Coming Home to Myself
How RTT, NLP & Hypnotherapy Helped Me Heal Family Trauma and Rewire Old Patterns
I Thought I Was Equipped Until Life Said, “Look Again”
I’ve spent years cultivating inner awareness.
Yoga Nidra was my refuge, my teaching, my way of restoring the nervous system. I studied with Ashleigh Sergeant and Meg McCracken at the Alaya School, learning how to guide others into deep rest and healing. Somatic inquiry, daily meditation, and embodied presence were the backbone of my well-being. I had a toolkit and it worked. Until it didn’t.
Everything began to shift when my father’s health started to decline. Aging was one thing. Terminal cancer was another. And with that diagnosis came the responsibility: I was named his medical power of attorney. That title sounds so clinical, so neat and tidy. But what it meant emotionally, energetically was that I was now the one holding it all together.
Only, I wasn’t.
Old childhood wounds, ones I had long assumed were “handled,” came roaring back to life. Family conflicts that had simmered quietly for decades erupted into full-blown fires. As the youngest in the family, I felt unseen, overwhelmed, and caught in a loop of victimhood and sabotage. I couldn’t hold it all. I didn’t want to. But I didn’t know how to let go.
It was then at that exact breaking point that Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) entered my life.
The Moment Everything Started Making Sense
I stumbled into RTT not as a therapist, but as someone desperately seeking something deeper.
I was already aware of the power of placing intention into the unconscious mind Yoga Nidra teaches this through Sankalpa, a heart-felt resolve spoken softly in a deeply relaxed state. I had taught that for years. So when I learned that RTT used hypnotherapy to access the subconscious mind, a lightbulb went on.
It reminded me of the quiet strength that lives in stillness, that place between sleep and wake where the nervous system softens and truth can rise. RTT just took it a step further. It didn’t just plant new seeds it pulled the old weeds out by the root.
Around the same time, I became curious about NLP—Neuro-Linguistic Programming. I noticed something odd: some of the most seasoned yoga teachers I respected, ones who’d been practicing for decades, were also trained in hypnosis. At first, it surprised me. But the more I explored, the more it made sense.
Why RTT Goes Beyond Surface Healing
What fascinated me about NLP was how language patterns mirror thought patterns, and how changing one can actually change the other. I started to understand how the brain builds its inner architecture not just through experiences, but through interpretation, repetition, and narrative.
Science backs this up.
Thanks to neuroplasticity, we now know that the brain is malleable it can form new neural pathways even in adulthood. When you pair this with deep relaxation (like in hypnotherapy or Yoga Nidra), the subconscious becomes more receptive.
That’s when transformation becomes not just possible, but inevitable.
With RTT, I found that I could trace my pain to its origin. Not just the symptom like feeling over-responsible or resentful but the belief underneath it. That I wasn’t enough. That my voice didn’t matter. That I had to fix everything to be loved.
Through guided hypnotherapy, I was able to see where those beliefs were first formed often in childhood moments that seemed small on the surface but left deep imprints. Then, using NLP and RTT tools, I could rewire those beliefs in a safe and deeply empowering way.
The Breakthrough: More Than Just Coping
When my father’s illness progressed and the tension with my siblings escalated, I hit a point where no amount of meditation or yoga could hold me up. My practice helped me cope, yes but I didn’t just want to cope. I wanted to break the pattern.
RTT became that pressure release valve.
In one session, I found myself releasing years of stored grief and guilt words I never said, pain I didn’t know I was holding, silent expectations that had kept me in emotional servitude. I saw clearly the outdated story I was living in: one where I had to earn my worth through sacrifice, where I couldn't speak my truth without causing conflict.
But something shifted after that session.
I felt capable, clear, and grounded. I wasn’t reactive when my siblings disagreed with me. I stopped trying to fix everything. I started trusting my limits. The burden on my shoulders energetically and emotionally began to lift.
And perhaps most importantly: I came home to myself.
Not through control, but through release.
Why This Work Matters
I share this not just as a practitioner of RTT now, but as someone who’s been in the trenches.
It’s easy to assume that tools like yoga and meditation should be enough. That if you’re doing the “right things,” you’ll stay steady no matter what. But healing isn’t linear. And sometimes, the nervous system is carrying burdens far older than our mindfulness practice.
The combination of:
Deep somatic relaxation
Subconscious reprogramming
Language-based transformation
Emotional release through guided inquiry
...creates a powerful container for lasting change.
RTT didn’t erase my pain it gave me tools to face it without drowning.
NLP didn’t change my story it helped me write a new one.
Hypnotherapy didn’t bypass my trauma it helped me integrate it.
If You’re in the Middle of It…
If you’re navigating grief, old family dynamics, or an internal loop that keeps pulling you under please know this: there is no shame in needing more support.
You don’t need to stay stuck in coping mode.
There are tools that go deeper tools that reach the root.
And while your healing journey may not look like mine, I invite you to explore the subconscious as a source of power, not a place to avoid.
Because coming home to yourself isn’t a one-time event. It’s a practice. One that’s made stronger by the right tools at the right time.
What I Use Today
Today, I still practice Yoga Nidra. I still meditate. I still inquire somatically into what’s arising. But now, I also use the transformational tools of RTT and NLP for myself, and for the clients I now work with as a Rapid Transformational Therapist.
The road back to balance, clarity, and confidence isn’t always smooth but it’s real.
And it’s worth it.
FAQs: Quick Answers on RTT, Hypnotherapy & NLP
What is RTT?
Rapid Transformational Therapy is a hybrid method that combines hypnotherapy, NLP, cognitive behavioral techniques, and neuroscience to help people access the subconscious and rewire limiting beliefs.
How is RTT different from traditional talk therapy?
RTT works with the subconscious directly often uncovering the root of an issue in one or a few sessions, versus longer-term talk therapy which stays in the conscious mind.
Is hypnosis safe?
Yes, clinical hypnotherapy is a safe, widely accepted practice that helps individuals enter a relaxed, focused state where transformation can occur.
Resources You Might Like:
The Science Behind RTT (National Library of Medicine)
Basics of NLP
Marisa Peer on RTT
Yoga Nidra & Neuroplasticity
If any part of this story resonated with you, know that healing is not just possible it’s already unfolding. You don’t have to hold it all together. There are tools, guides, and methods that can help you come home again… and again… and again.
I’m here. And I see you.
Ready to Reset from the Inside Out?
If you're feeling the weight of old patterns, chronic stress, emotional fatigue, or the invisible labor of holding everything together you're not alone.
I invite you to join me for the Nervous System Re-Set Accelerator (NSRA), a powerful hybrid experience where you'll:
• Learn how Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) works to identify and remove subconscious blocks
• Experience a guided personal reset to uncover hidden beliefs and release what no longer serves you
• Reconnect to a sense of calm, clarity, and emotional balance from the inside out
This isn't just about managing stress.
It's about transforming the patterns that created it in the first place.
Click here to learn more and book your NSRA session
Let this be your invitation to come home to yourself fully, gently, and powerfully.
Jennifer Degen
October 7, 2025
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