HAMPTON -- New Year's Day will be here before you know it.

And you know what that means. Resolutions.

We all make them. We all break them. But for some, help is available.

"New Year's resolutions is my busiest time of year," said Ed Lane, EFT-Advanced Certified Hypnotherapist. Lane recently opened A New You in Hampton in order to aid people in becoming the better person they want to be through hypnosis.

And before you get your hackles up, it's not like in the movies. "Most people think it's black magic or voodoo," quipped Lane. "Television and Hollywood makes it look like you're asleep or a zombie. That's not at all what it's like."

Instead, the person being hypnotized is placed into a relaxed state, putting their conscious mind at rest so that the subconscious is more open to suggestion.

"You're not unconscious at all," explained Lane. "You have the ability to reject whatever suggestions I give you. You've got to want it or you're going to reject it. There is no danger of any client being taken advantage of."

Lane added that the British Medical Association, the ADA and the Catholic Church have all approved hypnotherapy, way back in the 1950s. "It's a marvelous modality," he said.

So what can hypnotherapy do for you and your New Year's resolution? Roughly 85 percent of the clients Lane sees are looking to accomplish one of two things, quit smoking or lose weight.

Lane said he typically deals with two portions of the mind; the conscious and the subconscious.

The conscious mind is were most people spend the majority of their day. It is the logical, rational mind that helps us make reasonable decisions and with problem solving. It is also, according to Lane, the reason for our behaviors.

"It makes excuses for us," he said. "And most of the time it's a crock. There is no real 'truth,' just what we believe to be true."

The subconscious is where our emotions lie. Lane likens it to a computer, running on a set of programs.

"This is why when someone attempts to quit smoking, for instance, quite often they fail, because although the mind on a conscious level believes it wants to quit, on the subconscious level there are years of programming telling the brain that you are a smoker," said Lane. "The subconscious mind is the most powerful thing in the universe and we have not yet begun to tap into it."

Through hypnosis, Lane can help one to relax the conscious mind, leaving the subconscious mind open to suggestion. He said he can help people lose weight and quit smoking often in only a single session.

Although quitting smoking and losing weight are a large part of Lane's business, they are not all that he does. He can also help people improve their memory, build self-confidence, become success conscious and improve learning skills.

It is these things that Lane sees as the future of hypnosis. "That's the future of hypnosis, these ways of making us better," said Lane. "I want to be the best at what I do."

To be the best at what you do, visit A New You in Hampton at 1 Merrill Industrial Drive, Suite 1 on Wednesday. Lane also operates another office in Somersworth during the remainder of the workweek. For more information or to schedule an appointment call (603) 692-1816.