Contacts and info

[phone, email, office]
[Dr Torelli: who is?]
[my approach]
[the first in Italy]
[with Ernest Rossi]
[with Terence Watts]
[with Ormond McGill]
[with Gil Boyne]

Phone, email, office

[up] FREE preliminary consultation

PHONE: (+39)-019-506054
EMAIL: info [at] altor.org
OFFICE: v. Colla 20/7, Cairo M. (SV), ITALY
Dr. Alberto Torelli
HYPNOTHERAPY PRACTITIONER
TEACHER and SUPERVISOR in hypnotherapy
SPECIALIST in Ericksonian hypnotism

Dr Torelli: who is?

[up]. I am an Italian hypnotherapy practitioner trained in the United Kingdom and accredited there at a national level (Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma, HPD n. F035696). I'm teacher and supervisor of the Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (APHP, www.aphp.net, UK) and of the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH, www.ngh.net, USA). More detailed information on my qualifications can be found here. Copyright (C) Alberto Torelli.

My approach

[up]. For its nature, the hypnotic intervention is BRIEF, because instead of wasting a lot of months and a lot of money in digging uselessly in the unchangeable past, here we prefer to do something immediately for a better living in the present. My approach is based on three key elements

FREE PRE-TALK. This is needed for a mutual acquaintance. In fact, hypnosis can be unsuitable, or it can be necessary to get diagnosed before working hypnotically on clinical symptoms, or, also, there may be present too unrealistic expectancies, too hurry, too much discomfort, or an actual need to receive a non-hypnotic help.
HIGHLY PERSONALIZED APPROACH. In hypnosis every person is unique, and therefore the hypnotic work depends on the personality of the hypnotic subject, and not on some theory read in a book. Hypnosis doesn't do miracles, but promotes neurophysiological and psychosomatic changes that are clinically very relevant. Moreover, it facilitates the realization of desires, the satisfaction of personal needs, the achievement of individual goals, and the self-healing. This is done through an empowerment of the total personality that gives to people a feeling of security, absence of effort, and control of their own life.
INTERVENTION ON THE HEALTHY PART. Hypnosis has its only center of interest in the wellbeing (and not in the illness) and in the good strong points (and not in the bad and weak ones). The trance is a powerful experience of the nervous system, and it is entirely controlled by the hypnotic subject; therefore those who presume to have a therapeutic role in hypnosis are just poor fools, because the therapist as such is often a serious obstacle for the hypnotic subject. The individual unconscious mind can be only stimulated, but it proves to be unforeseeable and uncontrollable.

In conclusion (Copyright (C) Alberto Torelli):

the hypnotist is not a physician, or a psychologist, or a therapist. There is no diagnosis nor therapy.
hypnosis is not a therapy nor its substitute, but an excellent and recognized complementary support.
hypnosis is a natural functioning of the nervous system, and it promotes the self-healing abilities.
in hypnosis all the benefits are produced by the client; the hypnotist can only stimulate those activities.
hypnosis is absolutely innocuous, highly beneficial, and entirely under the client's control.
hypnosis is not part of normal medical or psychological training. It's not a cure. It's a learning.
the client can book an appointment whenever he wants, because the hypnotic work is very personal.
my practice is regulated by the international hypnosis associations that I am a member of.
I adhere to a code of ethics, and to a program of continuous educational development in hypnotherapy.

The first in Italy

[up]. At the best of my knowledge, I'm the first true professional hypnotist in Italy, because many people that claim that they are hypnotists actually are professionals in non-hypnotic activities. On the contrary, as reported on my identity card, depicted in fig. 1 (15 KB), I'm really a hypnosis practitioner, and hypnosis practice is my only job. In my knowledge, the first Italian plate of an independent professional hypnosis office is mine, and it has been exposed to the public in August 2003. It can be seen in fig. 2 (21 KB). Many people have asked to me how did I introduce professional hypnotism in Italy, so I have written the story. You can read it here. Copyright (C) Alberto Torelli.

With Ernest Rossi

[up]. I have been lucky to meet Ernest L. Rossi, a very famous and renowned psychotherapist (coauthor of Milton H. Erickson, and author of many pioneering books about hypnosis and psychobiology). This meeting happened almost miraculously. In fact, after an exchange of some emails, a sort of friendship developed, and we met in Italy, near my home. Rossi and his wife, Kathryn, spent some days of vacation in the 'riviera ligure' (the zone on the north-west coast of Italy, near my home and my office), and we discussed privately some special techniques of hypnotherapy. During the first 100 minutes I described to him some surprising cases encountered by me in my hypnotherapy practice, and Rossi defined my hypnotic approach as deeply Ericksonian. Then, on my request, we worked hypnotically for about 40 minutes (with me as hypnotic subject), and this ended wonderfully a memorable day about hypnosis. A photo with Rossi, taken at the end of a wonderful afternoon spent together, can be found in fig. 1 (47 KB). Rossi wanted also to send to me from Rome two of his books (about the influence of hypnosis on the human DNA), both autographed by him. I'm extremely proud of these gifts, of course. The cover of those books can be seen in fig. 2 (14 KB) and in fig. 3 (21 KB), while the dedications can be found in fig. 4 (20 KB) and in fig. 5 (12 KB). For further information about the exchange of ideas with Rossi, please visit this page. Copyright (C) Alberto Torelli.

