This story was produced in partnership with Aaron Justice.
Often, those who once needed help themselves are the ones who are best at giving help to others. Indeed, those who have received support before understand the need to provide that support to others. That experience inspired Aaron Justice, CIHt, to leave behind a career as a restaurateur and pursue a path that would allow him to give others the same peace he found for himself.
A certified clinical and interpersonal hypnotherapist in St. Pete, Justice specializes in treating anxiety, depression, stress, and the addictions that can stem from them. His passion for helping others, and the methods he employs to do so, stems from decades of dealing with the same problems before finally finding a treatment that works.
For most of his life, Justice thought anxiety and depression were something he would have to deal with forever. They are part of who he is, and his failed attempts at traditional counseling and other more widely known therapies have proven that. And in his last attempt to see what might work in another way, Justice signed up for a hypnotherapy session.
“When I finished my first session, I left feeling much calmer than the last therapy session I had, which lasted an entire year,” he said. “I thought, ‘This is wild.’ Why don’t people know more about this?
“I kept going, and then one day I woke up and realized I hadn’t felt anxious or depressed in five months. I didn’t come home wanting a night of booze. Pizza. I wasn’t eating. I actually wanted to go to the gym.”
These sessions helped Justice overcome his anxiety and depression, and he discovered a new purpose in life. It was about giving back to others and helping as many people as possible. So he gave up his restaurant career, attended hypnotherapy school, and now runs his own clinic. His dream became a reality.
“I’m genuinely concerned because I know what it’s like to be in that dark place,” he said. “I want people to get out of it and get through it. I want people to know that there is hope.”
What exactly is hypnotherapy?
Justice knows that hearing the word “hypnotherapy” can make some people a little wary, or even ring alarm bells for some people. But he is quick to point out that hypnotherapy is far from the TV and movie clichés. You don’t get “very, very sleepy” or croak like a chicken after saying the magic words.
Justice likens it to a meditation interspersed with meaningful conversations. The sessions and discussions are aimed at engaging the conscious and subconscious mind alike to find the true root of the problem so that it can be directly addressed and resolved.
For example, think about the experience of watching a movie or TV show and being drawn into the story, being immersed in it, and feeling emotions from it, Justice said. Or think about that moment when you’re lost in thought while driving and realize you don’t even know if the light you just passed was green. Did you stop at that stop sign?
You are not unconscious or out of control. You’re just allowing your brain to take a new path (while obeying literal traffic laws).
“You’re just in a relaxed state,” Justice said. “It’s a very fun and enjoyable meditation. It’s not weird, it’s not weird, it’s not dangerous. Just talking about it puts you in a relaxed state. When you’re in that state, your subconscious mind is open. That’s why this is so important. We talk to your subconscious and help you heal.”
Get to know our experience with a free consultation
Justice believes the important thing is to take the step of trying it out. That’s why he offers free consultations to everyone, with no strings attached or fees. He has experienced firsthand what hypnotherapy can do and has seen the results his counseling and therapy has brought to his clients.
The most difficult thing is not always knowing where to go and having the courage to try, he said.
“A lot of people suffer in silence,” he says. “What I want people to know is that there is hope. People can get help, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Asking for help is a very healthy and beautiful thing.”
When asked what signs a person might need treatment for anxiety or depression issues, Judge Justice listed several behaviors and experiences that could be signs of symptoms that require treatment.
Some of the more subtle indicators include drastic changes in eating and sleeping habits, as well as prolonged periods of sadness (more than two weeks). If your anxiety is so severe that you find yourself shaking, shaking, or feeling intense fear on a regular basis, that’s a clear sign that you need help. Even something as seemingly simple as prolonged stress can cause problems when stress levels spike and don’t return to normal.
As Justice likes to explain, mental health should be treated the same as physical health. For example, consider how a person reacts to a purely physical injury.
“Let’s say you’re chopping wood and you cut your calf muscle with an ax,” Justice said. “You don’t think, ‘Oh, maybe I should see a doctor, but maybe it’ll go away on its own.'”
“In situations like that, I go to the doctor because a part of my body is suffering and needs to be healed,” he continued. But we don’t treat mental, emotional, and spiritual health that way. We end up suppressing these emotions that are crying out to be dealt with. But if we deal with them in a healthy way, these symptoms can be cured quickly and we can live on. ”
Pandemic increases need for treatment
Especially now that things are getting more difficult. America’s mental health has taken a serious hit since the coronavirus outbreak. Anxiety, depression, and addiction are all skyrocketing. Overdoses hit a new high. My blood pressure increased and my sense of satisfaction decreased.
For Justice, that makes his job even more necessary. He believes people are facing new and difficult challenges and now is the time to help them.
“I always say, if you think you might have to meet someone, you’re past the point where you have to meet someone,” he said. “My goal is not to keep treating people. My goal is to get to the root of the cause and achieve a cure.”
For more information about justice and its practices, visit aaronsjustice.com. You can also read more about hypnotherapy and schedule a free consultation.
