COURSE DESCRIPTION

Clinical hypnosis is an intrapersonal and interpersonal experience which, when properly used, can enhance therapeutic progress. Yet, often it is mistakenly viewed to be a freestanding psychotherapy paradigm in and of itself. This introductory course demonstrates how hypnosis is a process to be integrated into and grounded in the therapist’s ongoing theoretical orientation (e.g., psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive-behavioral), the patient’s specific clinical diagnosis (e.g., depression, personality disorder, phobia) and the patient’s individual characteristics (e.g., gender, developmental issues, degree of functional impairment). The course will include demonstrations, hypnotic experiences and case presentations using a variety of clinical orientations.

TOPICS

• When to Consider Incorporating Hypnosis into Psychotherapy
• Choice of Appropriate Hypnotic Technique
-Age Regression
-Posthypnotic Suggestion
-Metaphorical Imagery
-Self-hypnosis
• Contraindications to Using Hypnosis
• Timing and Frequency of Hypnotic Procedures
• Effects of Hypnosis upon the Therapeutic Relationship
• Memory Issues
• Contextualizing Hypnosis within Theoretical Orientation
• Professional Training and Supervision Issues
• Ethical Guidelines

GOALS

At the conclusion of this program you should be better able to:

• Evaluate which patients might benefit from incorporating hypnosis into psychotherapy.
• Recognize how hypnotic procedures are grounded in therapeutic paradigm, clinical diagnosis and individual patient characteristics.
• Understand the uses & misuses of hypnosis in psychotherapy.

SPEAKER PROFILE