Out In The Mountains : News - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

      Burlington – Peer Outreach Worker Sergio Corrales has smoked cigarettes off and on during his life, and now that he's responsible for the R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center's Smoking Cessation Program, he's even more serious about quitting, setting a good example.
     For his second set of support group meetings for those who want help getting out from under their tobacco habits, Corrales has corralled help from certified hypnosis practitioner Betty Moore-Hafter. Moore-Hafter is part of Rising Sun Healing, with offices on King St.
Moore-Hafter spoke with traces of her North Carolina upbringing showing. "The first thing I usually do is teach people what hypnosis is and what it isn't," she said in a phone interview. Forget about those old stage shows – healing hypnotherapy has more in common with guided meditation. It makes use of what Moor-Hafter called "inner mind."
     "Smoking is a psychological, mental, and emotional addiction as well as a physical one," she explained. Hypnosis creates a deeply relaxed state – think warm beach, sound of waves – where the subconscious can receive different instructions that will counter the habitual and harmful behavior.
      The group class is more of an introduction to tools people can use to change how their mind works, Moore-Hafter said, and more intensive work is possible in individual sessions. Typical stop-smoking work takes six sessions.
      "Some people walk out of that session and never smoke again," Moore-Hafter said. For others, "seeds are planted, and they will quit when the time is right. There will be no pressure to quit that night during the class."
       Space is limited, and registration is required. The two-session class is free, thanks to a grant from the Vermont Department of Health's Tobacco Control Program and Moore-Hafter's donation of her time and expertise. Moore-Hafter, whose daughter is a lesbian, said she wanted to volunteer her services as a way of giving back to lgbt community organizations.

The Stop Smoking Class will be held on April 21 (6-9 pm) and April 28 (6-8 pm) at the Center, 34 Elmwood Ave. Burlington. Call or email the Center for more information or to register: 802-860-7812, sergio@ru12.org Or call or email Betty Moore-Hafter: 802-860-7286; betty@risingsunhealing.com