Comments for Hypnosis Treatment

Comment on Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment for Addictions: Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, Gambling, Weight Control and Smoking Cessation by Michael K. Kivinen

Michael K. Kivinen — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:18:22 +0000

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

A Useful Starting Point, July 1, 2011

Michael K. Kivinen (Wyoming, MI United States) -

This review is from: Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment for Addictions: Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, Gambling, Weight Control and Smoking Cessation (Paperback)

Joseph Tramontana's Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment for Addictions is good as far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough. For example, on p. 60 he alludes to the role of personality "parts" (or subpersonalities) in problem behavior (specifically gambling), but he does not otherwise develop the idea of using ego-state therapy or "parts therapy" to address clients' ambivalence and inner conflicts regarding their addictions and self-defeating habits. He touches briefly (on p. 2) on the potential use of hypnosis as a natural alternative to getting high or experiencing altered states through drugs, but again does not really develop this aspect. (Bart J. Walsh called such use of hypnosis "Utilization Sobriety.") Also, the excerpts from his hypnotic scripts and patter reflect a tendency to impose specific imagery instead of allowing clients to generate their own in what Roy Hunter calls "open-screen imagery". I also wonder if the sessions he devotes to hypnotic reinforcement of the 12 steps of AA (see pp. 27-33) would be better spent training clients in hypnotic relaxation for voluntary tension reduction, effecting therapeutic desensitization to their "triggers," and facilitating inner conflict resolution (i.e. overcoming ambivalence through the aforementioned "parts" or ego-state therapy).

Still, the book has many merits. Dr. Tramontana admits that over time he adapted and expanded his approach to include those clients who were not receptive to 12-step groups or group therapy (see pp. 2-3). His methods draw on the ideodynamic hypnotherapy of Leslie LeCron and David Cheek. Moreover, he deserves credit for recognizing and promoting the value of using hypnosis in addiction treatment at all. It seems strange to me that hypnosis has been so underutilized in this field when several factors make it such a good fit: Aspects of addictive thinking and relapse behavior are themselves functional--or rather dysfunctional--equivalents of trance (see Dennis Wier's work on "Pathological Trance and Addiction."); hypnosis helps clients bypass their intellectualization (and other defenses) to gain access to emotion, imagination and creativity; and hypnosis has a recognized role in addressing many of the issues that complicate addiction recovery, such as anxiety, pain, trauma, ambivalence, and inadequate ego strength. As Tramontana says, ". . . the nature and manifestation of addiction is complex and multifaceted. Fortunately, hypnosis is an approach--used alone or in tandem with other paradigms--that is flexible, permissive, and non-threatening, giving the therapist the power to address a wide range of variables and offer relief" (p. 114).

Other topics Tramontana discusses include using regression and uncovering techniques to identify and release the emotional residue of past experiences that interfere with addiction recovery, and hypnotic behavioral rehearsal (similar to imaginal rehearsal or "future pacing") for practicing new skills. He describes hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness when introducing it to clients, and he outlines its use in addressing "issues that . . . seem intractable to other approaches" (p. 17). This book is definitely not the last word in using hypnotherapy with addicted persons, nor is it even as thorough as I had hoped it would be. However, I would still recommend it as providing a useful starting point and suggestions for hypnotically enhancing addiction treatment.

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Comment on Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control by Jeffrey J. Borckardt

Jeffrey J. Borckardt — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:35:13 +0000

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent for clinicians and researchers alike, November 29, 2010

Jeffrey J. Borckardt (Charleston, SC USA) -

This review is from: Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control (Hardcover)

This is an outstanding book that covers in depth the theory, research and practice of hypnosis for pain control. It is well-written, comprehensive, balanced and accurate. This is a must read for people who are new to the area of hypnosis for pain control as well as for seasoned clinicians and researchers. I highly recommend it. Dr. Patterson is an expert in this area, and a clear leader in the field of clinical and experimental hypnosis for pain.

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Comment on Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control by Leonard Holmes

Leonard Holmes — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:05:04 +0000

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

A Wonderful Book for Clinicians, November 30, 2010

Leonard Holmes (USA) -

This review is from: Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control (Hardcover)

Dr. Patterson has written a very practical book on using hypnosis to treat pain. His own specialty is working with burn patients, training nurses to assist patients to go into a trance during their painful burn treatments. In this book he also covers hypnosis for chronic pain. He draws on the work of Milton Erickson, and backs it up with the latest research literature. Books based on Ericksonian techniques can get a little tedious, but Dr. Patterson presents this material in a manner that is easy to understand and apply.

The book includes scripts that can be used in practice, but it's not really a book of scripts. I recommend taking it slow and savoring the wisdom from this seasoned clinical psychologist. Dr. Patterson understands Erickson's vision of utilizing the patient's own resources to help them heal and uniquely applies this to working with pain. He also understands the research literature, having made major contributions to that literature over the years. The end result is a beautifully balanced, scientifically sound, and completely practical book.

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Comment on Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control by David Caulfield

David Caulfield — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:06:17 +0000

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Finally!, May 15, 2010

David Caulfield (lacey, WA.) -

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This review is from: Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control (Hardcover)

In my early study of hypnosis, as a nurse practitioner in Washington state, I've looked at videos of Dr. Patterson's work with burn patients at Haborview Medical Center, in amazement. I am glad that he has taken time out of his busy schedule to write this well written book. I wish more of my healtcare colleagues could open their minds to the value that hypnosis has in healthcare. This book is written primarily for the clinician, but lay people could also enjoy it. Given the struggles we face in treating pain, hypnosis is another tool we should consider.

