Wellness Through Hypnosis is a hypnosis practice based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The director is a certified hypnotist and left-of-center activist Elana Kogan. Kogan is the director of development at the Jewish Organizing Institute and Network, also known as JOIN for Justice. She was also the national field director at Bend the Arc, another left-of-center Jewish activist group, and is a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists. ^{1 2}

Background

According to Wellness Through Hypnosis founder Elana Kogan, she became interested in hypnosis after reading a book about it and then seeing a hypnotist. She called the experience “transformative” and attended some hypnosis trainings before eventually deciding to make it a career. ³

Activity

Wellness Through Hypnosis founder Elana Kogan argues that hypnosis can produce great results as a treatment for anxiety, stress, and other issues, but that misinformation has made many people hesitant to subject themselves to it. ⁴ She describes hypnosis as “a state of focused concentration” which allows the mind to “discard … unproductive thought patterns.” ⁵

Elana Kogan

Elana Kogan is the founder and manager of Wellness Through Hypnosis. Starting her practice in 2014, Kogan has also spent more than two decades involved in various left-of-center Jewish activist groups. She received a bachelor of arts degree in classical civilization from Yale University and a master of education degree in human development and psychology from Harvard University. ⁶

The progressive Jewish activist group Keshet, which pushes for the normalization of same-sex and transgender lifestyles within Judaism, lists Elana Kogan as a donor and supporter. ⁷

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC)

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston promotes left-of-center political causes, which it connects to the tenets of progressive Judaism. This includes facilitating the arrival and housing of immigrants in the state of Massachusetts, pushing for expanded access to abortion, and promoting taxpayer-funded welfare programs. ⁸ Kogan was a coordinator with the group from 2001 to 2005. She then held several director positions from 2005 to 2011. ⁹

Bend the Arc

Also known as the Jewish Partnership for Justice, Bend the Arc’s affiliates include Bend the Arc Jewish Action, known for its opposition to immigration controls and border enforcement, and its associated political action committee, which donates to Democratic political candidates. Kogan joined the organization in 2011 as senior director of organizing, and eventually became the national field director. ¹⁰

Jewish Organizing Institute and Network (JOIN for Justice)

The Jewish Organizing Institute and Network offers training programs and networking opportunities to progressive Jews involved in left-of-center activism. ¹¹ Like many other Jewish groups, it is involved in campaigns against border security and immigration laws. ¹² Kogan first became involved with JOIN in 2014 and is currently the director of development. ¹³

1. Wellness Through Hypnosis. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://elana-kogan.squarespace.com/
2. Elana Kogan. LinkedIn. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elana-kogan-351a8912
3. “Meet Elana Kogan of Wellness Through Hypnosis in Cambridge.” Boston Voyager. July 3, 2017. Accessed October 4, 2023. http://bostonvoyager.com/interview/meet-elana-kogan-wellness-hypnosis-cambridge/
4. “Demystifying hypnosis.” Wellness Through Hypnosis. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://elana-kogan.squarespace.com/faq-about-hypnosis
5. “What is hypnosis?” Wellness Through Hypnosis. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://elana-kogan.squarespace.com/understanding-hypnosis
6. Elana Kogan. LinkedIn. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elana-kogan-351a8912
7. Dare to dream, Keshet Online, Accessed October 9, 2023. https://www.keshetonline.org/daretodream/dare-to-dream-thank-you/
8. “Current Priorities.” JCRC. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.jcrcboston.org/current-priorities/
9. Elana Kogan. LinkedIn. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elana-kogan-351a8912
10. Elana Kogan. LinkedIn. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elana-kogan-351a8912
11. “About Us.” JOIN for Justice. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.joinforjustice.org/about-us/
12. “JOIN Board Member Rabbi Stephanie Kolin Takes Action Against ICE.” JOIN for Justice. September 12, 2019. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.joinforjustice.org/join-board-member-rabbi-stephanie-kolin-takes-action-against-ice/
13. Elana Kogan. LinkedIn. Accessed October 4, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elana-kogan-351a8912