00:00:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle, a clinical psychologist and owner of New York Health Hypnosis and Integrative Therapy, shares her experiences of balancing her career, business, and family life. She discusses the challenges and joys of raising six-year-old twins, describing them as best friends and having distinct personalities. Dr. Lavelle also talks about her professional background, starting her practice in 2007 and her passion for psychology. Despite the busy schedule, she enjoys the age of six with her twins and cherishes the moments with them.

00:05:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle shares her unique background and what led her to become a hypnotist. She was applying for PhD programs while working in real estate and volunteering, but felt drawn to something more alternative. Her experiences in meditation and Southeast Asia further solidified her interest in hypnosis. After getting hypnotized herself and seeing the results, she began offering hypnosis sessions alongside psychologists in New York City. The combination of hypnosis and traditional therapy produced faster and more effective results, particularly in treating insomnia. Eventually, Dr. Lavelle specialized in treating Eating Disorders, finding that hypnosis made a significant improvement in therapy and kept people hopeful for change. However, she emphasizes that hypnosis is not a quick fix and requires consistent effort for lasting results.

00:10:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle discusses the combination of hypnosis and therapy, particularly in the context of treating conditions like binge eating. She explains that the initial therapy session may be painful as patients confront difficult emotions, but the hypnosis component of the session acts as a mental "massage," allowing patients to relax and let go of their compulsions. Dr. Lavelle uses the analogy of a dual threat quarterback, who surprises the defense with both running and passing, to describe the approach of combining traditional therapy with hypnosis. She also discusses the role of the unconscious mind in perpetuating harmful behaviors and how hypnosis can be used to retrain the unconscious to seek healthier alternatives. Dr. Lavelle notes that while working with eating disorders is a challenging aspect of their practice, they have found success using a specific form of hypnosis called Aronian hypnosis, which involves speaking directly to the unconscious mind to bypass resistance.

00:15:00 In this section of the podcast, Dr. Sera Lavelle discusses the use of hypnosis in treating eating disorders. She explains that while change does not happen overnight, hypnosis can help individuals become more aware of their desire to change. Through various techniques such as metaphors, visualizations, and analogies, hypnosis empowers individuals to recognize that they want to overcome their eating disorder. The process is compared to motivational interviewing, where the therapist helps the patient tap into their own motivation to change. One of Dr. Lavelle's biggest wins in using hypnosis with a patient was seeing them make the decision to stop binge eating and purging, resulting in significant improvement in their self-esteem and overall well-being.

00:20:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle discusses various specialties in their practice, highlighting eating disorders and phobias as significant wins. Eating disorders are challenging to treat due to high relapse rates, while phobias, such as fear of dogs or flying, can greatly impact people's lives. Hypnosis plays a crucial role in overcoming phobias by using visualization instead of physical exposure, making the therapy less invasive and more effective. Another specialty in their practice is pregnancy and hypnosis for childbirth. Some women experience fear and anxiety related to pregnancy and delivery, which can be addressed through hypnosis techniques, guided meditations, and psychological support.

00:25:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle discusses how traumatic experiences during childbirth can impact a woman's desire to have more children. She acknowledges that many women may be traumatized by childbirth, and some may even feel like they cannot go through it again. Dr. Lavelle also mentions the existence of childbirth amnesia and how it helps humans continue to reproduce. Later in the conversation, Dr. Lavelle shifts the focus to her work in integrating AI into psychological care. She explains that she doesn't see AI as a replacement for therapy but rather as a useful tool that could aid in therapy sessions. Dr. Lavelle shares an anecdote about a male user who found comfort in an AI chatbot during a breakup, as he felt less judged by a non-human entity. Inspired by this, she developed an app called Be a Better Eating, which uses AI to help individuals with eating disorders open up and be more honest with the technology, as they feel less judged. Overall, Dr. Lavelle envisions AI as a complementary tool in psychological care, rather than a replacement for human therapists.

00:30:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle discusses the potential of AI as a supplement to traditional therapy rather than a replacement. She explains that people using the app have been practicing self-help throughout the week, leading to "aha moments," which they can then discuss with their therapists during sessions. Dr. Lavelle emphasizes the importance of human connection in therapy and how AI can complement it by providing a safe space for self-reflection and exploration. The app, named "Be a Better Eating," is currently in beta stage and is specifically designed for emotional eating and binge eating. Dr. Lavelle also mentions the potential of integrating AI into other therapeutic areas such as OCD, anxiety, and depression. She describes how the app functions, explaining that it's an open chat feature with an AI trained on her past writings and podcasts to mimic her responses.

00:35:00 In this section of the podcast, Dr. Sera Lavelle discusses a new app that utilizes AI and hypnotherapy to help individuals with eating disorders. The app offers three distinct activities: knowledge, motivation, and meditation. The knowledge component provides ongoing lessons about hunger signals and body needs. The motivation activity assists users in making decisions in the moment, offering alternatives to binge eating. The meditation feature helps individuals move away from negative thoughts in the future. The app is personalized, as it pulls data from the user's experiences, making it more effective than generic diet advice from a computer program. The beta testing phase is ongoing, with plans to expand the app's capabilities by adding more hypnosis recordings.

00:40:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle discusses her upcoming AI app, Bea Better Eating, and its integration of hypnosis. She mentions that while the app currently lacks an interactive dashboard, she aims to gather user feedback and data to improve its features. Regarding the hypnosis aspect, Dr. Lavelle explains that she has incorporated it into the app through mindful hypnotherapy and storytelling, making it a relaxing and pleasant experience for users. She also shares her experiences of balancing work and family life throughout her career, emphasizing the importance of communication and integration rather than separation.

00:45:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle shares her personal experience of downsizing her living situation to eliminate stress and increase financial freedom. She explains how this decision allowed her and her husband to invest in alternative assets such as real estate and travel, ultimately leading to a more fulfilling lifestyle. Dr. Lavelle aims to promote this alternative lifestyle, which prioritizes happiness and investment over accumulating material possessions. She has successfully applied this philosophy to her own life, purchasing investment properties and even a property in Tulum, Mexico, to achieve work-life integration and financial freedom.

00:50:00 Dr. Sera Lavelle explains the importance of living a fulfilling life now rather than waiting for retirement. She agrees with Nate’s philosophy of "why wait for retirement," encouraging listeners to spend money on things that bring them joy instead of saving for the future. Dr. Lavelle also emphasizes the significance of alternative investments and not relying solely on traditional retirement plans. She reveals her plans for expanding her practice in the coming years, including opening a second practice focused on trauma and launching an app called Via.