NBC News
06-07-2017
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For Tummy Troubles, Hypnosis Might Be the Answer

Hypnotherapy for heart burn and other gastrointestinal issues may be a viable alternative to medication.

Sixty million Americans deal with this uncomfortable sensation at least once a month — heartburn. It’s not only painful, but can be life-altering, or even deadly if ignored. No wonder that heartburn and other gastrointestinal medications are among the most popular drugs on the market. But these “miracle drugs” are far from perfect; some patients report mixed results and long-term side effects.

For patients who don’t get relief from medication, their gastroenterologists are turning to psychologists for help. Hypnotherapy can be an effective treatment for heartburn and other stomach conditions. It’s a powerful alternative treatment, backed with plenty of scientific evidence, that is increasingly being offered at the nation’s leading medical centers.

“There’s a robust amount of literature behind hypnotherapy beginning in the 1980s,” said Laurie Keefer, Ph.D, director of psychosocial research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “We’ve really taken to calling it brain-gut therapy.”

Hypnosis, which exploits the relationship between the mind and digestive system, can also help with conditions like GERD and the inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Untreated GERD has been linked to esophageal cancer.

Amber Ponticelli, 35, started having digestive problems in 2007. Initially, she only felt dizzy and weak in the morning, but soon developed severe abdominal pain. Unable to eat or drink for months, she lost 20 pounds and was ultimately left bedridden. After seeing multiple gastroenterologists at leading medical institutions, she was eventually diagnosed with a genetic condition that is associated with many GI symptoms.

“I thought I was dying. I had to quit my job and ended up moving to the city with my boyfriend just to be closer to the doctors I was seeing in the city,” Ponticelli told NBC News.

After traditional treatment like medications and lifestyle changes, a wary Ponticelli was referred to Keefer for a hypnotherapy session.

Hypnosis uses progressive relaxation techniques through suggestions of calming imagery and sensations. Patients are able to concentrate on improving their symptoms which often range from abdominal pain and constipation to diarrhea and bloating. For the therapy to be effective it takes a series of eight or more visits and some homework is required of the patient, like listening to tapes at home. The treatment is covered by most insurance plans and cost for each visit ranges between $100 and $150.

Contrary to many popular portrayals on television and in fiction, a clinical hypnotherapist does not have mind-control over the hypnotized patient. The patient is usually aware of what is happening and their surroundings, both during and after a hypnosis session. A session can be offered in-person and remotely, via a service called telemedicine.

“Telemedicine is critical because not every place in the country has somebody qualified or trained to provide this treatment, so it allows us to have a much broader reach for these very common disorders,” Keefer told NBC News.

Studies show more than three quarters of patients experience at least a 50 percent reduction in symptoms. Many are able to stop medication, including popular acid reducing drugs.

Hypnosis optimizes the brain depth function, but it’s not a fix for everyone.

Approximately 15-20 percent of people can’t be hypnotized, said Dr. Olaf Palsson, psychologist and professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Fortunately, patients do not have to be highly hypnotizable to benefit from gut-directed hypnotherapy, so many could find relief.

According to gastroenterologist Dr. Rajeev Jain of the American Gastroenterological Association, gut-directed hypnosis therapy can treat functional disorders of the GI tract, such as irritable bowel syndrome, where there is often a large overlay of depression and anxiety disorders. He views hypnotherapy as one form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Lifestyle factors such as diet are also important and should be taken into account.

Today, Ponticelli, who lives outside of Chicago, is back to work as a Pilates instructor, and eating her favorite foods, an activity she had not enjoyed in years. She’s also eating for two. “I’m 17-and-a-half weeks along now and feel good,” said Ponticelli.

She still takes some medications, but adding hypnotherapy to her regimen has been life-changing.

“I’m extremely grateful that I’m actually doing this and I don’t think I would have been able to do anything without this treatment. That’s the real truth of it.”

Neuroscience of Consciousness
12-4-2017
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New directions in hypnosis research: strategies for advancing the cognitive and clinical neuroscience of hypnosis

Summary: This article highlights significant advancements in hypnosis research over the past two decades. Here are the key findings:

1. Clinical Efficacy: Hypnosis has demonstrated efficacy in managing various clinical symptoms and conditions.

2. Brain Regions: Research supports the involvement of specific divisions within the anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices in hypnotic responses.

3. Atypical Brain Connectivity: High hypnotic suggestibility is associated with atypical brain connectivity profiles.

4. Research Agenda Recommendations:

• Researchers should carefully assess hypnotic suggestibility in their studies.
• Include participants with moderate hypnotic suggestibility.
• Use research designs that clarify the roles of inductions and specific suggestions.

5. Future Directions:

• Promote data sharing among researchers.
• Shift resources toward studying the efficacy of hypnotic treatments for clinical conditions influenced by central nervous system processes.
• Investigate the neurophysiological underpinnings of hypnotic phenomena.

