Pat Collins; ‘Hip Hypnotist’ of Hollywood

Pat Collins, the “hip hypnotist” who introduced the therapeutic tool to a generation of Hollywood celebrities and television audiences, died at her home Saturday, her daughter said. Collins was 62.

She had been in ill health for several years after a stroke, said Maelene Grenat of Lafayette, Ind.

Collins once hypnotized Lucille Ball on a segment of the “I Love Lucy” comedy series. She counted Ball, Robert Wagner, Ed Begley Sr. and other stars among her close friends and Olympic skater Dorothy Hamill as a student, her daughter said.

Collins also starred in the movie “Divorce American Style” and appeared on numerous talk shows.

“She’s the one who brought (hypnosis) to the front and to the public’s mind,” said her longtime friend Carol Reed, “by her honesty and by not letting people think she had power over them.

“She explained that it was not a cure-all but a tool, and if you used it properly, the (things you could accomplish) were astounding.”

For years, Collins ran her nightclub on the Sunset Strip. Some nights she would perform her hypnosis act. Other nights she would teach self-hypnosis to people who wanted to overcome emotional problems such as depression or habits like smoking.

Her later years were complicated by illness and medical bills, her daughter said.

As a child, Collins suffered a nervous breakdown and was helped by hypnosis, Grenat said. She then decided to help others.

Collins lived in Beverly Hills until 1987, when she moved to Reno. She performed there and in Lake Tahoe until 1992, when she went to San Bernardino in failing health, Grenat said.

“She was probably one of the most gifted entertainers I’ve ever seen in person,” Reed said.

Collins is survived by two daughters, a son and six grandchildren.