Hypnosis in Clinical Practice: Steps for Mastering Hypnotherapy

183 Pages·2004·3.05 MB·English

by  Rick Voit

HYPNOSIS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
HYPNOSIS IN
CLINICAL PRACTICE
STEPS FOR MASTERING
HYPNOTHERAPY
RICK VOIT, PH. D. MOLLY DELANEY,
PSY. D.
BRUNNER-ROUTLEDGE
NEW YORK AND HOVE
Published in 2005 by
Brunner-Routledge
29 West 35th Street
New York, NY 10001
www.brunner-routledge.com
Published in Great Britain by
Brunner-Routledge
27 Church Road
Hove, East Sussex
BN3 2FA
www.brunner-routledge.co.uk
Copyright © 2005 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc.
Brunner-Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now know
or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Voit, Rick.
Hypnosis in clinical practice: steps for mastering hypnotherapy/
Rick Voit, Molly DeLaney.
p.; cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-203-48761-3 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-57554-7 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-93544-X(alk. paper)
1. Hypnotism—Therapeutic use.
[DNLM: 1. Hypnosis—methods. 2. Physician-Patient Relations. WM 415
V898h 2004] I. Delaney, Molly. II. Title.
RC495.V615 2004 616.89`162–dc22 2003017980
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Foreword xi
by Marc I.Oster
Preface: A Book for Psychotherapists xiv
Introduction: The Myth of Magic xx
Chapter 1 Thinking about Hypnosis 1
Hypnosis: One Tool 1
Hypnosis and Therapeutic Orientation 3
Accessing All Resources 6
The Role of Hypnosis 8
Conceptualizing Hypnosis: Beyond Definitions 9
How Do We Define Trance? 9
Unconscious Process in Psychopathology 12
Ethical Hypnosis Is Effective Hypnosis 14
Codes of Ethics 15
The Ethical Practice 16
A Solid Therapeutic Foundation 17
Expertise 19
Continued Education 19
Healthy Boundaries 20
Expectations 21
v
Special Considerations: Informed Consent and 22
Memory
Chapter 2 The Hypnotic Relationship 25
The Fundamentals 25
Trust 26
Rapport 27
Accurate Feedback 28
Building Cooperation and Hope 30
Preparing Your Client: Myths and Misconceptions 31
Therapist’s Use of Self 34
Chapter 3 Beginning Treatment: What Our Clients Teach Us 39
about Themselves
General Characteristics: Windows to the Unconscious 40
Assessing and Utilizing Sensory Strengths 41
Ideomotor Communication 44
Developmental Processes 47
Viewing Symptoms as Solutions 49
Chapter 4 Hypnotic Phenomena and Unconscious Process 51
Accessing Unconscious Phenomena 51
Hypnotic Phenomena 53
Trance Depth and Breadth 58
Trance Depth 58
Facilitating Trance Depth 59
Depths of Trance 61
Depth through Breadth 61
“Breadths” of Trance 63
Chapter 5 Treatment Planning: Accessing Natural Trance 65
The Language of Hypnotic Induction 65
vi
Choosing a Path 66
Naturalistic Utilization 69
Elements of Naturalistic Inductions 70
Indirect and Direct Language 72
Indirect Language 72
Direct Language 73
Preparing for Hypnotic Work: “To Script or Not to 74
Script”
Deepening Language and Nonverbal Cues 77
Chapter 6 Treatment Planning: Resistance and the Metaphor 79
Managing and Utilizing Resistance: Disrupting Rigid/ 79
Conscious Sets
Hypnotic Metaphors and Bypassing Conscious 84
Resistance
The Roots and Construction of Metaphor 87
Ideomotor Signaling: Conversations with the 91
Unconscious Mind
Chapter 7 Treatment Planning: Basic Steps 95
Hypnotic Treatment Planning 1 00
Ego-Strengthening Suggestions 1 01
Empowerment 1 01
Wonder Is the Beginning of Wisdom 1 02
Imagery 1 03
Post-Hypnotic Suggestions: Prompts, Cues, and 1 05
Attachments
Open and Closed Suggestions 1 06
Successful Suggestions 1 07
Prompts, Cues, and Attachments 1 08
vii
Worst-Case Scenarios: Abreactions and Idiosyncratic1 10
Responses
Treatment Planning: Applications 1 12
Depression and Helplessness 1 13
Depressive Symptoms and Hypnotic Phenomena 1 13
Language and the Hypnotic Relationship 1 14
Hypnotic Phenomena and Treating Depression 1 16
Anxiety 1 17
Anxiety Symptoms and Hypnotic Phenomena 1 17
Language and the Hypnotic Relationship 1 14
Hypnotic Phenomena and Treating Anxiety 1 21
Chapter 8 Looking Forward to Looking Back 1 25
References 1 33
Appendices
A. Professional Organizations 1 37
B. Hypnosis Treatment Planning Worksheet 1 39
C. Informed Consent Form 1 41
D. American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) 1 43
Code of Conduct
Index 1 49
Just do the steps that you’ve been shown
By everyone you’ve ever known
Until the dance becomes your very own
No matter how close to yours
Another’s steps have grown
In the end there is one dance
You’ll do alone.
“For A Dancer”
—Jackson Browne
Acknowledgments
The writing of a book such as this is an undertaking that has been
touched and influenced by so many people and life experiences that it
is difficult to know where to begin. We understand that very few of the
ideas expressed in these pages are truly original, as they are based on our
exposure to numerous books, professors, supervisors, and, of course, our
clients themselves. To all of those who have steered and nudged us
toward this work, we offer a heartfelt thank you.
In particular, we wish to express our appreciation to those colleagues
who initially brought us together. Included in this group are Frank
Rogers-Witte and Julie Linden, who introduced the authors to each
other and have since provided invaluable guidance and encouragement.
In addition, we must certainly thank Judy Lasher for contributing her
energy and enthusiasm as we developed our partnership. We wish to
thank John Kasper and those members and faculty of the American
Society of Clinical Hypnosis who have provided inspiration, support,
and opportunity toward our joint and individual careers. We must
certainly acknowledge our Ericksonian friends, particularly Brent Geary
and Phil and Norma Barretta, for whom we hold a special fondness and
deep gratitude. Brent’s interpretation and teaching of hypnotic
phenomena have deeply influenced us in our work and our writing. Phil
and Norma have become our models for what enduring, collaborative
teaching can truly be. We also offer our thanks to the folks at
Brunner-Routledge, particularly George Zimmar and Shannon Vargo,
for their belief in our project and firm direction toward its completion.
We want to extend a special indebtedness for our friend, colleague,
and mentor, Marc Oster, who has nurtured our careers since our first
meeting six years ago. No one has had more of an impact on our
professional development than Marc. His generous gift of time and
constructive criticism as we have prepared our manuscript has been
invaluable.