Understanding the neurophysiological mechanisms of hypnosis and suggestion will enhance our knowledge of basic brain functions and psychological processes. The field should continue to explore these avenues to advance our understanding of consciousness and therapeutic applications of hypnosis.

Congratulations to Charles Leung on his recent appointment as the Specialist Hypnotherapy Chief Instructor of the Greater China Region at The Association for Integrative Medicine. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to him with great pleasure.

As a seasoned practitioner, Charles Leung has consistently demonstrated his commitment to nurturing the next generation of hypnotherapists, workshop facilitators, coaches, and positive parenting advocates. His expertise extends beyond the clinical realm, encompassing pediatric hypnotherapy, inner family systems hypnotherapy, stress and insomnia relief hypnotherapy, and interpersonal hypnotherapy. We commend his holistic approach, rooted in psychodynamic and dialectical behavioral principles, which enhances the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.

Charles’s ability to seamlessly integrate hypnosis with MBTI personality theory, DISC behavioral science, coaching methodologies, and positive discipline strategies is commendable. Whether applying hypnosis to sales techniques, facilitating subconscious communication, or assisting children in managing their emotions, his versatility knows no bounds.

Furthermore, his extensive teaching and mentoring experience—spanning over a decade—has left an indelible mark. His tenure as a board member in various NGOs and his leadership roles in corporate training underscore his unwavering commitment to employee development and mental well-being. His insights into workplace psychology have helped resolve operational challenges, while his guidance on holistic career planning has empowered countless individuals.

Lastly, his repertoire of authentic hypnosis stories reflects a profound understanding of the human experience. His emphasis on embracing emotions, navigating life’s challenges, and finding light amidst darkness resonates deeply with those fortunate enough to learn from him.

Charles, as you step into this pivotal role, we trust that your leadership will continue to elevate our institution. May your journey as Chief Instructor be as transformative as the hypnotic states you induce, and may you inspire others to embrace life’s nuances with grace and resilience.

Once again, congratulations on this well-deserved appointment. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact you will undoubtedly make.

May Everyone Experience Healthy Emotional Connections
Interpersonal relationships resemble a web-like structure, where each individual simultaneously plays different roles, such as being a mother and a wife, a colleague and a friend, or a partner and a best friend. Relationships are constantly learning, evolving, and growing; therefore, healthy relationships do not demand perfection. Instead, they strive for effective communication, cooperation, support, and trust amidst imperfections. When faced with disputes, conflicts, communication issues, or emotional distress, it is crucial to understand the other party and find suitable ways to interact, gradually mending broken bridges. Emotions and values constantly influence connections between people. While appearances may seem fine, underlying issues could be prevalent. It is time for a comprehensive check-up of our interpersonal relationships!

Interpersonal Psychology

1. Relationship Building, Interpersonal Attraction, and Interaction Patterns
2. Cognitive Dissonance, Pathological and Healthy Relationships
3. Empathy, Emotional Resonance, and Self-Esteem
4. Establishing Boundaries, Interpersonal Distance, and Communication Patterns
5. Attachment Theory, Social Identity, Family of Origin, and New Families
6. Brain Dynamics in Couples, Romantic Relationships, and Workplace Interactions
7. Behavioral Patterns, Cold Reading Techniques, and Hypnotic Language

Applications of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy

1. Loneliness, Social Addiction, or Social Exhaustion
2. Emotional Neglect and Alienation in Childhood
3. Confused Personal Boundaries and Emotional Blackmail
4. Habitual People-Pleasing and Lack of Boundaries
5. Interpersonal Sensitivity and Social Maladaptation
6. Regret and Apology
7. End-of-Life and Grief
8. Intense Emotions in Relationships
9. Couple and Marital Relationship Issues
10. Family and Parent-Child Relationship Issues
11. Colleague and Team Relationship Issues
12. Senior, Junior, and Friend Relationship Issues
13. Processes for Conducting Hypnosis Workshops to Improve Communication

Washington Post
05-11-2016
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Hypnotherapy can ease some symptoms

When you think about hypnotherapy, it’s probably in the context of a swinging pocket watch and a voice intoning, “You are getting very sleepy.” But neither watches nor sleep are part of hypnotherapy or clinical hypnosis, which is the therapeutic use of hypnosis. Here’s what research suggests — and what you probably don’t know — about this complementary therapy.

You are aware and in control
During hypnotherapy, the practitioner will use words to help you relax deeply, then offer suggestions — through stories or mental images — for coping with your health concerns. Hypnosis does not, as some may fear, put you under the hypnotist’s control or make you unaware of what’s happening around you. In fact, you’re hyperfocused, like being engrossed in a great book or movie.

“Other things fade into the background, so you can more easily respond to therapeutic suggestions,” says Gary Elkins, director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Afterward, you don’t suddenly “come to,” wondering where you’ve been and what you did. Most people recall sessions clearly.

