Treating Depression With Hypnosis

Depression is a debilitating human condition and a common cause of suffering worldwide. This elicits a sense of urgency for mental health professionals to meet this challenge of the treatment of depression. Hypnosis plays a vital role in that treatment and in the efficacy of psychotherapy. This book focuses on the structuring and delivering of hypnotic interventions for major depression, with a substantial use of concepts and techniques from cognitive-behavioral and strategic approaches as a foundation. Current research on depression is used in this book to emphasize the still-growing knowledge of depression. Hypnosis has shown itself to be effective in not only reducing symptoms, but in teaching the skills (such as rationale thinking, effective problem-solving and coping strategies, and positive relationship skills) that can even prevent recurrences. Mental health professionals will find the detailed examples of hypnotic strategies invaluable to their own practice and application of hypnosis in the treatment of depression.

Michael Yapko’s seminal 1992 book, Hypnosis and the Treatment of Depressions, was the first book ever written on the subject of applying hypnosis in the treatment of depressed individuals. Since its publication, Yapko’s work has not only withstood the test of colleagues previously dismissive of the merits of hypnosis as a tool of treatment, but has thrived in the face of it. Hypnosis and Treating Depression diversifies the range of topics to consider and increases the number of knowledgeable contributors on the subject of treating depression with hypnosis. The book features chapter contributions by highly experienced and well-known experts on using hypnosis to treat specific forms of depression, with assessment and intervention strategies as well as sample transcripts of the use of hypnosis in therapy sessions. It discusses both broad and targeted applications of hypnosis in treatment, the treatment of depression with hypnosis in special populations, as well as special considerations regarding hypnotic treatment. As a practical guidebook for clinicians looking to add to their treatment protocols, Hypnosis and Treating Depression: Applications in Clinical Practice provides an updated and comprehensive volume on therapeutic uses of hypnosis in the treatment of depression.

In this book, Yapko not only demonstrates hypnosis is a viable and powerful approach to the treatment of depression but also confronts traditional criticism of its use head on. He first lays the groundwork for the book's dual focus, opening with a discussion of depressions. He then focuses on the historical perspective of depression and hypnosis as "forbidden friends," shedding new light on old myths about the use of hypnosis leading to hysteria, and even suicide. The result is a definition of hypnosis as a flexible and enlightened tool that offers precisely the multidimensionality that the problem demands.

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This handbook is the first to provide a conceptual framework and rationale—based on scientific, theoretical, and empirical evidence—for combining cognitive behavior therapy with hypnotherapy in treating clinical depression. The conceptual framework—the Circular Feedback Model of Depression—allows clinicians to adopt an evidence-based practice in psychotherapy, integrating the best research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences. The book offers detailed guidance in applying empirically supported principles of psychological assessment, treatment protocols, therapeutic relationship, and intervention.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is now in use worldwide, while hypnosis as a technique continues to attract serious interest from the professional community. Integrating the two, the field of cognitive hypnotherapy uses the natural trance states of clients to unlock unconscious thoughts and memory patterns that can generate and sustain problems. Cognitive hypnotherapists work within the client’s model of the world, so that changes are more likely to be subconsciously accepted and become permanent. This practical guide shows how cognitive hypnotherapy can be used to treat a range of emotional disorders including depression, sleep disorders, anxiety, eating disorders and PTSD.

To show her support, Meera is donating $5 Canadian dollars from each book sale for “A Therapists Guide to Treating Bipolar Disorder with Hypnosis: An Introduction to Environmental Stress-Targeted Therapy” for the entire year of 2022 to the Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal fund. A new and effective psychotherapeutic treatment for persons affected by Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder is now available for therapists to put into practice. Clinical Hypnotherapist Meera Duncan has developed Environmental Stress-Targeted Therapy (EVSTT) in response to her research, which shows that environmental stress is an additional component to causation of Bipolar Disorder. EVSTT utilizes hypnosis and has been proven to be highly successful with patients with this disorder. Through the use of hypnotherapy, EVSTT targets and desensitizes the triggers and associations linked to manic, hypomanic, and depressive episodes. This treatment protocol reduces the severity of each subsequent episode, increases the maintenance phase between episodes, and shortens the duration of each subsequent episode. Therapists and clients will achieve optimum success by following the five stages of treatment that incorporate a fluid combination of additional psychotherapeutic methods : 1. Assessment 2. Counselling 3. Talk Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy 4. EVSTT Hypnosis for Triggers and Associations 5. EVSTT Hypnosis for Trauma, Family Focused Therapy, Relapse Prevention Plan This book is the first of its kind to focus on environmental stress as a new theory of causation, and highlights the safety and effectiveness of hypnosis and hypnotherapy on treating clients with Bipolar Disorder. Therapists and clients alike will be encouraged by the success of this treatment protocol that offers new hope to clients with this disorder to live happier healthier lives.

In this book, Yapko not only demonstrates hypnosis is a viable and powerful approach to the treatment of depression but also confronts traditional criticism of its use head on. He first lays the groundwork for the book's dual focus, opening with a discussion of depressions. He then focuses on the historical perspective of depression and hypnosis as "forbidden friends," shedding new light on old myths about the use of hypnosis leading to hysteria, and even suicide. The result is a definition of hypnosis as a flexible and enlightened tool that offers precisely the multidimensionality that the problem demands.