The age-old notion of 'hypnotic induction' receives a fresh look from notable scholars from Canada, England, Sweden, and the USA in this book. These scholars represent a breadth of theoretical perspectives: cognitive-behavioral, Ericksonian, psychoanalytic, and trance-state. It is well known that a wide range of hypnotic induction protocols is used to prepare individuals to enhance their receptivity to test or clinical suggestions. However, despite its popularity of use, it appears that little is known about its relevancy and boundary conditions either for testing for hypnotisability or for enhancing clinical efficacy. In this volume, the authors reflect on issues surrounding its definitions, relevancy, possible components, and approaches; they also suggest considerations and strategies for optimizing inductions. This book will be of benefit to both newcomers to the field and seasoned researchers and clinicians alike - it can stimulate new thinking and research about this important, but often taken for granted, notion of hypnotic induction. This book was originally published as a special issue of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis.

Hypnosis in the Management of Sleep Disorders combines history and medical science to show that the use of hypnosis and hypnotic techniques is effective in the treatment of sleep disorders -- and that this is increasingly validated through modern tools (computers, fMRI images). Dr. Kohler and Kurz show readers that hypnosis and hypnotic techniques are not to be feared or avoided, but that their use can contribute to effective, non-intrusive, and cost-effective approaches to the treatment of sleep problems. This volume is a much needed reference for therapists and their patients alike on how hypnosis can be helpful in the treatment of certain sleep disorders.

First published in 1994. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Written by Jay Haley, renowned therapist, teacher and author, this eclectic collection of articles will engage readers with its fascinating mosaic of fact, observation, anecdote, and commentary. The first chapter provides a succinct biography of this extraodinary man, describing how Erickson overcame numerous adversities in early life, and how these events shaped his development as a highly innovative thinker. Commentaries on Milton Erickson, M.D. examines the practical and theoretical aspects of Erickson's methods, including his therapeutic posture, expectation of change, emphasis on the positive, acknowledgement of more than one solution to a problem, blocking of symptomatic behavior, change in relation to the therapist, use of anectodes, and willingness to "let go" of patients. A Review of Ordeal Therapy focuses on a controversial therapeutic technique successfully used by Erickson. Haley cautions the reader, however, of the care with which this powerful technique should be exercised. A fascinating dialogue between Jay Haley and John Weakland, Remembering Erickson provides readers with irresistable anecdotes about Erickson the psychiatrist and Erickson the man. In Why Not Long?Term Therapy? the author examines this issue and its ramifications in relation to Erickson's beliefs, including the concept of charging by relief of the symptom. In a particularly fascinating article, Haley explores the many characteristics of Zen that are relevant to Ericksonian psychotherapy. The volume concludes with Typically Erickson, a paper celebrating and offering new insights into the artistry of this original thinker.

Related link: Free Email Alerting

The scope of Erika Fromm's profound contributions to the clinical and research literature in hypnosis and related areas is reflected in this volume, which consists of chapters written by those who have worked closely with the noted psychologist and/or have been significantly influenced by her. The subject matter presented here ranges from detailed accounts and personal observations relating to Fromm's distinguished career, to some very new and valuable data on the psychophysiological correlates of hypnosis, the phenomenology of self-hypnosis, and an integrative model for short-term therapy. Several extensions of clinical technique for the treatment of trauma and severe psychopathology are also discussed. Professional therapists with an interest in personal growth, self-awareness, and creative mastery, whether or not they already have an interest in hypnosis, will derive significant benefits from this book. Readers who have previously eschewed hypnosis may find that this volume stimulates an interest that enriches their clinical practice and/or research.

"During the past several years there have been ever-increasing numbers of physicians, dentists, and psychologists interested in hypnosis, both therapeutic and investigative. Reliable sources of clinical information and instruction were practically non-existent except for a few scattered individuals. To meet this need, to interest universities, and to stimulate medical and dental schools to an awareness of the importance of teaching clinical hypnosis, a group of experienced clinicians competent in teaching were formed. Throughout the United States, under the auspices of various professional societies and universities, this group conducted seminars on hypnosis. "This book is compiled from the tape recordings of dozens of those seminars, and thus it contains the material as it was presented, with all the simplicity, directness, and effectiveness of the classroom presentation. "It is no more, no less, than a comprehensive presentation of the material upon which thousands of clinicians throughout the United States have based the initiation and development of their successful clinical use of hypnosis." -Milton H. Erickson, M.D. (1961)