People have varied reactions
Almost anyone can be hypnotized to some extent, but some people are more receptive than others. “There’s a range,” Elkins says. “Most of us are in the middle, about 10 percent are very high and about 10 percent are very low.”

Most studies find that four or five sessions are enough to make a big impact, though people who are in the lower range might need more to get the desired effect, Elkins says. People can often also practice on their own at home if necessary.

It’s no magic bullet, but . . .
Hypnosis seems to be more effective at easing involuntary symptoms, such as hot flashes and pain, than it is at helping people overcome unhealthy habits such as overeating, smoking and drinking. Here’s where the research is strongest:

Irritable bowel syndrome. British researchers first studied the use of hypnotherapy for people with IBS — a disorder characterized by diarrhea, constipation and cramps — in 1984. Those who had treatment reported substantial benefits, while those given a placebo and undergoing psychotherapy didn’t. A recent review confirms those benefits, finding substantial relief reported in all 35 studies analyzed.

Chronic pain. A study of 100 veterans with lower-back pain found that people who underwent hypnosis reported less pain and better sleep than those treated with biofeedback, which can include deep breathing and muscle relaxation. Other research suggests that hypnosis may help ease pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia and other conditions.

Cancer-treatment side effects. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York investigated whether hypnotherapy helps cancer patients with the pain, nausea and anxiety that often accompany breast cancer surgery. In the study, women undergoing a breast biopsy or lumpectomy who received hypnosis needed less anesthesia and reported less pain, nausea and fatigue than women who did not.

Hot flashes. Elkins trained 187 menopausal women in hypnotherapy. After four weeks, sensations of heat and sweating had dropped by about 70 percent. After three months of hypnotherapy at home with audiotapes, the decrease averaged 80 percent. And many women slept better.

So should you consider it? In some cases, yes, says Marvin M. Lipman, chief medical adviser for Consumer Reports. “In selected patients with certain complaints, hypnotherapy can be a boon and, what’s more, virtually without side effects,” he says.

Stanford Medicine News Center
28-7-2016
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Study identifies brain areas altered during hypnotic trances

Your eyelids are getting heavy, your arms are going limp and you feel like you’re floating through space. The power of hypnosis to alter your mind and body like this is all thanks to changes in a few specific areas of the brain, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered.

The scientists scanned the brains of 57 people during guided hypnosis sessions similar to those that might be used clinically to treat anxiety, pain or trauma. Distinct sections of the brain have altered activity and connectivity while someone is hypnotized, they report in a study published online July 28 in Cerebral Cortex.

“Now that we know which brain regions are involved, we may be able to use this knowledge to alter someone’s capacity to be hypnotized or the effectiveness of hypnosis for problems like pain control,” said the study’s senior author, David Spiegel, MD, professor and associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

A serious science
For some people, hypnosis is associated with loss of control or stage tricks. But doctors like Spiegel know it to be a serious science, revealing the brain’s ability to heal medical and psychiatric conditions.

“Hypnosis is the oldest Western form of psychotherapy, but it’s been tarred with the brush of dangling watches and purple capes,” said Spiegel, who holds the Jack, Samuel and Lulu Willson Professorship in Medicine. “In fact, it’s a very powerful means of changing the way we use our minds to control perception and our bodies.”

Despite a growing appreciation of the clinical potential of hypnosis, though, little is known about how it works at a physiological level. While researchers have previously scanned the brains of people undergoing hypnosis, those studies have been designed to pinpoint the effects of hypnosis on pain, vision and other forms of perception, and not the state of hypnosis itself.

“There had not been any studies in which the goal was to simply ask what’s going on in the brain when you’re hypnotized,” said Spiegel.

Finding the most susceptible
To study hypnosis itself, researchers first had to find people who could or couldn’t be hypnotized. Only about 10 percent of the population is generally categorized as “highly hypnotizable,” while others are less able to enter the trancelike state of hypnosis. Spiegel and his colleagues screened 545 healthy participants and found 36 people who consistently scored high on tests of hypnotizability, as well as 21 control subjects who scored on the extreme low end of the scales.

Then, they observed the brains of those 57 participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging, which measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow. Each person was scanned under four different conditions — while resting, while recalling a memory and during two different hypnosis sessions.

“It was important to have the people who aren’t able to be hypnotized as controls,” said Spiegel. “Otherwise, you might see things happening in the brains of those being hypnotized but you wouldn’t be sure whether it was associated with hypnosis or not.”

Brain activity and connectivity
Spiegel and his colleagues discovered three hallmarks of the brain under hypnosis. Each change was seen only in the highly hypnotizable group and only while they were undergoing hypnosis.

First, they saw a decrease in activity in an area called the dorsal anterior cingulate, part of the brain’s salience network. “In hypnosis, you’re so absorbed that you’re not worrying about anything else,” Spiegel explained.