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Comment on Healing Scripts: Using Hypnosis to Treat Trauma and Stress by Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:42:33 +0000

Healing Scripts: using Hypnosis to Treat Trauma and Stress, September 26, 2011

Martha Cecilia Rojas -

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This review is from: Healing Scripts: Using Hypnosis to Treat Trauma and Stress (Hardcover)

This is a good book to use as a reference when the therapist is begining in his/her practice. I used it to get ideas that stimulate my own creativity and resolve some questions and inquietutes that I had.

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Comment on Healing Scripts: Using Hypnosis to Treat Trauma and Stress by Midwest Book Review

Midwest Book Review — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:05:47 +0000

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

The use of hypnosis as a medical tool in the field of psychology and psychiatry predates Sigmund Freud, August 10, 2008

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) -

This review is from: Healing Scripts: Using Hypnosis to Treat Trauma and Stress (Hardcover)

The use of hypnosis as a medical tool in the field of psychology and psychiatry predates Sigmund Freud. "Healing Scripts: Using Hypnosis To Treat Trauma And Stress" by Dr. Marlene Hunter (Certificant and Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada) draws upon her more than thirty years experience working with highly dissociative patients. As a past president of the American Society of clinical hypnosis, she writes a particular expertise on the subject of utilizing hypnosis to clinically address acute stress disorders including pain in all of its forms, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (with sections on denial, hypervigilance and hyper-arousal), acute stress, sleep disorders, and dissociation disorders (including ego-strengthening and integration). Of note is the section focused on helping children suffering from acute stress and trauma. An impressively informative work, "Healing Scripts" is particularly recommended reading for students and practitioners of psychiatric medicine, and a core addition to professional and academic library Psychology, Psychiatry, and Medical Science instructional reference collections.

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Comment on Strictly for Therapists: causes, effects and strategies for effective treatment with hypnotherapy and NLP by Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:56:06 +0000

Good therapists love this book, bad ones hate it., July 1, 2009

emp3books (Fleet, England) -

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This review is from: Strictly for Therapists: causes, effects and strategies for effective treatment with hypnotherapy and NLP (Kindle Edition)

Customer Video Review Length:: 1:35 Mins

How can a therapist who denies false memory creation ask for payment for past-life regression?
This book takes the lid off a lot of the bad practices called therapy and shows how to conduct professional treatments for a huge range of problems.
The author has been a successful therapist for many years and has written other books that help.
Short Stories and Metaphors
Mind Changing Short Stories & Metaphors: For Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy & NLP (short stories and metaphors)
Moving Forward; Life Changing Short Stories and Metaphors for Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy & NLP

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Comment on Strictly for Therapists: causes, effects and strategies for effective treatment with hypnotherapy and NLP by Midwest Book Review

Midwest Book Review — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:24:28 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

A powerful, important presentation, September 18, 2009

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) -

This review is from: Strictly for Therapists: causes, effects and strategies for effective treatment with hypnotherapy and NLP (Paperback)

STRICTLY FOR THERAPISTS is an honest book that explains the causes, effects and treatments for many of the problems a therapist is asked to handle. Therapists offer an account of the author's experiences with a number of problems presented by many clients over a period of time and offers sage, tested advice to new therapists and established therapists alike. From making new associations using various therapies to handling abuse, phobias, and other patient issues, this is a powerful, important presentation.

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Comment on Strictly for Therapists: causes, effects and strategies for effective treatment with hypnotherapy and NLP by T. M. Collins "T Collins"

T. M. Collins "T Collins" — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:03:30 +0000

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent introduction & reference for Hypnotherapy, July 9, 2009

T. M. Collins "T Collins" (Berkshire, UK) -

This review is from: Strictly for Therapists: causes, effects and strategies for effective treatment with hypnotherapy and NLP (Paperback)

With a good strong knowledge of practical Hypnosis, I was drawn to this book, to understand better how Hypnosis is used to assist patients/cients in the field of Hypnotherapy, the use of Hypnosis to aid psychotherapy.

In his book, John Smale a practicing Hypnotherapist of some +15yrs, does what I believe is an excellent job in reflecting a practical down to earth understanding, of a subject and profession that is often lost, when steeped in the overly complex theories of Jung & Freud. John introduces some background to the wide subject to set the scene, offers valuable guidance to newcomers plus outlines some not so obvious do's and don't.

The fundamental premise of the 'Fight or Flight' response flows comfortably throughout the book and intuitively feels right in the relevant circumstances.

For me the ultimate value of the book is in the detailed analysis of each of the thirty four prime 'Problems', that clients typically look for help on.

I truly believe that both existing practitioners & enquiring minds alike, will benefit from reading this book.

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Comment on Release Stress and Anxiety With Nlp and Hypnosis by Anthony Reed

Anthony Reed — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:53:51 +0000

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Works... Somehow, September 13, 2011

Anthony Reed (Albuquerque, NM) -

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This review is from: Release Stress and Anxiety With Nlp and Hypnosis (MP3 Download)

I'm a fairly cynical person when it comes to hypnosis, but decided to buy this mp3... on the off chance it might do some good.

After having listened to it several times, I can tell you that it does relax me and make me fall asleep... and seems to have some residual effect throughout the day. Ever since I've been listening to it almost every night before bed, I find my mind is just a little less tense and worried... and my attitude more positive. Might it be all in my head? A placebo effect? Absolutely. I find it hard to believe an mp3 like this could have such an effect. But whatever the reason, it's worked for me and I recommend it.

P.S. I'm going to buy another mp3 from this person and will be curious to see if it has a similar effect. Just makes me sleepy and less stressed... or accomplishes something else.

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