With Terence Watts

[up]. In 2001 I was surfing online because I wanted to be trained within a serious and professional school of hypnosis. Well, I have found a teacher very suitable for me. He is Terence P. Watts, principal of the Essex Institute of Clinical Hypnosis (EICH), which was located (in that time) in Leigh on Sea, Essex, UK (now it is in Southend on Sea, Essex). Terence Watts is an excellent teacher, an extraordinary man (more unique than rare), and his creative, brilliant, and ingenious mind has also written several important books about hypnotherapy. He not only formed me in professional hypnotism, but with his example he also taught me to behave with compassion and humility. These two concepts can be also found in the APHP logo (the Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy), which the EICH refers to. This logo can be seen in fig. 1 (4 KB). A photo, taken with Terence during an international APHP convention, can be found in fig. 2 (16 KB). Copyright (C) Alberto Torelli.

With Ormond McGill

[up]. In memory of an outstanding mentor. Ormond McGill was born in Palo Alto, California, in June 15, 1913, and performed his first complete show in 1927, when he was 14 years old. Since then, his interest in hypnosis continued to grow, and with the stage name of Doctor Zomb he performed hypnotic stage shows all over the world (USA, Canada, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Polynesia, Australia, New Zealand, etc.). He wrote tens of books on hypnosis, he got his PhD from University, and he become rather known for his studies as conchologist (collecting and studying mollusc shells), but above all he has been certainly one of the most outstanding experts in hypnosis (stage hypnosis and also oriental hypnosis). After the death of his wife Delight because of a cancer (1976), he was about to put an end to his career, but fortunately he then changed his mind. From the '90s on, in his eighties, Ormond McGill turned his attention also to clinical hypnosis, developing some innovative techniques, and traveling again around the world teaching hypnotism in many important schools. When I met him for the first time in the USA, in Nashua (near Boston), it was wonderful to join his seminar and see him performing live demonstrations. The most extraordinary thing is that nobody had ever to say anything bad about this man, maybe because he had a noble and honest soul. He used to say: "if you don't have a gentle word to say, then keep yourself silent". He died in October 15, 2005, in Santa Rosa, California (USA). He was known as the 'dean' of American hypnotists. The only photo that I have of Ormond McGill, unique but linked to many unforgettable memories, can be seen in fig. 1 (15 KB). Copyright (C) Alberto Torelli

With Gil Boyne

[up]. Professional hypnotism is still too contaminated by theories, therapists, lobbies, business, and general ignorance. To read repetitive books or to attend boring seminars has become more the rule than the exception. Many words and few new facts. But in 2008 I met the illustrious Mark Gil Boyne, a famous name in the field of hypnosis, but also a person with an extremely gentle and good soul. In fact not only he permitted me to meet him privately in London (where I was for a continual education in hypnotherapy), but also he gave me a surprise by coming on Saturday (instead of the scheduled Sunday) and looking for me in the hotel where I was attending some seminars about hypnotherapy. Our meeting (at lunch time) has been fantastic. At a certain point, a woman came to our table and introduced herself (she was a hypnotherapist that evidently was attending that conference like me): "sorry if I interrupt you.. you are Gil Boyne, aren't you? I was present at one of your seminars 8 years ago, and I would just tell you that I still benefit from what you did for me". In that occasion, Gil realized that this woman was shocked (for a tragic news just communicated to her), so he immediately interrupted his seminar and worked with her for 45 minutes, with excellent and lasting results. Then this woman left, and Gil told me many other illuminating things. He talked about the sincere love as the supreme healing power, more effective that any school of thought. It seemed to me as if I were hearing from Erickson. "There are many forces that we don't know" (notice the humility and humanity of his words). And also: "ask what you want". Satisfy your needs. Grow. And also: "the therapeutic process happens always within the person, no matter what means are used to facilitate it. People use individually whatever tool they want, thus the term 'therapy' cannot be monopolized by anyone". In fact there are many distinct ways toward the well-being, and they don't require necessarily a therapist. On the contrary, in hypnosis the hypnotic subjects do their work in their own way. In short, only the result matters. Gil treated me with enormous respect. Then, another very impressive and fascinating characteristic of Gil is how he speaks and acts. He does it in a tremendously surgical, essential, concrete, focused, and significant way. In today's world, based more on appearance than content, this superior communication makes many people uneasy and is hard to meet, so it is often considered rude and bare, but actually it is simply pure and distilled, being free from the superfluous. It's a marvelous art. Then we hugged and said goodbye reciprocally, and lastly I followed Gil with my eyes while he was approaching a taxi and with some emotion I went back into the hotel in order to attend those usual seminars. A photo of my meeting with Gil Boyne can be seen in fig. 1 (47 KB). Copyright (C) Alberto Torelli.