Dr. Yafi Yair believes that health is an all-encompassing concept that includes the mind, the body and the spirit. Though her training to become a clinical psychologist allowed her to understand the scientific precepts of human emotion and behavior, she has always been intrigued by the spiritual psyche. That’s why she launched Healthy Minds Practice, which helps patients develop personally and spiritually through hypnosis.
We spoke to Yair about her background and what Healthy Minds Practice offers.
How/why did you become interested in conducting psychological evaluations and psychotherapy?
Two forces drove me to the field of psychology: the desire to actively help others and my curiosity about the human mind and human nature. It’s interesting that now I am going back to my original passion, excluding psychological testing from my practice and focusing on the active process of helping others.
Why do you think very few people have combined scientific and spiritual ideas?
I think that the scientific community tends to be more closed minded than it would like to admit. And from my experience I can attest that scientific training definitely is. The desire to be objective and to remove ourselves from the experience has always been a fundamental objective of science and a fundamental limit in spirituality, keeping them at odds with one another. The beautiful thing is that it is changing. With the introduction of quantum physics and even more specifically- with the discovery that the mere act of observation impacts the fabric of reality as we know it, makes the scientific community questions the basic assumptions they previously took for granted. The understanding that we create our own reality, which previously was only accepted on spiritual terms, is now becoming a known truth. We are entering very interesting grounds.
What do you hope to accomplish through Healthy Minds Practice?
I hope I am helping to create a new understanding of mental health. A more holistic understanding, where mental health means overall balance and wellness, integrating the mind, the body and the emotional and the spiritual life of people. My office is in a spiritual center, My Flora Aura, a lovely location with such a positive vibe. It fits in beautifully with my holistic approach.
Have you ever endured hypnosis or any of the other services you offer?
I have. I have been to several professionals attempting to experience myself what I offer to others and I have had mixed results. The most intense hypnotic trance I have experienced occurred at The Monroe Institute. There, I got a real taste of what it is like to navigate through different states of consciousness and connecting to something deeper or bigger.
Which service do you think is the most helpful and why?
There are two services that I find to be most helpful for people. Hypnotic regression to childhood memories and past-life experiences is one of them. You really get the benefits of hypnosis this way: not only remembering certain things, but really being there, feeling it, living it. Another service that utilizes hypnosis beautifully is what I call Life Path. This service is about overcoming a personal challenge or reconnecting to the path, goal or journey of your life. It is all about connecting to your inner wisdom and drawing in new insight and strength. It is amazing what people are able to overcome with the power of their mind and some guidance.
What is the most rewarding aspect of Healthy Minds Practice for you?
I absolutely love what I do! It is so exciting and rewarding to see all the healing that is happening right in front of me. I see so many people that feel stuck or that have tried hypnosis before and think they can’t be hypnotized, and we work together, and they break through their limiting past experiences and personal challenges and have intense, liberating experiences. Knowing that I can give people that, that I can witness that, and experience this with them- I can’t imagine anything more rewarding.
For more information visit healthymindspractice.com or call 954/471-3073.