The subject of hypnosis has not lost any of its ability to fascinate and intrigue - and this holds equally true for both the layperson and the student of hypnotic behavior. Phenomena of hypnosis range from simple tasks involving ideomotor response to more complex tasks involving substantial distortions of perceived reality such as age regression, hallucination, and amnesia. Obviously, with a topic so diverse and so interesting, there are plenty of books around. Originally published in 1982, what makes this title stand out is the authors' focus: instead of trying to survey the whole field and evaluate the full spectrum of theories about hypnosis, they hone in on specific points of view with the aim of illustrating the nature of hypnotic phenomena.

Originally published in 1976, this title looks closely at the current nature of controls in hypnosis research at the time and tries to assess what they contributed to our knowledge of hypnosis. Specifically, the book analyses the contributions to our understanding of hypnotic phenomena offered by the application of six contemporary methodologies, or paradigms, of hypnosis. The primary concern is with those paradigms that are experimental, rather than clinical, in orientation, and which had emerged over the previous decade as coherent programmatic collections of procedural strategies, all of them associated with distinct and important views of how hypnotic behaviour can best be explained.

This book is a fascinating case study that illustrates the use of multiple levels of consciousness and meaning to access and therapeutically reframe traumatic memories that were the source of very severe phobias and depression. A rare record of Erickson's pioneering genius in facilitating the evolution of new patterns of consciousness and identity in a patient.

Related link: Free Email Alerting

Maternity services and choices for labour and birth are fast evolving. Hypnobirth involves preparation for childbirth using tried and tested hypnotherapy techniques in harmony with midwifery best practices and increasing numbers of women are turning to the technique. Written by two experienced practitioners, this is the first evidence-based practice book for medical professionals on this subject. Chapters include coverage of: What hypnosis is and the history of hypnobirth The power of the mind and the effect of language Relaxation and breathing techniques The neocortex and hormones Birth partners, relationships, women's advocates and primary supporters Throughout the book the authors provide health professionals working in clinical midwifery practice with information and evidence-based findings to support the use of hypnobirth. The book includes case studies, scripts and reflective questions to encourage a deeper understanding of the techniques and issues and to engage and inspire the reader. Hypnobirth is essential reading for midwives, obstetricians, student midwives, doulas and any practitioner involved in preparing and supporting pregnant women for labour.

Hypnosis is now being used by doctors, dentists and therapists to help cure or relieve a wide range of illnesses, personality problems and emotional and psychological conditions.

It has been used to treat phobias and many nervous symptoms; the help people give up smoking, alcohol and drugs; to overcome shyness, stammering, uncontrollable blushing, nail biting and certain allergies; to curb weight problems (both obesity and anorexia); to help overcome impotence, frigidity and other sexual difficulties; in dentistry as a substitute to local anaesthetics and to counter needle-phobia, tooth-grinding and excessive salivation; to alleviate pain and insomnia; to achieve relaxation in pregnancy and childbirth; and also in the treatment of behaviour problems and in crime detection.

Originally published in 1981, in this book, the late Dr David Waxman a medically qualified therapist who had practised hypnosis for over twenty years at the time of writing and who had lectured on the subject throughout the world explains exactly what hypnosis is; gives a concise history of its practice; discusses the scientific theories about it and how it is used today; and describes what it can and cannot do and when and how it is best used. "

This comprehensive volume is certain to become an invaluable textbook in the field of clinical hypnosis. Dr. Yager has put together an impressive table of contents covering much of everything there is to know about how to translate theory into practice across the range of clinical settings. His clear and thoughtful perspective will inform those who are new to the field and expand the understanding of those who have more experience. The level of depth and detail is unparalleled, providing readers with a full education on the topic. Divided into five parts, the book begins with a discussion of what hypnosis is (and isn't) and introduces the concept, the language, the phenomena, the tools, and hypermnesia. In Part II, the discussion turns to clinical considerations, addressing approaches to using hypnosis, the roles it can play in psychotherapy, and some potential dangers and risks that may arise with its use. Part III looks at specific procedures, delineating the principles of trance induction, highlighting the particulars of hypnosis and sleep, and focusing on Dr. Yager's pioneering discoveries regarding subliminal therapy. Part IV is devoted to Applications of Hypnosis - from test taking to ocular correction providing a wide view of the power and possibility of hypnosis as one of the most efficacious treatment options available for an extraordinary range of challenges. In the final section, attention is given to a variety of relevant topics not considered elsewhere.

