Marc Marshall, the founder of HypnoMarc, recently shared his journey and mission in an interview with MysticMag.
With over 50 years of experience in hypnosis, Marc was first inspired as a child after witnessing a stage hypnosis show. Since then, he has devoted his life to exploring the power of the human mind, particularly in helping people overcome trauma.
The core mission of HypnoMarc is to empower individuals by helping them reframe their perceptions and create a healthier, more fulfilling reality through hypnotherapy.
What inspired the creation of HypnoMarc and what is its core mission?
As a hypnotist, I’ve been hypnotizing people for over 50 years. What originally drew me to hypnosis was the power of the human mind. I was 11 years old when I saw my first stage hypnosis show, and I was absolutely fascinated. At the age of 16, I hypnotized my first volunteer. He did all the crazy things I asked him to do, and I wasn’t even sure at the time that I was really hypnotizing him. I gave him a post-hypnotic suggestion, telling him that whenever I touched my left ear with my right hand, he would bark like a dog. Three days later, at dinner, I accidentally did that, and sure enough, he started barking like a dog. That’s when I realized I had truly hypnotized him, and I haven’t stopped since.
Throughout my journey, I came to understand that what the mind conceives, the body achieves. We create our own reality. My book, Perception Equals Reality, is about how our minds shape the experiences we have. If we focus on negativity, that’s what we attract because the mind interprets that as what we want. By reframing how we think and perceive things, we can change our reality.
In my practice, I specialize in trauma work—PTSD, sexual trauma, abuse, addiction—and I’ve found that nearly everyone I work with, regardless of their issue (whether it’s weight loss, anxiety, or fear), is dealing with trauma. Trauma often acts like a self-hypnotic state, trapping people in negative loops. Even a minor event, like a child feeling unappreciated because their drawing wasn’t put on the fridge, can create deep feelings of being “less than.” Over time, these negative thoughts become self-fulfilling prophecies, where people unconsciously sabotage themselves.
The core mission of HypnoMarc is to empower my clients. The real challenge is that most people are either focused on the past or worried about the future. But the past is just a mental construct, and we have no control over the future. The only thing we can change is the present moment. If you don’t like where you are or how you feel, you have the power to change it.
People dealing with trauma are often stuck in their past and fearful of the future, worrying that the same thing will happen again. My mission is to help them break free from that mindset and empower them to become the best version of themselves. I create the energy within them to make positive changes and provide the tools and structures they need to move forward.
How does HypnoMarc support individuals through hypnotherapy and what types of issues does it address?
Hypnotherapy and hypnosis are some of the most powerful mediums for bringing about change, and I say that unequivocally. There’s nothing more powerful than our minds. Everything we create, from supercomputers to complex systems, stems from the human mind. We have the capacity to make profound changes.
Over time, I’ve come to realize that everything is energy-based. Admittedly, I didn’t always believe that—I used to think it sounded like “woo-woo” nonsense. But through my journey, I’ve come to understand this truth deeply. I could spend hours discussing my personal experiences that led me here, but one example stands out.
I was once working with a client, using a technique called regression to cause. This process involves bringing the client back to the first time they experienced a particular issue. As I guided her, she went back to the 14th century, speaking a language I knew she didn’t know. We worked through that event, resolving the issue in her past, which ended up changing her present reality. Although I was initially skeptical about past life work, experiences like this shifted my perspective, and today, I do a lot of past life regression work, both individually and in group settings.
What makes hypnosis different from traditional talk therapies is that it creates rapid change. Trauma happens in an instant—so why should it take months or years to heal? Hypnosis allows me to work directly with the subconscious mind, where real change happens. Think of it as updating a computer’s hard drive. The subconscious mind, like the hard drive, operates based on programs designed to protect us, but sometimes these programs get corrupted. Hypnosis helps to rewire or update those faulty programs, often in just one or two sessions.
My work is especially transformative in the area of trauma, particularly sexual trauma and abuse. Many of my clients come to me feeling like victims, but through hypnosis, I help them move from victimhood to survival, and ultimately, to thriving. During the trauma, they had resources they weren’t consciously aware of that allowed them to get through it. When we remove the emotional triggers, they can finally access those resources and begin to heal.
