How can I help? ​ 
Gary Schwantes
​MFA, CCH, CHt,​ Clinical Hypnotherapist, 
NLP Master Practitioner, California Teaching Credential
Hello and welcome! Glad you’re here. I use Modern Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Skill Building techniques to help free my clients from unwanted emotional responses and unwanted behaviors, and improve their performance. I’m also a professional musician and work with many performing artists, athletes and presenters to banish performance anxiety and break through creative blocks. My approach is practical and solution-oriented, utilizing powerful techniques that deliver great results. The process is 100% natural and focuses on your empowerment.
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I can help you:
​
• get rid of limiting beliefs, irrational fears and anxiety
• improve performance for exams, sports, music/arts, presenting, sales
• prepare for and recover from medical procedures
• get rid of unwanted habits
• reach your goals 
• and more...
1-415-601-6575  (USA)       ​risingstarforchange@gmail.com
All of our Hypnotherapy and Coaching sessions are online for the time being. It's as easy as clicking a link. ​Super convenient and very effective. To learn more, you can book a discovery video call or contact us by phone, text, or e-mail. Stay healthy and be safe out there!.

Ready to book your first session?
"I have used Gary’s services several times and each time I was able to overcome my mental obstacles. The most recent session was done via “ Zoom “ due to covid concerns. I then played in a tournament with nothing clouding my mind during my play. I owe a lot of my success to Gary’s techniques."
Poko P.​
​"Gary is a fantastic hypnotherapist. I had my hyponosis session with him several days before my due date. I felt super relaxing and had wonderful sleep that night. Gary recorded a part of our session and forwarded it to me. So it's very convenient for me to listen to it every day. The recorded session helped me tremendously reduce my pain during labor. I did reach my goal of complete natural birth without any interventions. I would like to encourage anyone who want to have natural birth or like to train your mind to better handle pain to try hyponosis. Highly recommended to have the session down with Gary!"
Kun L.
"I'd say I smoke for a good 25 years. I was a pack and a half a day smoker, I've tried so many times to quit but only last a couple days a couple weeks and then back to smoking again. As I hit my mid 40s I decided to quit again,a friend of mine told me about hypotherapy !!! I told my buddy that shit would not work for me, but I will give it try !!

Mind you I've been trying to quit many of times my health started going downhill so that's why I made my appointment with rising star I was ready to quit.!!!! Three months later I have not smoked!! My wife is also a pack a day smoker and she still smokes till this day I have no problem or urge to smoke !! You have to be mentally ready to stop smoking for this to work!!!!!!!"
Hawaiian B.
1-415-601-6575  (USA)       
​risingstarforchange@gmail.com
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"Hi Gary,
I am very appreciative of the work you have done with me in our first two sessions.  I feel like it is working well.  My  compliments to you on your expertise and thoughtful, personalized interventions, it is really touching and resonating with me."
-Don P.
My life has really improved since going to Gary.  Without getting into specifics, it has really changed my life and I'm forever grateful.  I like that you see immediate changes and I'm a very practical person so I like that it's changes that people notice right away.  He's very caring but most importantly effective."
-Nhieu W.
Discover the Benefits of Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Skill Building
Rising Star Personal Development Services offers Hypnotherapy, Coaching and Cognitive Skill Building sessions in-office, on location and via video conferencing.​ People seek us out when they want to sharpen skills like public speaking and sports performance, or when they want to make improvements in areas like exam performance, job performance, overcoming irrational  fears, preparing for surgery, changing habits and many other areas of personal development.
Imagination
Your imagination allows a flexibility in experimentation that's impossible in the physical world. It's one of your greatest resources and it provides  a powerful mental work space to operate in. On top of that, current research shows that when you imagine doing something vividly, your brain activity is very similar to when you're actually physically doing that thing. So by doing our "imagination exercises" you can virtually practice the new behaviors you want and actually begin to establish new neural pathways in your brain. These new neural patterns can then be powerfully reinforced with Cognitive Skill Building strategies. 
A Natural Ability 
The practice and experience of Hypnosis is deeply woven into the fabric of recorded human history. It’s been around under different names and in different forms since ancient times. This is an inherent human ability we all have to some degree. Some are more naturally talented at it than others, but everyone can learn to do it well enough to make profound positive changes in their life.
Hypnotherapy Can Help
Hypnotherapy is different than the practice of medicine or psychological counseling. In a nutshell, we use the art and science of suggestion to help you establish new patterns of thought, feeling and behavior that serve you well and help you reach your goals. We do this using proven techniques and methods that are respectful, safe,and effective. ​​​Hypnotherapy opens the door to a state of creative flow. The “box” created by limiting beliefs, habits and patterns is allowed to temporarily dissolve during a period of focused awareness, rest and renewal. In this creative state you can make powerful positive lifestyle changes by leveraging the power of your imagination. ​
What Is Cognitive Skill Building?
Hypnotherapy sessions are even more effective when combined with Cognitive Skill Building. This involves the use of practical strategies used consciously to reinforce the new patterns of thought, feeling and behavior we'll be developing through our work together. These strategies might include: use of specific mental tools in certain situations, customized plans for exam preparation, imagery for recall, customized routines and preparations for sports performance or public speaking and many other techniques which can be incorporated into your personal program for success.
How Our Process is Different
Our method allows for the skillful use of conscious processes in tandem with the creative unconscious processes. Our role is to help you develop this relationship so that you can create the life you want. This is why we combine Hypnosis with Cognitive Skill Building. The combination empowers you to be an active participant, to be self-reliant and not dependent on the Hypnotist for future progress.
Target Goals
Reduce Stress
Gain Confidence
Prepare for Surgery 
Get rid of Stage Fright
Effective Job Interviews
Program yourself for Success​
Maximum Sports Performance
Supercharged Exam Performance
Move on and Thrive after a Breakup
Hypno-Coaching for Kids,Teens and Parents​
Relax for Dental and Medical Appointments 
Stop Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco
Dissolve Fears and Limiting Beliefs
Enjoy Effective Public Speaking
Be Your Ideal Weight
Natural Pain Relief