Are you struggling with your weight and tired of feeling so heavy and out of control with food all the time? Are you an emotional eater feeling desperate and stuck with a bunch of bad habits? Do you feel like you know what you should be doing to lose the weight, but find it hard to follow through day after day? If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then award-winning hypnotist Erika Flint's second book Lighter is right for you. Lighter incorporates insights from helping hundreds of clients finally lose the weight with leading-edge hypno-sis techniques, and makes it easy to implement with 31 tools to get you started feeling lighter right away. This book serves as a reference guide you'll return to over and over to keep you on the path of emotional light-ness and weight loss without the struggle. Written in a loving and compassionate voice, readers will appreciate the authors obvious love for her clients and how she helps them achieve lightness in their own life with power-ful tools that work with the mind and body - not against them. Harness the power of your heart and mind and achieve lasting weight loss without the struggle.

Hypnotherapy is arguably the oldest modality of psychological therapy, at least in the modern sense. Psychologists have long attempted to conceptualize hypnosis in terms of cognitive and behavioral processes and the term cognitive-behavioral approach to hypnosis was first coined in 1974 by Theodore Barber, and his colleagues, one of the most prolific and influential researchers in the field of hypnosis. Since then cognitive research on hypnosis has continued to evolve alongside the assimilation of modern cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques within the framework of hypnotherapy and vice versa. This book explores the historical and conceptual relationship between hypnotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT). It proceeds to offer a modern cognitive conceptualization of hypnosis, based on the writings of James Braid the founder of hypnotherapy and drawing upon modern cognitive-behavioral research on hypnosis. The author carefully explores the combination of hypnosis with both cognitive and behavioral interventions and ways in which methods can be adapted in the light of therapeutic principles derived from both fields. The book aims to provide a comprehensive core text for the practice of cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy and to facilitate further dialogue between practitioners of hypnosis and CBT."

Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality is a compelling study of the important elements that make up a person's core personality, and a detailed exploration of - and introduction to - how Time Line therapy works in practice. Written by Tad James and Wyatt Woodsmall, Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality is a compelling study of the important elements that make up a person's core personality, and a detailed exploration of - and introduction to - how Time Line therapy works in practice. Utilizing discoveries made by Richard Bandler, Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality expands and updates our knowledge of how people actually store their memories, and sheds light on the effect that the system used for memory storage has on the individual. The authors contend that the concept of Time Line, or the notion of time that you have stored in your mind, shapes and structures your experience of the world, and therefore shapes your personality. Time Line therapy is therefore based on the premise that the client goes back to the first time they remember a particular problem, does change work - utilizing Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) to eliminate irritating behaviors or issues - and, if necessary, goes to subsequent times when their behavior or response was a problem, and undertakes further change work to resolve it. Written in an informative and engaging manner, Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality offers readers the opportunity to see how Time Line therapy works - providing a clear description of how to elicit the Time Line, and sharing step-by-step methods to subsequently help the client to release a limiting decision or trauma, remove anxiety, or set a future goal. All of these key aspects are explained using clear language and easy-to-follow steps, and the authors' expert commentary is further complemented by examples, exercises and transcripts in order to help the reader transfer the theory into effective practice. In Section I, the authors explain the NLP Communication Model and share their in-depth analysis of the filters - values, beliefs, attitudes, decisions, memories and meta programs - which we subconsciously use as we process the world around us and which form the basis of our personalities. Section II provides a comprehensive description of the Time Line and how it works: laying down a theoretical basis for the technique before offering insight into its practice and application with a demonstrative transcript of Time Line elicitation and change work in order to illustrate the concepts explored. In Section III the authors move on to carefully survey simple and complex meta programs (and how they can be changed) before exploring the formation, evolution and changing of values in Section IV, which includes a helpful exercise that gives guidance on how to elicit values from the client. Exploring many interesting contexts and how personality can be positively changed to help people live happier lives, Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality is a worthy addition to any therapist's or NLP practitioner's library and is suitable reading for anyone interested in behavioral change. Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality was originally published in 1988 by Meta Publications. Previously published as ISBN 978-091699021-3

First published in 1994. Some episodes of depression can even be prevented, but the greater focus in this book is on responding to the experience of depression that is already present in the afflicted individual. This book represents an effort to make the extremely complex and subjective experience of depression one that can be better understood and more effectively treated. It does not represent a school of therapy in a singular way. Rather, it promotes the recognition of the diversity of human experience such that an emphasis on anyone approach will seem obviously self-limiting.

