Clinical Hypnotherapy: Definition, Format, and History
Marie Louise Bosin, LMFT
I would argue that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis. As in Psychotherapy, we cannot break a patient out of the trance they have created for themselves without their full cooperation. We must engage a patient first and foremost. We must meet the patient in their story and understand it before we are given permission to offer other possibilities. Hypnotherapy is the art and skill of teaching a patient how to hypnotize herself. An ancient tradition, self-hypnosis was probably first used thousands of years ago by the Indian Yogis who used a process called Yoga Nidra to transcend to a higher place of wisdom and bliss. Practically, self-hypnosis also is useful in pain relief, maintaining good physical health, calming anxiety and rising up out of depression. Personality issues can also be addressed with self-hypnosis. This training will discuss the history and principles used in Hypnotherapy and will walk the participants through three different self-hypnosis experiences.
A clinical hypnotherapist is most often defined as a psychotherapist who utilizes hypnosis as a primary tool for assisting clients in achieving their goals by focusing on the role of the unconscious influences on the client's life. Clinical hypnotherapy is most often defined as the use of hypnosis in psychotherapy. This seminar will inform attendees regarding the use of hypnotherapy in psychotherapy including clinical assessment, developing rapport, testing suggestibility, and methods of hypnosis and Yoga Nidra. The Yoga Nidra process has been found to reduce anxiety.
Objectives:
1. Explore the history of self-hypnosis
2. Explore the principles of self-hypnosis
3. Experience 3 forms of self-hypnosis
4. Translate the understanding and skills into use in the practice of Psychotherapy
Bio:
Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
Certified Experienced Yoga Instructor and Practitioner
Marie Louise Bosin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Psychotherapist working in the Inland Empire. She started her journey into the field in 1981 when she returned to Santa Clara University to obtain a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology with a Health Psychology emphasis. She has worked in many clinical settings during the 30 year journey and has most recently opened a private practice office centrally located in the Inland Empire. Her fascination with the spiritual aspects of psychotherapy has roots in her own recovery and healing. She infuses hypnotherapy into all aspects of her practice regardless of the technique being employed. In this way, she offers solution focused psychotherapy inviting her patients to actively engage in the healing process.
At our June meeting, we had the pleasure of learning a bit about Clinical Hypnotherapy from Marie
Louise Bosin, MA, LMFT. Marie has been accumulating tools as a psychotherapist for over 30 years and is well trained as a certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. A more thorough background of Marie and all her accomplishments can be read in the June 2011 IE CAMFT newsletter.
A clinical hypnotherapist is a psychotherapist who utilizes hypnosis as a primary tool for assisting clients to achieve their goals focusing on the role of the unconscious influences on the client's life; they help clients bring the unconscious to the conscious mind. Marie outlined the format used for clinical hypnotherapy so we could see how it would typically be used in sessions with clients.
1. The first step (as with most clinical cases) is to complete a clinical assessment including anxiety and depression inventory, trauma assessment, and substance abuse assessment. The BECK inventory is a great assessment tool to use.
2. Second, the therapist must develop rapport with the client; developing rapport is critical in hypnotherapy. The therapist must listen carefully to the client's story and enter into the client's world long enough to develop positive regard and compassion for the client. One could use a Rogerian stance of unconditional positive regard and no judgment to develop this rapport.
3. Then the therapist should explain how he/she works and what likely benefits the client will experience as a result of the hypnosis work. It is important for the therapist to be completely honest with the clients about the entire treatment process to relieve any anxiety they may have about hypnosis.
4. Once the first three steps have taken place and the client is ready for the treatment process to begin, the therapist can test for the client's suggestibility. Testing for the client's suggestibility is a process that takes approximately 3-5 minutes in which the therapist asks the client to close their eyes and become aware of the energy in their body from head to toe. The results are discussed with the client. The point of testing suggestibility is to find out what adjustments the therapist needs to make to connect with the client. It is extremely important to tailor hypnotherapy to the client's needs and level of comfort.
5. Once the therapist has made necessary adjustments, he/she invites the client into a hypnotic interchange and conducts the session.
6. Towards the end of the session, the therapist debriefs and discusses the client's experience during the session. It is important to get feedback on your approach and the client's experience. This can be done in verbal or paper form, whichever will encourage the client to be completely honest. It is crucial that you leave time at the end of the session for closing because you do not want someone leaving the office in a trance state. It is also important to implant the idea of hope at the end of the first session.
7. Last but not least, send the client away from the session with homework such as mindfulness and self-hypnosis exercises. You should also ask the client to journal dreams, memories, disturbing feelings and thoughts during the time in-between sessions, and bring the journal to the next session to be discussed.
Hypnotherapy can be used for any psychological condition as well as many medical conditions including, but not limited to, irritable bowel syndrome, skin disease, surgical soothing, weight loss, smoking cessation, high blood pressure, child birth, and pain management. In any case, it is important that the therapist be properly trained in a variety of hypnotic techniques and experiential opportunities so that they have the proper tools to adjust to a wide variety of client's and practice ethically.
If you have any questions, or are interested in learning more about clinical hypnotherapy, you can contact Marie Louise Bosin at Marielouise.bosin@yahoo.com, or visit her website at marielouisebosin-ma-lmft-27702.com. Some of the other techniques Marie uses include EMDR, DBT, Sand Tray Therapy with adults, teens and children, mindfulness education, play therapy with adults, teens and children, and Humor in Therapy. She is also a certified experienced yoga instructor and practitioner.