An English friend of mine has had great success in losing weight with the aid of a hypnotherapist. I'd like to try this too, but I have no idea how to find someone. Do you have any idea how I could find a good hypnotherapist here in New York?

According to the General Hypnotherapy Register, hypnotherapy works by addressing the subconscious mind, which requires the person undergoing hypnosis to be in a relaxed state.

There is a National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists, which has certified approximately 3,400 hypnotherapists. According to their website, they have "developed a certification program based upon the graduate academic education and clinical hypnosis training of mental health, counseling and healthcare practitioners. All practitioners certified by NBCCH are bound by the ethical standards of their fields of professional practice and/or licensing boards." You can request a list of certified clinical hypnotherapists by sending an e-mail to admin@natboard.com.

We have a friend who underwent hypnosis recently, so we asked her if she could recommend any good hypnotherapists in the area. She suggested Dr. Albina Tamalonis (located on the Upper West Side) as well as Dr. Lawrence Galante (located in Chelsea). Please note that we haven't visited these hypnotherapists so we are not endorsing them, and we suggest you check their credentials before deciding to visit either of them.