Business briefcase

Carson-Tahoe Hypnosis Center

625 Fairview Drive, Suite 122

887-1106

Name: Phil McKinnon

Position: Owner and therapist

The business: He uses hypnosis to help people stop smoking, cure headaches, address depression and deal with other illnesses and disorders.

How he started: McKinnon said he has always been interested in "how people tick" and eventually read a book on the subconscious, which lead him to enroll in the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, an accredited college.

What hypnosis is: It is a tool that allows people to pass into their subconscious and change lifestyle patterns quickly, he said.

What a session is like: He said he explains to the patient what hypnosis is, puts the person into a relaxed state by having them concentrate on something and helps them fall into a kind of sleep where their mind is susceptible and ready to look into its subconscious.

What a session is not: McKinnon said it's nothing like the hypnosis that happens at stage shows. "My purpose is not to make a jackass of people, but to help them," he said.