted by a brick wall that we can’t seem to maneuver.
We feel stuck in a loop, lessons keep repeating, and elements from our past show up as roadblocks that hinder us from moving forward. Whether it’s a lack of confidence, self-sabotage, crippling anxiety, or an unhealthy addiction, overcoming these blockages may take more than traditional therapy to resolve. Fortunately, there’s an alternative approach to consider that can put your healing and personal growth on an accelerated path — that’s truly mind over matter.
"Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy that works on the subconscious mind,” Keylee Miracle, Master Hypnotherapist and creator of The Neurointuitive Method™, tells xoNecole. “Through inducing deep relaxation, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system to access beliefs, decisions, and feelings below our conscious awareness.”
Keylee's signature process, The Neurointuitive Method™, takes a loving and strategic approach to growth that's rooted in neuropsychology, hypnosis, and intuitive practices. She applies her expert knowledge of the psyche to translate into a human mindmap tailored to fit her client's best learning style (visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic). "Hypnotherapy is highly effective and can be employed in cases of treatment resistance in traditional behavioral (talk) therapy," she says. "It is my favorite therapeutic method for overthinkers because it's inherently somatic."
While traditional talk therapy is beneficial in providing individuals with the space to express their feelings and emotions to spark self-reflection, hypnotherapy differs in its ability to induce positive changes in behavior and thought patterns through subconscious exploration. "With prolonged talk therapy, a person can mistake conscious understanding with progress," Keylee explains. "Talk therapy is very helpful for clarification and conscious reordering of thoughts; however, something may feel like it's missing on a deeper level. Hypnotherapy can help someone find that 'something.'"
If you've ever seen reenactments of hypnosis on television or in movies, you may be surprised to learn how similar a hypnotherapy session is to its on-screen portrayals. Many refer to the experience as being a deep, trance-like sensation of relaxation with an unexplainable return to your body. "I really don't want to refer to Get Out, but I really felt myself sinking into it…" recalls YouTuber Trinity Faith during an episode of her Without Guidance podcast. "I was pressing against the couch. Not falling back into it, but settling deep into it, and it did feel pretty nice."
Results from hypnotherapy can be felt in just one session, with the relief being almost immediate. While the number of sessions necessary is dependent upon the client's needs, Keylee notes that it usually takes a minimum of six weeks to cement new neural connections. "You can come to resolve a particular issue or overhaul your subconscious entirely," she says.
While some may come into the hypnotherapy experience spectacle of its effectiveness, it is important to note that a person's suspension of disbelief and suggestiveness can affect their ability to be hypnotized. "People often worry that hypnotherapy will not work on them or that they will be under someone else's control. Everyone has a parasympathetic nervous system, so if someone is open to the experience, it will work," Keylee assures.
She shares that hypnotherapists or hypnotists can be looked to as "tour guides" that help us explore the depths of our subconscious and uncover the truths we need to see. Because of their familiarity with the human psyche, they're able to identify common obstacles and help us to navigate them. "You may consciously have an idea of where your obstacles lie, but the roots may be obscured," she says. "As a hypnotherapist, I am there to guide you through those dark spots while you remain in control of your experience." Thus, remaining open is key to having an optimal experience.
One of the most common hurdles that her clients face is stagnation. When we feel stagnate, there can be a disconnect between us, our purpose, and our output to contribute to the world around us. However, Keylee's "neurointuitive" approach to hypnotherapy helps to rewire her client's brains to not deny their reality but help shift it in a productive direction.
"Reality is all about perception, and our perception is colored by our beliefs, decisions, and feelings. Our perception forms in response to our experiences; we develop our own strategies to move through the world. Hypnotherapy can be really useful for intentionally adjusting our perception, which translates into shifting our lives."
With the depths of trauma that we've experienced on a personal and intergenerational level, hypnotherapy can serve as a useful tool to uncover the underlying factors behind our traumas and point us toward their roots.
Because we've all formed coping mechanisms to protect ourselves and manage painful or difficult emotions, hypnotherapy helps by bypassing the conscious mind to remove resistance to healing. "We can also access different points in time which is helpful in resolving intergenerational trauma," she says. "This is hugely impactful for those who find themselves running into repeated obstacles of the same nature. Sometimes things begin before us."
While hypnotherapy may be deemed a non-traditional approach to healing, setting aside one's uncertainties aside to explore alternative methods to personal growth can prove to be beneficial in the long run especially if you want to see who you could become if self-sabotage and the effects of our traumas were finally confronted head-on.
"It's really important to change the beliefs we hold about ourselves and deal with the aftermath of traumatic experiences. If there's even a slight conflict in our self-perception, we can act in ways that are incongruent," Keylee says.
"This incongruence often comes out as self-sabotage. Self-sabotage is an ineffective strategy employed for safety. Hypnotherapy can help someone who has experienced trauma examine their experience from a place of true safety to resolve inner conflict."
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Featured image by SDI Productions/Getty Images
Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
Lenny Kravitz’s Paris Retreat Is More Than A Home — It’s A Tribute To His Late Mother
Lenny Kravitz’s impeccable style is evident in his meticulous curation of outfits and his thoughtful design choices for his homes.
The rock star recently gave a tour of his Parisian home to Agriculture Digest (AD), which he affectionately calls Hotel de Roxie, named after his late mother, the actress Roxie Roker.
Lenny quickly explained why he named his home after The Jeffersons star. “It was her dream to come live in Paris,” he explained. “She wanted to retire after doing 11 seasons of The Jeffersons and she never got to do it. So I’m doing it for both of us.”
Architectural Digest YouTube/ Screenshot
The “American Woman” artist, Lenny, revealed that he had been residing in the house for 22 years. During this time, he has amassed a collection of unique pieces and crafted custom furniture that adorns every corner of the home.
From African artwork to Swarovski crystal chandeliers, Lenny’s home is a true spectacle. “This house continuously pays tribute to my ancestors,” he said.
Architectural Digest YouTube/ Screenshot
Most rooms in the house feature photographs of prominent Black figures, such as the renowned photographer Gordon Parks and legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. The petit salon, which he refers to as the Roxie room, is adorned with his mother's photos.
“I found a bunch of photographs my father had taken of my mother in the late ‘60s and got them framed by the same framer that does a lot of framing for the Louvre," he said. “I just wanted to have a room that was surrounded by her image.”
Architectural Digest YouTube/ Screenshot
He shared that one of the first pieces he designed under his company, Kravitz Design, was the Swarovski crystal chandelier in his grand salon. He often finds many of his unique pieces by browsing the local flea market and small boutiques.
When it comes to his bedroom, the “Fly Away” artist takes a minimalistic approach. Focusing more on creating a calming vibe. He finds comfort in the Moroccan rugs that cover the floor, occasionally even sleeping on them.
Architectural Digest YouTube/ Screenshot
The father of one ended his tour in the basement, which was designed to be a club. Check out the full tour below.
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Feature image Architectural Digest YouTube/ Screenshot