Clinical Hypnosis session with Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D. working with a woman who has terminal cancer
Read Commentary (PDF 913KB)Video Link of Dr. Julia Shaw creating a false memory from the NOVA PBC documentary "Memory Hackers".
Surgery with Hypnosis as the Sole Anesthesia From the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
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Use of hypnosis as the only anesthetic in a hernia surgery in the U.K.
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Clinical Hypnosis with Ashley Goodman, DDS from The Discovery Channel.
Ideomotor signaling with Dabney Ewin, M.D. from the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
The Magic Glove by Leora Kuttner
No Fears…No Tears… Children with cancer coping with pain
You are the Boss of Your Brain – Learning How to Manage Pain During Medical Procedures – English Version
Tu eres el Jefe de Tu Cerebro – Spanish Version
There are various ways of introducing hypnosis to a client that were addressed in the textbook. Here on the website, we want to provide additional examples of several different conversational styles for introducing hypnosis that you can hear as well as samples of transitioning out of the hypnotic experience. With a bit of practice, even clinicians who are new to the use of clinical hypnosis can find it easy to introduce the experience in natural ways that clients readily accept.
In Chapter 11 we discussed the ethics and importance of obtaining informed consent. Ideally, clients are oriented to hypnosis transparently by employing the term “hypnosis.” A direct discussion about hypnosis allows the clinician to explore and then correct any misconceptions a client might have while also meeting the standard of an informed consent. There are some circumstances where it may be preferable to use another label to represent the hypnotic experience.
Chapter 13 provides a more detailed discussion regarding the substitution of other terms for “hypnosis.”
This first example presents an audio clip taken from a formal hypnosis session entitled “Exploring and Discovering” that Dr. Michael Yapko created as part of a commercial self-help audio program. Thus, the session was intended for a general audience using a process-oriented approach. It was not designed for a specific client. The listener was informed that the program consisted of hypnosis sessions even though the word hypnosis is does not appear in the abbreviated audio clips provided here.
Dr. Michael Yapko transitions into and then out of a formal hypnosis session. (This audio is taken from a session that was prepared as part of a general audio program.)
Dr. Shawn Criswell orients a client to a hypnotic experience that she calls “visualization,” then transitions into and out of the “visualization.” She started even the orientation to the experience with a different pacing than normal conversation because the client had started to evidence some hypnotic phenomena (e.g. catalepsy such as slowed movement).
(This audio is modeled on an actual session. For privacy the client portion is not included, and some details are changed to protect privacy.)
Dr. Shawn Criswell orients a client to “building imagination skills” and then transitions into and out of the “building imagination skills” activity. (This audio is modeled on an actual session. For privacy the client portion is not included, and some details are changed to protect privacy.)
We have provided two examples of transitioning in and then out of hypnotic experiences that are not formally labeled as hypnosis. The full content of the session is not provided since the skill we are illustrating is transition from and back to routine clinical conversation.
In the first example, Dr. Criswell determined that, in order to go to sleep more easily and leave work stress at the office, the client would need to be able to redirect their attention. The client had already learned the skill of directing attention toward their goal and away from distractions when playing sports in their youth. The coach that taught them the skill called it “visualization.” Dr. Criswell decided that it would be quicker and easier to build on the skill that they had already learned, yet adding value to the skill by teaching the client how to use it in the problem contexts.
In the second example, the client came to therapy for help with mood issues that they had been experiencing since a serious medical diagnosis. Dr. Criswell talked about using their “imagination” instead of introducing the concept of hypnosis because the client had expressed distaste about a prior contact with a clinician who had too many “New Age” ideas and clearly enjoyed using her imagination. Following the positive reception of the hypnotic experience, the scientific side of hypnosis was introduced and, later, hypnosis was used in a manner where it was labeled as hypnosis.
For a hypnotic technique to have value for clients, it needs to be both connected to their goals and easy for them to engage with. Knowing client interests, hobbies, routines, and previous experiences of absorption provides a wealth of relatable examples that you can use to help clients build their hypnotic capacity. As a clinician you will need to watch for cues from the client and, at times, communicate with the client about whether they are connecting with the experience in the manner in which you intended it.
We have provided two examples of transitioning in and then out of hypnotic experiences that are not formally labeled as hypnosis. The full content of the session is not provided since the skill we are illustrating is transition from and back to routine clinical conversation.
In the first example, Dr. Criswell determined that, in order to go to sleep more easily and leave work stress at the office, the client would need to be able to redirect their attention. The client had already learned the skill of directing attention toward their goal and away from distractions when playing sports in their youth. The coach that taught them the skill called it “visualization.” Dr. Criswell decided that it would be quicker and easier to build on the skill that they had already learned, yet adding value to the skill by teaching the client how to use it in the problem contexts.
In the second example, the client came to therapy for help with mood issues that they had been experiencing since a serious medical diagnosis. Dr. Criswell talked about using their “imagination” instead of introducing the concept of hypnosis because the client had expressed distaste about a prior contact with a clinician who had too many “New Age” ideas and clearly enjoyed using her imagination. Following the positive reception of the hypnotic experience, the scientific side of hypnosis was introduced and, later, hypnosis was used in a manner where it was labeled as hypnosis.
For a hypnotic technique to have value for clients, it needs to be both connected to their goals and easy for them to engage with. Knowing client interests, hobbies, routines, and previous experiences of absorption provides a wealth of relatable examples that you can use to help clients build their hypnotic capacity. As a clinician you will need to watch for cues from the client and, at times, communicate with the client about whether they are connecting with the experience in the manner in which you intended it.
Chapter 26, Clinical Hypnosis in the Management of Pain, describes over a dozen distinct but related strategies for facilitating hypnotic pain relief. Many sample hypnotic statements and partial transcripts are provided in the text to illustrate the concepts. Here we have focused on audio clips that demonstrate the general goal in applying hypnosis for pain relief: absorbing the individual experiencing pain in a frame of mind and bodily experience that is sufficiently incompatible with pain to alter and/or reduce it. The audio clips are taken from Dr. Michael Yapko’s audio program Managing Pain with Clinical Hypnosis.