When Michael Holt talks to people, he's not just being friendly. Often, a conversation with him changes people's lives.
Holt - known to many as "Doc Magi, Hypnotist to the Stars" - is a certified hypnotherapist who uses his skills to help people control their physical pain, recover from traumatic events, sometimes quit smoking and lose weight.
Though there is a pocket watch dangling from a chain that hangs from a lamp on his desk, Holt doesn't typically wave it in front of patients to put them into a trance.
While many people assume hypnosis is about making people quack like a duck at the saying of a special word, that's just in the shows, Holt said.
In truth, he said it is about changing a person's mindset and a way to achieve success.
To date, Holt has helped more than 1,500 people obtain their goals through hypnosis.
"Hypnosis is a way to accept and bypass the critical mind," he said. "The mind is not the same thing as the brain.
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The trick is to get people to relax and visualize themselves without their current problem, Holt said.
It's almost like a daydream, but in this state, people can see themselves successful and it's an image that they can take with them wherever they go.
"The mind's a fantastic tool.
We can do just about anything," he said.
In the past, he's been amazed himself.
A woman dying of cancer was desperate to end her dependence on morphine, so she came to see Holt.
He had her picture herself without any pain at all. For a woman that could not even stand up straight without doubling over in agony, this was a tall task.
But she did it.
And when she was walking out of his office, she walked to the car herself without any additional medication.
And he was able to help her without any real tools at all.
That's usually the case.
By simply sitting in the chair, clients start to talk and their conversation was enough help in and of itself.
"They tell me what it is that they want and why it is that they haven't been able to get it," Holt said.
That conversation has been life-altering for many.
With a wall full of certificates and credentials, Holt knows this for sure.
Because they have enough desire, people have been able to fix their relationships, overcome fear of dogs and become better people, he said.
And being a good person is what Holt is all about.
It has been his lifelong dedication to help people whenever he can. Even when he's not hypnotizing people, he's actively involved with charity work.
He said as much as 50 percent of his time is devoted to volunteering.
Right now, he's working hard organizing a Feb. 17 bowl-a-thon at Santa Clarita Lanes that will benefit Heads-Up Therapy on Horseback, an organization that helps children with disabilities.
"People need somebody who cares enough to allow them to be themselves," Holt said.
For more information about Holt, visit www.docmagi.com.
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