One of the unique things about hypnosis is that it bypasses our conscious thinking, which is often deceptive. People tend to fill in blanks or rely on faulty memories, but the subconscious mind and the body never lie. Our bodies somatically map every experience we’ve had, from before birth until the moment we die. The subconscious mind knows exactly where those memories or traumas are stored and is always ready to release what no longer serves us. Through hypnosis, I help clients access and rewrite those experiences, allowing their subconscious to propel them forward into a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Can you tell us more about HypnoMarc’s unique approach to hypnotherapy and what sets it apart from other practices?
Hypnosis is a broad practice, but many people misunderstand it due to how it’s portrayed in movies and TV. One common misconception is that hypnosis is mind control. In reality, it’s a natural state we all experience every day. For example, when we transition between being awake and asleep, we pass through a hypnotic state.
When I work with clients—whether in a clinical session or a stage performance—my role is to guide them into that natural hypnotic state. Most people associate hypnosis with techniques like staring at a pocket watch or focusing on an object to enter a trance. This method is effective and widely used by about 90-95% of clinical hypnotists, and I sometimes use it too. However, after years of practice, I’ve developed a different approach.
One thing I’ve learned is that many clients bring a natural resistance to hypnosis because they doubt whether they can be hypnotized. What sets my practice apart is that I use conversational hypnosis. Rather than relying on traditional trance techniques, I engage my clients in a conversation with their eyes open. Through this, shifts begin to happen.
This approach works because the subconscious mind is always listening and responding. The most powerful words I hear come from my clients themselves. Their subconscious knows exactly what it needs to heal, and through conversation, it provides cues and clues for me to guide the process. As a practitioner, I listen carefully and use this information to help them make the necessary changes.
Many hypnotists work with what are called “scripts”—preset frameworks for common issues like smoking cessation or weight loss. While this can be effective, it doesn’t always meet the client where they are. The problem that a client presents is rarely the actual problem. For example, someone might come to me for weight loss, but the real issue could be unresolved trauma. In about 85% of obesity cases, there is a link to sexual trauma, with the weight serving as a defense mechanism to avoid unwanted attention.
Similarly, I often work with clients who have fears like a fear of flying. This fear is typically a loop they play in their heads about an imagined disaster. With conversational hypnosis, I can help them break that loop quickly, like flipping a switch.
Other therapies can take time and often require clients to repeatedly recount their traumatic experiences. One of the biggest fears for trauma survivors, especially those who’ve experienced sexual trauma, is having to relive the pain. In my practice, I never ask clients to tell me their stories because I don’t need to know the details. They already know what happened. And it’s important to note that a memory recalled is a memory changed.
Our experiences are filtered through new perceptions, so what we remember isn’t always an accurate reflection of the original event. This is especially true for fears, which often spiral from a small incident—like being pushed too high on a swing as a child—that grows into a much larger fear, such as a fear of heights.
In my process, I help clients recognize the new skills, strengths, and learnings they’ve developed since that initial event. By doing so, we leave the emotions tied to the past behind. Essentially, we’re breaking the neural pathways connected to that emotional trauma, and that’s where hypnosis excels. It enables rapid change in a way that few other therapies can achieve.
Can you share a success story where HypnoMarc significantly helped a client overcome a challenge or achieve a goal?
I experience success stories every day. One of the simplest examples is helping people quit smoking. Hypnosis is widely known for its effectiveness in this area, as it works much better than patches, nicotine replacement therapies, or vaping. Generally, one or two sessions are enough to eliminate the smoking habit.
But where I truly focus is in helping people overcome significant traumas. For instance, I’ve worked with individuals who experienced multiple instances of childhood sexual assault. When trauma is held in the body, it manifests as energy, and this energy can cause “dis-ease,” or disease—both physically and emotionally. In some cases, trauma is linked to serious health issues like breast or uterine cancers, though I acknowledge that genetic and environmental factors can also play a role. Hypnosis, however, is highly effective in resolving conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which also has emotional trauma connections.
I’ve also worked with military veterans and law enforcement officers who are unable to legally share details of their experiences due to confidentiality laws. That’s why I never ask my clients for the specifics of their trauma, and they don’t need to tell me. Yet, even without knowing the details, we’re able to resolve their deeply rooted issues.
Almost every client I work with has experienced some form of abuse or trauma that has impacted their lives, relationships, and intimacy. Often, they’ll contact me after the session to say, “I don’t know what we did, but my life is so much better now.” I’ve had clients report improvements in their relationships, increased intimacy with their partners, and, in some cases, even the resolution of issues like erectile dysfunction. Often, a simple comment from a partner can negatively impact someone’s self-esteem, but by shifting focus away from past events and towards the present, dramatic changes can occur.
