Hi! I’m Amunet Burgueno. Kind of. My birth name is Jennifer. And I went by that name for a very long time. Until I couldn’t stand hearing it anymore.
That’s because I had a very tumultuous past filled with severe abuse. My legal name was used frequently during my abuse so I had developed an ingrained negative response to hearing it.
Eventually, I worked most of that out, but I figured it was time for a change. Amunet felt right and seemed to represent a new path for me and how I felt internally.
And being that life is short, I figured I’d make the best of it and live a life far removed from what I experienced.
Choosing a new name represented that for me because at one point in my life I felt like I had a sign on my head that said “abuse me” on it.
This came after my father had committed suicide at age 4. That created a ripple effect filled with events that would shape who I am now and the work I do.
Once my father died, it seemed that a cascade of bizarre events were destined to meet with me.
The most significant events took place when I was 10. We had a roommate that was connected with other individuals who took part in sadistic ritual abuse.
I was routinely kidnapped and abused by these individuals for 6 months, and the abuse was a daily occurrence. I won’t go into details, but it was about as bad as it can get.
I had really doubted my memories until I found out that this “roommate” was busted for a fraction of his crimes:
He died in prison, likely no better than when he went in.
Then came the visceral understanding that what I experienced was real.
Fast forward, I had to do some intense work on myself to release those experiences from my mind and body.
I'm so thankful that I met my husband early on. He dramatically changed my life for the better.
I don’t know what I would have done without him and his full acceptance of my past. I know people have baggage when they come into relationships, but I had truck loads.
We had only known each other for 5 1/2 months before we got married. Maybe he should have asked more questions, haha!
We have two adult kids, both who struggle with disabilities. I’m their caregiver and they are both still living with us. We love them so much and would do anything for them.
We’ve been married for over 30 years and he still brings me home flowers. 💐
We’ve been through it all together, including learning that I’m part of the neurodivergent tribe (Shocker!?).
Maybe that explains why I keep looking for excuses to wear a foil hat…
I’m getting away with it right now because I’m a hypnotist, and everyone thinks we’re weird, anyway. 🤪
As time went on, I had to say goodbye to anyone in my life that wasn’t going to be as healthy as I was, including my mother and my brother.
Healing became bitter sweet.
I’m now healthy because of one competent therapist I saw for a couple of years, and hypnotherapy.
I feel that hypnotherapy saved me in so many ways. I could quickly move through trauma that would have taken decades.
My trauma gave me a firsthand perspective on what it feels like to suffer. And I used this to help clients that had nowhere else to turn.
They had been in therapy for years or decades, and hypnotherapy was their last hope.
They were ready to put on a foil hat (there it is again!) and try anything to escape their pain.
I had been in that place myself, and that’s what helped me become highly proficient with helping heal their past traumas with hypnotherapy.
As time went by, I conducted well over 1500 deep level regression hypnotherapy sessions that focused on trauma.
It was all the hard stuff that other people couldn’t, or didn’t want to touch.
But on the other side of that was a person who was struggling each day to get to the next. They were saddled with the most intense emotions and unhelpful beliefs that ruled their lives.
That’s where I gained my expertise as a hypnotherapist.
Then one day I recognized that I had other talents to share. I had a thriving practice, and over time I had a lot of experience and certifications to help others.
I put that to use by helping hypnotherapists charge for the actual value of their service. It’s long overdue in the industry and it’s time for change.
And then I went on to develop myself in a different way than what I was accustomed to.
I enrolled in a 3 year Meisner acting intensive to become an actress. I studied with Wendy Ward and she taught me all about Sanford Meisner’s process.
It was intense training, but I found myself there. Now, I could cultivate emotions and use them how I wanted to, instead of being overcome by them and having to process them to be a functional human being.
Sadly, my acting teacher passed away from pancreatic cancer at 61. She had changed so many lives! Thank you Wendy.
With Wendy’s help, I actually felt alive. And I gained a new perspective on my emotional life.
Fast forward, I’ve also found joy in helping voiceover artists with a healing voice help others through
meditation and affirmation VO work.
And being that I’m an actress and hypnotherapist, naturally, I enjoy helping actors and actresses overcome audition anxiety.
It’s been a long and winding road, but I’ve grown in ways that I never would have been able to without suffering.
And I see my little self as a warrior and a victor. What a great kid!
Life can be so interesting.
I’m glad I’ve had unusual experiences because they allow me to see things I never would have been able to otherwise.
I’ve been able to help in ways I never thought possible, which brings meaning to suffering.
