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Clinical Hypnosis
for Behavioral Medicine Providers

45 hours of CE credit, $550

At home learning format based on audiovisual CD lectures and readings. You can start anytime and work with the instructor via e-mail.

Professor: Eric K. Willmarth, Ph.D. (616) 776-9878 ewillmarth@aol.com

Concept: This introductory level course is the equivalent of a three credit course and provides 45 hours of CE credit. The course is targeted to licensed / certified clinicians such as psychologists, counselors, physical therapists, social workers, nurses, and physicians as well as to graduate students. The standard techniques of Clinical Hypnosis are described and students are taught the elements of their application. Uses of hypnotic techniques with specific types of patients and integration of these techniques into other behavioral medicine interventions are discussed. It is the intent of this course to 1. Provide students with a basic background and appreciation of the history of clinical hypnosis and provide and introduction to a variety of current theories of the mechanisms of hypnosis. 2. Provide students with sufficient knowledge to understand pertinent legal and ethical considerations related to the use of clinical hypnosis, and 3. Provide an overview of the empirically validated uses of hypnosis.

An optional in-person training session is available at extra cost to provide students with fundamental skills needed to induce a hypnotic state to make clinical use of the hypnotic condition in a variety of situations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Provide clients with a basic background and appreciation of the history of clinical hypnosis and provide and introduction to a variety of current theories of the mechanisms of hypnosis.
2. Provide clients with fundamental knowledge (but not necessarily the skills unless the optional laboratory is taken) needed to induce a hypnotic state and a knowledge base to make clinical use of the hypnotic condition in a variety of situations.
3. Provide clients with sufficient knowledge to understand pertinent legal and ethical considerations related to the use of clinical hypnosis.
4. Provide an overview of the empirically validated uses of hypnosis.
   

Required Texts:

1. Hypnotic Induction & Suggestion: An Introductoty Manual. Hammond, D.C. (Ed.) 1998 Available through the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. (22.95) Ph. (630) 980-4740
2. Clinical Hypnosis and Self-Regulation: Cognitive-Behavioral Perspectives. Kirsch, I., Capafons, A., Cardena-Belna, E., & Amigo, 5. (1999) American Psychological Association, Washington D.C. Available through Amazon.com., APA Books and other major outlets.
3. Additional reprints as provided by the instructor.
   

Format: Home study supported by e-mail chats after each unit is completed.

Topic Outline:

1. Initial Hypnosis Demonstration The Nature of Suggestion The History of Hypnosis- 1700 to 1900
2. The History of Hypnosis 1900 to 2000 Hypnosis in the Media
3. Susceptibility - Background Lab- Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility-Form A
4. Current Theories of Hypnosis
5. Introduction to Hypnotic Induction
6. Lab.- Induction Practice
7. Advanced Induction and Deepening Techniques
8. Lab. - Practice with Deepening Techniques
9. Applications of Hypnosis Review of Empirically Validated Hypnotic Treatment
10. Literature Review Hypnosis in Pain Management
11. Literature Review Hypnosis in Medical Seffings
12. Literature Review Hypnosis in Psychotherapy
13. Hypnotic Induction Small Group Practice
14. Ethical Standards of Hypnosis Legal Considerations
15. Hypnotic Induction Small Group Practice
16. Hypnosis Societies and Training Opportunities

Grading: After the course, prepare a mock case presentation in which a disorder of your choosing is treated with hypnosis. In addition to a full description of the problem or symptoms to be treated, describe your rational (supported by a literature review) for the use of hypnosis in treatment and include a sample hypnotic script that you would use. You may include direct or indirect suggestion, metaphors or symbolic stories as long as you can then defend/explain the choice of your technique in a brief critique of the session.

Faculty: The course is taught by ERIC K. WILLMARTH, Ph.D. Dr. Willmarth received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology form the Fielding Institute in 1998. He is currently director of behavioral medicine at the Michigan Pain Consultants in Grand Rapids, MI. He is chair of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis’ Ethics Committee and chaired the program committee for the AAPB’s 33rd annual meeting in 2002. He received the E.R.Hilgard Award in 2000 from the American Psychological Association for Best Academic Thesis in Hypnosis. Dr. Willmarth publishes widely in both hypnosis and applied psychophysiology.

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