Professionals who are well-trained in hypnotherapeutic procedures are able to utilize a variety of suggestions-suggestions for age regres sion, cessation of smoking, weight control, relaxation, reduction of pain, etc. In fact, the art of "hypnosis" can be conceptualized as the art of administering suggestions in an effective and useful way. In the teaching of hypnosuggestive methods, the need has long been appa rent for a manual that could provide examples of suggestions that would be serviceable in applied settings. Now we are fortunate to have this text by Don E. Gibbons, which offers many different kinds of suggestions that can serve as models for both the novice and the experienced practitioner. Students who are training in this area can use the text to learn how to formulate their own suggestions in profes sional settings. Experienced hypnotherapists will also find the text helpful in expanding their repertoire. In addition to presenting useful models of suggestions, Dr. Gib bons's text also meets the need for a clearly written manual that explains hypnosis in accordance with the results of modem research. During the past 25 years, more research has been conducted on hyp nosis than in all the preceding years since Mesmer. These investiga tions have led to a view of hypnosis which differs markedly from the traditional view of the passive subject who is hypnotized by and is subservient to the dominant hypnotist.

Not intended as a "cookbook" of suggestions for routine replication, this handbook provides examples of hypnotic suggestions and metaphors from some 100 hypnotherapists of diverse approaches and styles, to be individualized by the therapist who uses hypnosis according to the unique personalities, expectations, motivations, and problems of their patients. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Clinical Hypnosis has proved successful in a variety of clinical situations. This handbook, with its practical approach, covers both the scientific and clinical aspects of hypnosis providing information on a range of available psychological and physical treatments. * Explains how to learn and apply hypnosis in clinical situations * World renowned editors * Comprehensive coverage of relevant issues This title will be invaluable to practising psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, medical hypnotists and mental health care workers.

Integrating cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with hypnosis may increase benefits to clients suffering from a broad range of mental and physical health problems. This practitioner's guide, written by some of the most influential clinical psychologists, educators, and hypnotists, brings together these two methods of treatment and provides a theoretical framework for this integration. By thoroughly reviewing the evidence-based research for the addition of hypnosis to cognitive behavioral treatments and illustrating a variety of clinical applications, the contributors show how the integration can mean productive treatment of clients who might otherwise not have progressed as quickly or successfully. A useful final chapter addresses the process of becoming a practitioner of both CBT and hypnosis.

This book describes the method of hyperempiria, a revolutionary new method of trance induction devised by the author, based on suggestions of alertness, mind expansion, and enhanced awareness, in contrast to the more passive procedures of traditional hypnosis, and a new method for composing suggestions to work with the most versatile artistic medium of all, experience as the mind perceives it. By means of these procedures, the therapist is able to draw upon the entire range of art, literature, and the human history for the faciliation of personal growth, the ennoblement of the human spirit, and the enrichment of human existence.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is now in use worldwide, while hypnosis as a technique continues to attract serious interest from the professional community. Integrating the two, the field of cognitive hypnotherapy uses the natural trance states of clients to unlock unconscious thoughts and memory patterns that can generate and sustain problems. Cognitive hypnotherapists work within the client’s model of the world, so that changes are more likely to be subconsciously accepted and become permanent. This practical guide shows how cognitive hypnotherapy can be used to treat a range of emotional disorders including depression, sleep disorders, anxiety, eating disorders and PTSD.

It has been said that "hypnosis is a collection of techniques in need of a unifying theory." (James A. Hall, Hypnosis: A Jungian Perspective). While the varied substrates of these techniques preclude the formation of any one theory of hypnosis, this volume presents a "state-of-the-science" view of existing theories of hypnosis. Written by eminent scholars and researchers, this uniquely authoritative resource also provides a wealth of information about the history of hypnosis, clinical and research perspectives on hypnosis, and the strengths and weaknesses of empirical methods used to address crucial theoretical questions. The streamlined organization of the volume facilitates the reader's ability to contrast and compare research findings and concepts across theories. In the introductory chapters, the editors describe hypnosis paradigms and schools of thought, including major points of convergence and divergence, as well as a broad vista of different perspectives on the history of hypnosis. The theoretical chapters that follow present definitive statements by an international array of eminent scholars who are at the forefront of conceptual advances in the realms of clinical and experimental hypnosis. Their contributions, written in lively first-person narratives, explore current thinking about hypnosis and represent important clinical and research traditions that extend beyond the territory of hypnosis to mainstream psychology. Providing a thorough discussion of hypnotic phenomena, the book tackles tough questions such as whether hypnosis evokes an altered state of consciousness; whether hypnotic behavior is involuntary; whether hypnotizability is stable, trait-like, and modifiable; and whether hypnotic and non-hypnotic behavior can be distinguished in meaningful ways. The diversity of viewpoints, including competitive ones, illuminates the debates which have expanded the frontiers of knowledge about hypnosis. In the concluding section, the editors compare and contrast these theories, discuss pertinent research issues, and lay out an agenda for future research. Given its stellar list of contributors and the unique niche it occupies as the first authoritative survey of its kind, THEORIES OF HYPNOSIS is of value to anyone interested in the topic. The editors' ten years of experience teaching hypnosis to psychology and medical students has resulted in a book with enormous appeal to students and instructors, as well as clinicians and researchers. A wide variety of professionals--academics, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, dentists--will find it an authoritative introduction and invaluable reference to this still-growing, ever-fascinating field.