Highlight

Early in my career as a biomedical engineer, designing and building medical instruments and clinical trials for such, I came across this amazing thing called the placebo effect.

I was astounded to find out how strong this effect was, often accounting for a significant portion of the efficacy of many drug and device therapies. The power of suggestion, otherwise known as the placebo effect, has been studied extensively over the last hundred years. Scientists measure it, document it, compare it to “real” therapies and no therapy, and consistently acknowledge its effectiveness.

In fact, every drug and device on the market today has been tested against the power of suggestion. Far from being “just in the mind,” research has shown that belief and perception can produce real, measurable changes in the body.

What is almost as astonishing, however, is that this great power to influence outcomes is often set aside when it comes to helping the patient in clinical practice. And even worse, a doctor’s well-intentioned prognosis can easily form an extremely effective negative suggestion, a nocebo, that can make matters worse.

Of course, you cannot patent or license someone’s own internal capacity, so there is little economic incentive for systems to promote the power of suggestion and self-directed change. Nevertheless, I became deeply interested in understanding how this mechanism works and how it might be used intentionally to empower individuals.

After all, in many cases it was not the treatment itself that created the result, but the person’s own internal processes responding to belief, expectation, and perception. And these effects were not simply “in the head.” They were physical, measurable, and repeatable.

I found that the key to using this powerful mechanism lay in the often misunderstood realms of consciousness, as it applies not only to human wellness, but also to performance and outcomes more broadly. I became a Clinical Hypnotist in the late 1980s, as this seemed to be the most practical and direct way to work with these processes.

In studying and applying various mind-body techniques that activate the body’s own creative energies, which often lie dormant in the subconscious, I found I could guide a person to access and direct this capacity more effectively. This forms the basis of much of my work, whether it is helping individuals master stress, recover from illness or addiction, sleep better, lose weight, enhance performance, or succeed in a venture.

Over time, I began to see that these same principles apply far beyond health. The way people think, perceive, and internally frame their experience also shapes how they communicate, how they are understood by others, and the opportunities that follow.

This insight naturally extended into my work with professionals, executives, and business leaders. Whether through executive coaching, resume development, or career positioning, I help individuals translate their experience into clear, compelling narratives that reflect their true value and open the door to higher-level opportunities.

At a certain level, it is not just what you have done that matters, but how it is perceived and communicated.

I offer these practical insights through the pages of the MindBody Optimizer premium e-Newsletter, or through my private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area.