INDIANAPOLIS — Thrival Indy Academy is turning to hypnotherapy to help students turn their behavior and mental health around.
"Children seem happier, they seem more focused. It's less chaotic," said Brandon Arnold, Thrival's director of operations.
Jordan Eversole is a student at the east side school and credits hypnotherapy for literally saving his life.
"I've not been nearly as depressed. I haven't had any suicidal thoughts whatsoever and I've stopped self-harm" Eversole said.
Jessica Gordon helped launched the program in September and works with both faculty and students, providing hypnotherapy once every 5-6 weeks in between standard therapy sessions.
"They are still conscious," Gordon said. "They know what's going on. They are really unarmed to where they can say the things that are coming up in their subconscious mind, the reason why they're depressed, the reason why they're really angry or anxious."
Gordon said therapy sessions like these are rare in lower-income communities but are extremely important.
"A lot of times, people want to write children off as being bad or suspending them when really, there are a lot of things going on. Our kids do come from a lot of trauma, physical abuse and sexual abuse," she said.
In the past 60 to 90 days, students in the program have seen a 69% decrease in suicidal thoughts, a 30% decrease in anger and a 40% increase in self-esteem.
"We all have something that is buried within us. We are worthy for that to come out in order for us to heal and become the best version of ourselves," said Gordon.
The world wants to see that version.
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