Clinical Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis has always captured the attention of some of the most creative thinkers in the field of psychology. Today, hypnosis and hypnotic phenomena are studied with state-of-the-science neuroimaging techniques, and hypnosis has informed cognitive science (and vice-versa) in meaningful ways. In this second edition of the landmark Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis, editors Steven Jay Lynn, Judith Rhue, and Irving Kirsch have undertaken a significant revision and update to their classic text, first published over ten years ago. It is divided into six sections: Foundations and General Considerations, which includes chapters on the history of hypnosis and measures of hypnotizability; Theories of Hypnosis, in which hypnosis is examined within the context of various therapeutic constructs; Hypnotic Techniques, which includes a how-to primer for trained therapists to conduct hypnotic inductions, as well as chapters about the integration of hypnosis with mindfulness strategies; Treating Psychological Problems and Populations, which discusses the use of hypnosis in treatment for depression, PTSD and Anxiety; Health and Sport Psychology, which examines hypnotic treatments for pain control and surgery as well as for maximizing athletic performance; and finally Further Issues and Extensions, which addresses, among other things, popular and cross-cultural conceptions of hypnosis. Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis, Second Edition is the comprehensive resource for clinicians, researchers, and anyone interested in the theory and practice of clinical hypnosis.

This is a comprehensive guide to the basics of Mindful Hypnotherapy (MH), a new modality that delivers a mindfulness-based intervention within a hypnotic context. The book encompasses everything a clinician needs to know to fully understand and apply the approach in clinical practice. The result of a collaboration between a leader in the field of hypnosis and a mindfulness meditation expert, the book elucidates step-by-step clinical strategies and provides verbatim transcripts that professionals can put to use immediately. The resource first introduces the foundations of mindful hypnotherapy, supported by research evidence. Using a session-by-session approach, it describes how to structure sessions, evaluate a patient’s hypnotic ability, deal with resistance, and create individualized clinical applications. Key Features: Embodies an innovation collaboration between a leader in hypnosis and a mindfulness expert Delivers verbatim transcripts of mindful hypnotherapy for immediate use Provides guidance on structuring sessions, setting goals, assessing hypnotic ability, dealing with resistance, and creating individualized treatment Guides the clinician in addressing specific psychological issues such as stress, anxiety, and well-being A Mindful Self-Hypnosis Daily Practice Log enables therapists to track progress Abundant case examples illuminate the process of mindful hypnotherapy and present real-life treatment interventions for a range of problems Includes guidelines for formulation of hypnotic suggestions and therapeutic metaphors related to mindfulness Provides an overview of training and personal growth as a mindful hypnotherapist

The hypnotic state has long been recognized as a significant catalyst for psychotherapeutic change, yet few individuals have been as committed, as M. Erik Wright, to exploring and perfecting the clinical art of hypnotherapy. At the time of his death, Erik Wright had been assembling a volume that would convey the importance as well as the specific techniques of using hypnosis in a therapeutic context. This unfinished work was taken up by the author's wife, Beatrice A. Wright, a psychologist well acquainted with the field of hypnosis, who compiled and organized the wealth of material designated for this volume. The result of their combined efforts is an outstanding hypnotherapy text that both retains Erik Wright's unique orientation and captures the essence of values that guided his work. Presenting a cogent conceptual framework along with actual protocols demonstrating a wide variety of clinically effective hypnotherapeutic procedures, CLINICAL PRACTICE OF HYPNOTHERAPY is divided into three parts. The first section introduces the underlying principles of hypnotherapy. Defining the relationship of hypnotherapy to psychotherapy, and the theoretical basis upon which the book was founded, it describes the various methods and preparations for inducing trance experiences. Topics include: common misconceptions about hypnosis; procedures for introducing clients to the trance state; the hypnotherapy of language usage; and non-verbal ways of signaling thoughts and feelings. Closing the section are lucid demonstrations of induction and enhancement procedures, including progressive relaxation, eye fixation, number progression, guided imagery, and autohypnosis, among others. The second section elaborates and illustrates a variety of hypnotherapeutic procedures using actual cases. One chapter, for example, presents guided imagery as applied to cases of phobic-anxiety, skin rash, and peptic ulcer. Another chapter is devoted to a variety of projective techniques, showing how they may be used to assuage grief and relieve stress. Other chapters describe approaches involving time, re-orientation, dissociation, and client-therapist role reversal. Part three focuses on special clinical problems such as pain control, cessation of smoking, and the management of sleep disorders. Each is addressed in a separate chapter that provides detailed therapeutic procedures for ameliorating the problem. In understanding the nature of the problems covered, the historical and cultural contexts, biological aspects, and current theories are brought to bear. For example, a chapter on the management of overeating opens by reviewing the psycho-social meanings of food, and offers guidelines for evaluating a client's weight management needs. After exploring these issues, specific hypnotherapeutic strategies--such as negative accentuation and alternative means of gratification-- are vividly demonstrated. This comprehensive text offers a penetrating and integrated discussion of the principles and practices of hypnosis in psychotherapy. An invaluable clinical tool for those concerned with both the theoretical and practical workings of hypnotherapy, it will be of particular interest to professionals and advanced students in the fields of psychology, medicine, and social work.

This is a comprehensive evidence-based clinical manual for practitioners ofcognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy. Cognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy is increasingly becoming the dominant approach to clinicalhypnosis. At a theoretical level, it adopts a research-based cognitive-behavioural model ofhypnosis. At a practical level, it closely integrates traditional hypnotherapy andcognitive-behavioural therapy techniques. This is the first major treatment manual to describe a fully integrated cognitive-behavioural approach to hypnotherapy, based on current evidence and best practice in the fields of hypnotism and CBT. It is the product of years of work by the author, a cognitive-behavioural therapist and specialist in clinical hypnosis, with overfifteen years' experience in the therapy field. This book should be essential reading for anyoneinterested in modern evidence-based approaches to clinical hypnosis. It's also an importantresource for cognitive-behavioural therapists interested in the psychology of suggestion and the useof mental imagery techniques.

This book is aimed at helping both newly trained and experienced mental health professionals become comfortable and adept in using hypnosis in their clinical practice. Despite dramatic evidence of the effectiveness of hypnosis and its growing acceptance, only a small percentage of psychotherapists employ their hypnotherapy training in their practices. This under-use of hypnosis is due to exaggerated misconceptions about its power and the resultant performance anxiety therapists experience after their training. This text is designed to address therapist performance anxiety surrounding the use of hypnosis by exploring the myths surrounding its power and therapeutic potential. The integration of a straightforward systematic hypnotic approach into therapeutic practice has value both in assessment and treatment. Using clinical anecdotes and personal experience, the authors of Hypnosis in Clinical Practice explain induction style and trance work in a way that is fundamental and highly accessible.

This book with its free accompanying CD gives an overview of clinical hypnosis and its applications in medical settings, including self-hypnosis and inducing hypnosis in others