The Overweight Fitness Fanatic

Calling for an initial consultation, Aurora expressed deep discouragement over her inability to hit her target weight — those final 10 lbs were "ruining her life." She showed up for her appointment looking like Linda Hamilton in the first Terminator — so sinewy and ripped she could have shamed an Olympic sprinter.

She was in Miami Beach on an expired visa, hated her day job waitressing at a sports bar, and spent her free time applying to modeling agencies. "They only want women who are over 5'10" and I'm only 5'6"! Maybe if I keep losing weight, I will look taller?" Pressed, she admitted acting was the real dream — not Miami TV commercials but real stage work, ideally off-Broadway theater in New York. Her parents in Italy were supportive, but she was too worried about the risk of relocating. "What if I'm lonely? What if I can't find a job? What if I hate NYC?"

I led her through progressive relaxation into trance and set the stage six months in the future, already living in Brooklyn. She described her apartment in vivid detail, an acting coach, a bartending job she liked, "wonderful friends from all over the world… most of them in my exact same situation. I'm having the time of my life, this is the best decision I ever made." Her parents were proud — "especially my father. He says he always knew I had it in me." I had her take one last look so she'd recognize the place when she saw it in person.

She emailed a month later: she'd sold all her belongings and moved to NYC to pursue her dream, apologizing for the delay — between work and rehearsals she'd just been too busy.