Taking hypnosis to the next level: Valuable tips for enhancing your clinical practice (original) (raw)

Boland & Wark Health Care Applications of Hypnosis Vol

The book summarizes selected applications of clinical hypnosis for medical treatment. It is not a training manual, since professional hypnosis training is offered by the recognized national and international hypnosis organizations listed in APPENDIX 2. Hypnosis, properly understood, is not a treatment in itself, but rather a powerful reinforcement to a wide range of health care interventions. The two volume publishing project is designed to achieve recognition and acceptance of clinical hypnosis by major international health organisations. At the basic level, hypnosis interventions can be used safely by trained primary health care workers, nurses and doctors. To that end, this Volume 2 contains thirteen chapters on the clinical applications of hypnosis. It serves to remind clinicians, who have some knowledge of hypnosis, how to use general processes and specific techniques to augment their primary medical training. The appendices include: a brief glossary of hypnosis, contact with international and national hypnosis societies, an outline of the Olness-Team hypnosis training program for developing countries, some quiz to reinforce the learning, and finally email contacts for the contributors for further study. Volume 1 in the series covers selected Evidence Based Medicine (EMB) applications, with eleven chapters on: hypnosis concepts, testing, acute pain, chronic pain, childhood, PTSD, surgery, childbirth, sleeping, depression, stress & anxiety. Clinical hypnosis has been legally accepted by almost every medical authority worldwide. With hypnosis, each patient is encouraged to become an active part of his or her health care, team. Thus hypnosis could become recognized as highly cost-effective for both preventive and curative health care. Volume Two is an introduction, not designed to be a stand-alone training manual for beginners. A recent comprehensive textbook of hypnosis is available (Barabasz, A. & Watkins, J. G. (2005) Hypnotherapeutic Techniques, 2E. New York and London: Brunner/Routledge-Taylor and Francis (ISBN 0-415-93581-4). The key objective of this project is to begin to make hypnosis concepts available (by book or free download) and thus to motivate basic clinical hypnosis training for every doctor, nurse, medical and nursing student, internationally in both developed and developing countries. The project was inspired by the encouragement and support of Professor William C. Wester II of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hypnosis in psychotherapy, psychosomatics and medicine. A brief overview

Frontiers in psychology, 2024

Aspects of hypnosis and its application in psychotherapy, psychosomatics and medicine are examined and contextualized in the 250-year history of hypnosis. Imagination as an essential element of hypnotic treatments appeared as early as 1784 as an argument rejecting the theory of animal magnetism of Franz Anton Mesmer. In somnambulism of German romanticism, another proto-form of hypnosis after 1800, concepts of the mind-body problem were dealt with, which still characterize the understanding of unconscious mental processes today. Hypnosis was at the beginning of psychoanalysis, but was not pursued further by Sigmund Freud from 1900 onwards. Nevertheless, there were some hypnoanalytical approaches in the 20th century, as well as attempts to integrate hypnosis into behavior therapy. Techniques of imagination and relaxation combine both; in particular findings from cognitive psychology explain processes of both hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy. The influence of social psychology brought a new perspective to the debate about the nature of hypnosis, which continues to this day: is hypnosis to be understood as a special state of consciousness or is it a completely normal, mundane interaction? The experiments that were carried out to support one side or the other were also dependent on the hypnotizability of the subjects involved, as the more difficult hypnotic phenomena such as paralysis, hallucinations or identity delusions can only be demonstrated by highly hypnotizable subjects. The fact that these are not mere compliance reactions has now been proven by many studies using imaging techniques. But even those who are moderately hypnotizable benefit from hypnosis rituals. Variables postulated by socio-cognitive hypnosis researchers, such as motivation and expectation, are relevant, as is a good "hypnotic rapport." Practical application of hypnotherapy today is characterized by the innovative techniques and strategies developed by Milton H. Erickson. Research into the effectiveness of hypnosis in the field of psychotherapy and psychosomatics still leaves much to be done. The situation is different in the field of medical hypnosis, where there are considerably more studies with a satisfactory design and verifiable effects. However, the impact in practical application in everyday medical practice is still low. Newer developments such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence are being looked at with critical interest.

Current Practices, Experiences, and Views in Clinical Hypnosis: Findings of an International Survey

International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

An online survey of 691 clinicians who use hypnosis was conducted in 31 countries to gain a broad real-world picture of current practices, views, and experiences in clinical hypnosis. Among 24 common clinical uses, stress reduction, wellbeing and self-esteem-enhancement, surgery preparations, anxiety interventions, mindfulness facilitation, and labor and childbirth applications were the most frequently rated as highly effective (each by >70% of raters) in the clinicians' own experience. Adverse hypnosis-associated effects had been encountered by 55% of clinicians but were generally short-lived and very rarely judged as serious. The most common hypnosis approaches used were Ericksonian style (71%), hypnotic relaxation therapy (55%), and traditional hypnosis (50%). Almost all respondents reported regularly using other therapeutic modalities alongside hypnosis. Among a range of client variables potentially affecting therapy, most clinicians rated hypnotist-client rapport (88%) and client motivation (75%) as very or extremely important factors for successful hypnotherapy. The majority of respondents had conducted hypnosis treatment via teletherapy, and 54% of those estimated it to be as effective as in-person treatment.

Redefining hypnosis: theory, methods and integration

Contemporary Hypnosis, 2000

An integration between neurobiological and sociocognitive perspectives is advocated to advance and overhaul the concept of hypnosis and its humanistic applications. The thesis is presented that hypnosis is an altered state of brain functional organization involving interrelations between brain regions initiated by the intervention of the hypnotist -that is, an atypical alteration of brain systems through an interpersonal and cultural context. Experimental evidence shows that the hypnotic process produces a brain state that is different from everyday neurophysiology, as shown by evidence of differential effects of attention and relaxation, and by evidence of cognitive and neurophysiological dissociation, which are central features of hypnosis. The hypnotic induction has a neurophysiological logic involving a temporal process that becomes conditioned to facilitate future induction and self-hypnosis. Our integrative perspective of brain systems in a social context includes a neuropsychological translation of the hypnotic induction and draws out the implications of orbital-frontal suppression for subjects being oblivious to embarrassment and being able to endure stage hypnosis. Wasteful pursuits in the field of hypnosis include the search for a single marker, premature closure of neurophysiological investigation, attributions and inferences such as 'suggestion' and goal-directed striving without validation and without consideration of process and mechanism, and the use of dichotomies such as 'waking' versus 'sleeping'. Recommendations include considerations of multidimensionality regarding trance and levels of susceptibility; the modifiability of susceptibility; formal assessment of social conceptions about hypnosis; concurrent validation of susceptibility during experimental procedures; consideration of both objective and subjective measures of susceptibility together with cross-checking for inconsistencies; the feasibility of control conditions; assessment of processes underpinning suggestibility; distinguishing the social impact of experimental, clinical and stage hypnosis; and assessment of after-effects.

RETHINKING THE KEY CONCEPTS OF HYPNOSIS

2023

The aim of this work is to make a step towards creating a unified structure and understanding of the essential components and mechanisms of hypnosis. The role of the ideodynamic effect as a central mechanism of hypnosis, the importance of psychological and social factors that moderate the hypnotic response and make up the "frame" of hypnosis, and the positive feedback mechanism as an elementary unit of hypnotic intervention, are examined. The concept of hypnotic resistance is conceptualized in terms of the feedback mechanisms. Parallels are drawn with some approaches that use near-hypnotic and experiential elements, in order to identify more precisely the features unique to hypnosis, and a range of issues requiring further investigation is outlined.