Recessionista: Dr. Nancy B. Irwin

Hypnotist to the stars, http://www.drnancyirwin.com/

Old Unfun Job: Stand-up Comic

New Fun Job: Hypnotist

Recessionista: Excuse us, but “stand-up comic” is hardly an un-fun job! Explain yourself.

Nancy: I know, I know. It’s hardly boring, but it got to be unfulfilling for me. So I went back to school at age 44 and completed a doctorate in clinical psychology and certification in hypnotherapy. And I gotta say…I love it!

R: Alright, we’ll take it! It does sound like fun. What types of people do you hypnotize?

N: I hypnotize celebrities, athletes, and normal people. I get to help people achieve their goals: stop smoking, lose weight, be confident at auditions or presenting at the Oscars, come out of a career slump in golf, boxing, baseball, etc., as well as overcome sexual dysfunctions and abuse.

R: Tell us more about the “presenting at the Oscars” part. Which celebrities have you hypnotized?

N: I honor confidentiality with my patients, but I can tell you that I have worked with numerous household names: singers, TV stars, movie stars, producers, film directors, as well as tons of professional athletes (golfers, boxers, triathletes, gymnasts, ice skaters, soccer players, hockey, football, baseball, volleyball, MMA fighters, fencers, and more) and am honored to do so.

R: You must have seen some crazy stuff! What’s the most amazing experience you’d had in the field?

N: It’s really impossible to nail down one amazing experience, because they are all cool! And it’s kind of “apples and oranges.”  Seeing a pro golfer come out of a slump to win a major title again is just as cool as seeing an actor win an Oscar. However, my most rewarding moments in the clinic are with the abused, traumatized teenagers who start getting their self-esteem back.