William Mitchell

Founder of the Mitchell Institute for Professional Hypnosis and Personal Motivation Hypnosis Clinics.

With two successful clinics in Illinois, he is often called upon to consult with other practitioners of hypnosis that wish to replicate his model for clinical practice. William Mitchell is a Board Certified Instructor for the National Guild of Hypnotists(BCH,CI) and regularly graduates trained practitioners Certified by the NGH. He has served as Faculty at the NGH Convention for 5 years.

Since 1997, he has hypnotized thousands in group seminars, conducted over 250 stage hypnosis events, and currently works with several hundred one-on-one clients each year. He is also a former adjunct faculty member at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, IL serving on their Complementary and Alternative Medicine Panel. Previously, Dr. Mitchell was a regular host of a VoiceAmerica.com Internet Talk Show - ‘Stretch your Mind, Shrink Your Waist’.

Academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)from Culver-Stockton College with both a Religion and Philosophy major and a Missouri Secondary Teaching Certificate in Social Studies. A graduate theological education at Texas Christian University Brite Divinity School and Phillips University Graduate Seminary in Oklahoma with an earned Master of Divinity (M.Div.).  While serving congregations in Missouri, Nebraska, Kentucky, and Texas he did doctoral work at TCU and has completed an alternative Professional Doctorate( Ph.D.) of Hypnotherapy from Madison University .

The Rev. Dr. Mitchell is currently the Pastor of a small congregation, The First Baptist Church of Stonington, IL. affiliated with the moderate American Baptists. In his active pastoral ministry he has served as President and Moderator of several religious groups. Currently serves as President of The Food Pantry Inter-Church Council of Stonington and Blue Mound,and Clergy Special Interest Group of the NGH as Treasurer.

With his background in psychology,he consults with businesses and schools utilizing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator(A Jungian Typology based tool).Also, as a Presenter/Trainer in grief-recovery he has traveled to over 15 states and given several hundred trainings since 1989 .

 Professional memberships include:

• Fellow of the American Association of Integrative Medicine
• Member of the American Academy of Medical Hypnoanalysts
• Member of the Association of Psychological Type
• Member of the National Guild of Hypnotists
• Board Member Centerpoint International Jungian Studies

 Awards

•  HYPNOTIST of the YEAR   Mid-America Hypnosis Conference 2009,
• RELIGION and HYPNOTISM National Guild of Hypnotists Convention 2009

Guest Faculty For Licensed Mental Health Practitioners Only.

John H. Edgette, Psy.D.   He is a clinical psychologist who has been a faculty member at the last five International Congresses on Ericksonian Approaches. Fall 2009 he taught Ericksonian Approaches to Healing Trauma and PTSD for Licensed Practioners in cooperation with Mitchell Institute and The Center For Survivors of Torture and War Trauma in St.Louis,Mo.

John is in full-time private practice and is also a clinical assistant professor at Allegheny University where he teaches and supervises students in creative arts in therapy.  He is on the graduate faculty of Immaculata College and offers an elective on Ericksonian hypnosis at Widener University as well.  He has a joint publication with Janet The Handbook of Hypnotic Phenomena , published in 1994 by Brunner/Mazel. The Mitchell Institute uses this book as a TEXTBOOK in the CERTIFICATION CLASS .The book was chosen as the featured selection of The Behavioral Science Book Club, one of the largest distributors of mental health books in the nation.  It has also been translated into French. 

In addition to this publication, John is associate editor of the annual publication Current Thinking and Research in Brief Therapy: Solutions, Strategies and Narratives. 

John is a full member of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis and has supervised and taught in their annual introductory and intermediate convention workshops.

John’s most current book offering is entitled Winning The Mind Game Using Hypnosis In Sport Psychology which was published in 2003 by Crown. It has been selected as the January 2004 alternate selection by the Behavioral Science book club.  It has received wide acclaim in national and international journal reviews.

Joe Craig

Dr. Craig is an instructor for Mitchell Institute of Professional Hypnosis and Clinical Director and Partner of Personal Motivation Hypnosis Clinic of Southern Illinois.   He has been studying human behavior for more than twenty years and taught what he has learned in seven countries on four continents.  During the past six years he has hypnotized more than 28,000 people in 1000 seminars and has conducted thousands of one-on-one private clinical sessions.   Joe Craig is also a skilled stage hypnotist.

Dr. Craig is certified as a Trainer of Hypnotherapy, Master Practitioner and Trainer of Time Line Therapy and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP).   In his clinical practice, he assists clients in personal transformation, especially in the areas of Weight Loss, Smoking Cessation, and Stress Management.   He is certified by the National Guild of Hypnotists, and the National Association of Transpersonal Hypnotherapists (NATH).   He has earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Hypnotherapy from the American Pacific University in Honolulu, HI.  He is also on the faculty of American Holistic University and on the NATH advisory board.

He has twenty years experience in providing sales, technical, and management training.   Dr. Craig holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Electrical Engineering, which is a firm foundation for helping people use their minds to change their lives with scientific, energetic, cutting-edge technologies.

Kent Sorrells

In December of 2007,Kent Sorrells ,after a heroic battle with cancer,died . Kent did shows until the last few weeks of his inspirational life. He was a great teacher,hypnotist,and friend to all of us associated with Mitchell Institute. His contributions to Hypnotism were significant. We have chosen to leave his Bio on the site as a tribute to Kent as well as his wife Jenni and their 4 children. Their Christian witness during the illness and after Kent's death has been a source of inspiration to so many of us. All of us at Mitchell Institute of Professional Hypnosis are grateful to God for Kent Sorrells.

For almost thirty years Kent Sorrells has been entertaining audiences through out the Midwest. Kent was very interested in magic and illusion from a very young age, but it was during Kent's senior year in High School that he met Jack Wain, who would dramatically influenced a change in his career. Mr. Wain had toured with a magic and hypnosis show during vaudeville and at age seventy decided the time had come to teach someone younger the act. Kent's strong performing background, knowledge of magic and desire to entertain made him the natural choice, and under Jack's guidance he learned the art of hypnosis. Kent then studied psychology in college and did post graduate work in hypnotherapy at the Mottin and Johnson Institute of hypnosis in St. Louis. Kent has been certified as a hypnotherapist by both the American Council of Hypnotic Examiners and the Hypnodyne Institute. In 1990, Kent became director of therapy at the Personal Motivation Center in Springfield, Illinois. Due to his extensive show schedule, he resigned this position in 1997.

His performing career has taken him all the way from birthday party shows to being awarded the Entertainer of the Year in 1995 by the international Brotherhood of Magicians; this was only the second time in history that this award was given to a non-magical act. Then in 1998 he was inducted into the exclusive Order of Merlin, a title reserved for magicians with 25 years performing experience. During this time period he has performed for thousands. Not only is each show hilariously different, but he treats his volunteers with utmost respect making sure no one is embarrassed or humiliated. He makes sure that everyone present has the time of their life.

Kent is currently the only hypnotist performing on the strip in Branson, Missouri.   Out of all the hypnotists in the nation, Kent was hand-picked by Merrill Osmond to perform at Club Vegas.   Kent's dynamic performing style and comedy are sure to make any event a success.