Hypnosis allows clients to break free from the weight of their past and focus on the present, which leads to remarkable transformations.
How does HypnoMarc ensure the effectiveness and safety of its hypnotherapy sessions?
In every setting where I work—whether in person or remotely via Zoom—I ensure the safety and effectiveness of my sessions. I see most of my clients online now, as many of them are from all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the UK, Canada, and the United States. Even before COVID, I was already seeing clients on Zoom. When I meet clients in my office, I video record all sessions. This serves two purposes: ensuring the safety of both the client and myself, and providing a learning tool. Sometimes impactful and powerful things happen in sessions that I want to recreate or better understand, so having a recording allows me to reflect on and learn from those moments.
As someone who also teaches hypnosis, these recordings provide valuable opportunities to show students the sequence of events in a session and how they unfold.
Beyond that, I hold myself to the highest ethical standards, both as a clinical hypnotist and a stage hypnotist. I’ve even produced video blogs calling out other stage hypnotists for inappropriate skits with the wrong audience. For instance, I can perform adult-level shows, but I would never do that for a group of high school students. Safety, both physical and emotional, is paramount when someone is on my stage or in my sessions. When someone gives me the permission to hypnotize them, it becomes my duty to protect them in every way possible.
In clinical settings, I meet clients where they are, helping them navigate their traumas. Let me share a story to illustrate this. A woman once contacted me who had been emotionally and mentally abused. She was in a submissive relationship where her dominant partner had learned how to hypnotize her through YouTube and implanted a trigger that he used to manipulate her, leading her to become orgasmic at his command.
When she came to me, she had two fears: the first was that I would change her sexuality or her kink, which she didn’t want. We spent time talking before agreeing to work together so that she felt comfortable and understood that I never judge my clients. As long as no one is being harmed—whether it’s a child, an animal, or anyone else—I respect what consenting adults choose to do. My role is to help clients become the best version of themselves.
In this case, we worked to break the hold her partner had over her, empowering her to reclaim control of her own body. She learned how to give herself to someone else only on her own terms and to take back that control whenever she wanted. The process helped her feel comfortable in her own skin again and embrace her life without fear.
The range of issues I’ve worked with is vast, from helping a young girl overcome her fear of spiders to assisting people who have experienced kidnapping, abuse, or trauma. Much of my work with addiction is also tied to past sexual abuse and the pain people carry. It’s all interconnected, and that’s the space I work in.
What new techniques or programs is HypnoMarc planning to introduce in the near future?
One of the areas I’m really excited about is a protocol I recently submitted for the world’s largest hypnosis conference, HypnoThoughts, which takes place annually in Las Vegas. I’ve had the privilege of presenting there many times, and this year, I’m introducing a new protocol that focuses on helping other hypnotherapists and hypnotists overcome their self-limiting beliefs. These professionals are excellent at what they do, but many are carrying something that holds them back from reaching their full potential. My goal is to help them break through those barriers and have their own transformative moments.
Beyond that, I’m constantly writing new programs and creating audio content for people to purchase online. One of the things I love most is being on stage. It’s not just about making people laugh, but about introducing them to the power of hypnosis. It’s often their first exposure to it, and I give my volunteers a post-hypnotic suggestion that can help them make real changes in their lives—whether it’s reducing stress, improving sleep, or addressing other areas they want to improve.
Currently, I’m working on a new set of programs focused on addressing sexual dysfunction, which I plan to roll out in the coming year. I’m also finishing my next book, There’s No Such Thing as Try, which I hope to release early next year. It builds on the concepts from my previous book, Perception Equals Reality, which is available on Amazon and Kindle. That book guides people through a step-by-step process to reframe their thinking and overcome what’s holding them back. The upcoming book will focus on the importance of language and mindset. For instance, when someone says, “I’ll try,” they’ve already given themselves permission to fail. I want to show people how to remove that kind of self-sabotaging language from their lives.
As for the future, my mission is to keep spreading awareness about how hypnosis can transform lives. I have a dear friend who runs a company called Hypnosis World, and his vision is to have a hypnotist in everyone’s phone, alongside their doctor, lawyer, and chiropractor. I love this idea and believe that hypnosis should be as accessible as any other essential service, because we truly have the power to change lives in profound ways.
Find out more at: www.hypnomarc.com
