Get to Know Your Hypnotist – Part 1: Q&A with Wally Post

Q: Wally, you picked a very interesting career field. When and why did you decide to become a hypnotist?

A: Right after I had a triple-bypass heart procedure, I had about ten weeks where I couldn’t do anything. This was in the early days of the internet, and I found a course online about Stage Hypnosis. I’d always had an interest in hypnotism, but never had the chance to pursue real education about it before. Life had been busy before that. But hypnosis had always fascinated me, so when I went through that course, that only spurred on my interest.

I bought books, found a hypnosis school in Indianapolis, and decided to invest in my own interest. It started as a hobby, but then I became certified, and I went to work in Castleton for the gentleman who had set up the school. I was learning how to add clients and be a part of a hypnotist’s office team there, but the drive was a real killer. I decided to open my own office that winter, the Anderson Hypnosis Center. I’m now in my eleventh year as a hypnotist.

Q: Where did you grow up, and where are you from? Is there a reason why you’re situated now in Anderson?

A: I was born in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, in a preacher’s family that moved around, so I spent my early childhood in Peoria. We were in Missouri and Minnesota for a while after that, but then we headed back to Illinois when I was in high school, and around that time my father passed away. I wound up going to college at Anderson College (now University) in Indiana, and I studied there my first year without knowing what I was going to do. I had thoughts of ministry, but I wasn’t a very strong student, so I dropped out. I started working instead and got into an electrical union job in that trade, got married, and did that job for 36 years and supported my family. We stayed here in Anderson and settled. And as you know, my second career started about 15 years ago, when I began taking certification to become a hypnotist.

Q:  When you’re not practicing hypnosis, what hobbies do you have? 

A: I have been a walker and runner most of my life. I love the state park near us, and was involved in the Road Runners and their races for a while. I love people, so I love being in a choir and other hobbies where I engage others. I grew up in the church as a preacher’s kid, so I stay involved in church, local Christian school, and in some ways I see my job now as a form of outreach, meeting a need in people, like a ministry of my own.

Q:  What’s the best part of doing what you do in hypnosis therapy? What keeps you motivated in this kind of work with clients?

A: Well, first off, it’s very thrilling work. Everybody who walks through my door is a new opportunity for me to witness transformation and change. I love to help clients get back their freedom and make changes that they can’t achieve anywhere else. And I enjoy seeing people take back control of their lives by using hypnosis tools.

I also love the challenge of learning and figuring out how to impact each client, and meeting them as people, and helping them at that personal level. I’m a very social person, so this work is a joy for me. That first session is actually the most exciting and interesting session for me – it’s like a first date, where we are both figuring each other out. Clients who come in with nervousness or natural resistance build a real connection with me— often through humor—and it creates a good connection and relationship that carries into the success of the session. I get to laugh with my clients a lot because of that. I don’t think many jobs would allow me to have this much fun.

And after our sessions, I get a lot of hugs. Warm handshakes, too. People are very sincere and thank me often for the work I do and the help I give them. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing I’ve helped someone and that they appreciate it.

My work gives me a lot of professional satisfaction, too. Because despite my being at a stage of life where many of my peers are retired, the way others now respect my work has restored my own sense of professional credibility even as I turn into a senior citizen!

Give Wally a free consultation call today to learn how hypnosis can help you at 765.442.3210.