By Lindsay Peyton

West Seattle hypnotist Anthony Gitch gives all of his clients a card that reads: “There is no person, thought, idea, memory, image, feeling or sensation, out of the past, in the present or ever to arrive in the future that could stop me from ______.”

He then asks his clients to fill in the blank. 

“It’s all about being able to choose what you like about yourself and what you don’t and where you want to go,” he said. “It’s more about taking back control than losing control.”

Gitch explained that his mission is to help clients do more than achieve their goals. He wants them to surpass, to do even better. He wants to empower people to take the reins in their own lives. 

Hypnosis is simply his tool of choice – one that he believes it is more effective that the rest. 

And he’s trying to dispel misconceptions about the process. He said that hypnosis is more like a state of hyperawareness. 

“It’s profound,” he said. “I love what it does and the value of it.”

Gitch uses hypnosis to help clients stop smoking, manage pain, fix bad habits like overeating, address sadness, anger and anxiety. 

He opened his business Excel Hypnosis, 3717 California Ave, a year ago – but he has worked in multiple facets of alternative healing and conscious living for a number of years. 

Gitch admits his path has been circuitous. “I would never have guessed in a million years that I’d be in hypnosis,” he said. 

His only experience with the field was watching over-the-top characters swing clocks like a pendulum in movies or on stage. He had no idea that one day he would be expounding on the benefits of hypnosis. 

But ending up somewhere unexpected wasn’t exactly a surprise. 

Gitch had a life that was like a whirlwind. He joined the military at age 17 and was kicked out for being gay. He moved to Seattle two years later. He’s worked countless jobs, including in corporate leadership at a software company, lead trainer in a corporation and even a performer in a Lipizzan touring shows. 

Through his journey, he struggled with co-dependency, the loss of a partner and addiction.

“I had a lot of experience with trauma,” he said. “I had a lot of resentment and anger.”

Still, he managed to maintain a positive attitude – and a desire to pass on his optimism soon emerged. 

“I’ve always wanted to help people be happy,” he said. “I like to see people smile and be successful.”

Gitch wanted to become a healer. He first studied to be a Reiki master, then a massage therapist. He got certified in Ayurveda lifestyle management and became a conscious living coach and Qigong instructor. He researched more and more spiritual practices, religions and philosophies – looking for any path that could teach him how to guide others toward a more joyful existence. 

Still, Gitch wanted to do more. 

“It wasn’t enough,” he said. “People were still struggling. I wanted to make a more impactful change. That’s when I discovered hypnosis.”

He searched for a top-notch place where he could learn the art and discovered Cascade Hypnosis Center, an accredited hypnotherapy training and education program, in Bellingham. 

“It was a fairly intensive program,” he said. “It was perfect.” He is now a certified master hypnotist and self-hypnosis teacher. 

Equipped with a number of new techniques, Gitch is ready to spread the word in West Seattle. He explained that hypnosis allows him to easy access to that inner voice that criticizes or tears down self-esteem. He gains immediate insight into long-established fears and habits. 

“We’re able to go in and very easily change them around,” he said. “People have everything they need. I just go in and help them unlock the door, show them where the key is. They leave here more hopeful and optimistic – and that’s my goal.”

One of his clients is Judi Ervin. She met him in a business networking group. 

“He comes across with this amazing warmth and a great personality,” she said. “I’m an open-minded and spiritual person. So I was intrigued about hypnosis.”

Ervin signed up for one of Gitch’s group hypnosis classes focused on relieving stress.  

“It’s been couple of months since then, and I’ve had a huge benefit still” she said. “I would highly recommend it to anyone who is wanting to change their lifestyle.”

Mike Morgan was one of Gitch’s clients when he was a massage therapist. 

“Anthony is a natural healer, and he’s interested in a lot of modalities,” Morgan said. 

Morgan has an autoimmune disease – and was curious if hypnosis could help his condition. 

“I was quite skeptical initially,” he said. “It was a revelation to me. He really helped me improve. Hypnosis, quite to my surprise, did improve my response to the disease.”

Morgan said hypnosis, like mediation, has expanded his ability to relax and concentrate. 

“Hypnosis, in my case, helped me step back and see from a bit of a distance,” he said. “And that helps you deal with it more effectively.”

Gitch said he tailors his methods to each individual client. “I don’t do ‘sciptnosis.;” he said with a laugh. 

Gitch is convinced that his own life experience is part of what sets him apart – and makes him capable of helping others. 

“I’ve been through it all,” Gitch said. “I’ve experienced adversity. I have a perception that is very different. It affords me a lot of insight, comfort with other people. I have a different approach.”

The former chief operating officer for a software company likens the brain to a computer that needs a reboot. 

“Why not just go in and write a new program?” Gitch asked. “I want to teach people and give them the tools. I can give them a trigger.”

For more information, visit excel-hypnosis.com