New Business Opens In East Brunswick’s Route. 18 Corridor

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — A new clinical hypnotherapy center opened in East Brunswick this week.

Imagination Institute of Hypnotherapy opened a clinic in East Brunswick’s Route 18 corridor.

The clinic will be run by founder Scott Blaise and business partner Annie Damato. The duo will help patients overcome anxiety, fear of flying, agoraphobia, trauma and more through clinical hypnotherapy and watercolor therapy.

"Clinical hypnotherapy is taking a behavior that no longer works in a positive way and then retraining new behavior that will create positive change," Blaise said.

For Damato, the new venture is deeply personal. Her son suffered from anxiety before tragically dying in a car crash at age 23.

"Millennials have so much pressure to figure things out. To achieve, to be on top. I really want to help people," Demato said.

Imagination Institute of Hypnotherapy will also provide training to professionals who are passionate about mental health and holistic medicine, like EMTs, dietitians, fitness coaches and chiropractors.

"Hypnosis is safe, it's not mind control. I can't tell you where to go; you must define your goal and we help you get there like GPS,” Blaise said.

Hypnotherapy is a type of mind-body medicine, that puts a patient in a state of deep relaxation and focused concentration, according to Cleveland Clinic.

According to the National Institutes of Health, a growing body of evidence suggests that hypnosis may help to manage some painful conditions, including anxiety related to medical or dental procedures. However, the overall evidence is not conclusive.

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