First published in 1986. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This phenomenal work by the Dean of American Hypnotists is the most comprehensive text ever to be published on stage hypnotism. It also has widespread therapeutic applications. The first section, Mastering Hypnosis, covers the history of the subject together with an extensive description of how to use the power of suggestion. The second section, Entertaining with Hypnotism, describes how to design and perform a modern hypnotic show and includes extracts from some of the most successful and exciting shows ever performed. Everything is covered, from opening the show to the best ways of advertising. There are also chapters on the business aspects of hypnotism and how to avoid lawsuits.

Using Guided Imagery and Hypnosis in Brief Therapy and Palliative Care presents a model for effective single-session therapy. Chapters include more than a dozen case studies with transcripts and commentary. Readers will learn how to use an adapted model of Remen's healing circle for preparing patients for surgery, and guided imagery and other approaches are presented for enhancing palliative care. Extensive appendixes provide a wide variety of valuable tools that psychotherapists can use with clients concerned with end-of-life issues.

Straightforward and concise, Clinical Hypnotherapy: A Transpersonal Approach, covers all the bases of hypnotherapy. Learn about altered states of consciousness and the four levels of mind that the great modern mystic, Edgar Cayce, utilized in his readings. Includes information on induction; trance depth; client interview; suggestion; regression; the collective unconscious; the superconscious mind; and past life memories. An ideal body, mind, spirit oriented text for the student of hypnotherapy, or those considering hypnotherapy for themselves. The author has written two other books in holistic health. He lives in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Describes Milton Erickson's contribution to practical psychotherapy. The text presents the actual approaches, methods and techniques Erickson developed that would enable people to use their own experiences to change behaviour.

Is there a way out of anxiety, depression, overeating, fear, phobias, addiction, insomnia, trauma, and low self-esteem - without taking pills? Is there really an alternative to Prozac and anti-depressants? Can you really recapture the simple joy of living? The answer to all theses questions is Yes! This book will show you: How your subconscious mind has been programmed to make you feel the way you feel. How these programs can be rapidly changed through the right kind of hypnotherapy. How even your most difficult feelings and emotions can help you change your life for the better. How you can live a balanced, meaningful life and move forward in confidence and harmony with yourself and your world

Two premier hypnotherapists collaborate on a new edition of this award-winning text, a collection of techniques and information about hypnosis that no serious student or practitioner should be without. A thorough and practical handbook of various hypnotherapeutic measures, it contains illustrative examples and logically argued selection methods to help practitioners choose the ideal method for a needed purpose. Section by section, it breaks out the various methods and phenomena of hypnosis into easily digested chunks, so the reader can pick and choose at leisure. An excellent practical guide and reference that is sure to be used regularly. The authors have a wide and longstanding experience on the subject and thus can stay on clinically approvable methods.

"During the past several years there have been ever-increasing numbers of physicians, dentists, and psychologists interested in hypnosis, both therapeutic and investigative. Reliable sources of clinical information and instruction were practically non-existent except for a few scattered individuals. To meet this need, to interest universities, and to stimulate medical and dental schools to an awareness of the importance of teaching clinical hypnosis, a group of experienced clinicians competent in teaching were formed. Throughout the United States, under the auspices of various professional societies and universities, this group conducted seminars on hypnosis.
"This book is compiled from the tape recordings of dozens of those seminars, and thus it contains the material as it was presented, with all the simplicity, directness, and effectiveness of the classroom presentation.
"It is no more, no less, than a comprehensive presentation of the material upon which thousands of clinicians throughout the United States have based the initiation and development of their successful clinical use of hypnosis."
-Milton H. Erickson, M.D. (1961)