Secondly, they saw an increase in connections between two other areas of the brain — the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the insula. He described this as a brain-body connection that helps the brain process and control what’s going on in the body.

Finally, Spiegel’s team also observed reduced connections between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the default mode network, which includes the medial prefrontal and the posterior cingulate cortex. This decrease in functional connectivity likely represents a disconnect between someone’s actions and their awareness of their actions, Spiegel said. “When you’re really engaged in something, you don’t really think about doing it — you just do it,” he said. During hypnosis, this kind of disassociation between action and reflection allows the person to engage in activities either suggested by a clinician or self-suggested without devoting mental resources to being self-conscious about the activity.

Treating pain and anxiety without pills
In patients who can be easily hypnotized, hypnosis sessions have been shown to be effective in lessening chronic pain, the pain of childbirth and other medical procedures; treating smoking addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder; and easing anxiety or phobias. The new findings about how hypnosis affects the brain might pave the way toward developing treatments for the rest of the population — those who aren’t naturally as susceptible to hypnosis.

“We’re certainly interested in the idea that you can change people’s ability to be hypnotized by stimulating specific areas of the brain,” said Spiegel.

A treatment that combines brain stimulation with hypnosis could improve the known analgesic effects of hypnosis and potentially replace addictive and side-effect-laden painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs, he said. More research, however, is needed before such a therapy could be implemented.

The study’s lead author is Heidi Jiang, a former research assistant at Stanford who is currently a graduate student in neuroscience at Northwestern University.

Other Stanford co-authors are clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences Matthew White, MD; and associate professor of neurology Michael Greicius, MD, MPH.

The study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (grant RCIAT0005733), the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (grant P41EB015891), the Randolph H. Chase, M.D. Fund II, the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation and the Nissan Research Center.

Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences also supported the work.

Sarah C.P. Williams
Sarah C.P. Williams is a freelance science writer.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
17-12-2015
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Medical hypnosis is used to treat a range of health conditions, but what’s the evidence it works?

Hypnosis may well conjure images of black-clad, eyeliner-embossed performers convincing seemingly innocent people to perform cringe-worthy acts.

But there’s more to hypnosis — or more specifically, medical hypnotherapy — than mere showmanship.

Clinical hypnotherapy is a combination of hypnosis and a psychological treatment. It involves getting you into a relaxed state where the therapist can communicate with the subconscious part of your mind and make suggestions relevant to your symptoms, says clinical hypnotherapist Simone Peters.

“For example, if somebody has diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, you might get them to imagine that their gastrointestinal tract is being represented by the flow of a river, and that they need to slow the flow of the river down in order to control the bowel movements,” said Ms Peters, PhD candidate at Monash University and therapist at Melbourne’s Shepherd Works clinic, which focuses on the treatment of people with gastro-intestinal conditions.

“Or with bloating, it’s this idea of blowing up a balloon and letting the pressure from the balloon go, or getting them to put their hands on their abdomen and imagine that soothing the gut.”

Online, there is no shortage of people who say it has helped them quit smoking or lose weight, or helped them manage medical conditions such as depression.

So is there any evidence to support these anecdotes and which conditions, if any, is hypnotherapy most effective in treating?

Irritable bowel syndrome
Perhaps the clearest evidence for a benefit from hypnotherapy is for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that affects as many as one in five Australians.

People with IBS experience some pretty unpleasant digestive symptoms — abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation — that can have a significant impact on their quality of life.

Sometimes these symptoms go away by themselves, without treatment, but for some people, the symptoms are severe and no treatment — including the gold standard approach of the FODMAP diet — brings relief.

Several studies, including one from Australia, now point to hypnotherapy as a way to bring significant and lasting relief from symptoms, especially for those people who haven’t responded to other treatments.

Another Dutch study in children with abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome showed that 68 per cent of those treated with six sessions of medical hypnotherapy over three months were still in remission after at least four years, compared to 20 per cent of the group treated with standard medical treatment.

Ms Peters said a study at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne had shown similar results.

“They don’t just walk out of the first session and find that they’re completely symptom free; it usually takes a number of sessions, but after about four to six sessions they start to show improvement.”

Adolescent health specialist Professor Susan Sawyer says we do not quite understand how hypnotherapy works in irritable bowel syndrome, but the evidence shows it works better than any other form of conventional therapy for severe, intractable symptoms.

“If we think firstly about what is hypnotherapy, how does it work, it is defined as the ability to focus narrowly, intensify ones’ concentration and perception, while, if you like, you’re reciprocally diminishing awareness of all other stimuli,” Professor Sawyer said.

“During that focused state, therapeutic suggestions can be more readily accepted and incorporated into the subconscious mind with the individual being able to then modulate some of their physiological processes.”

Professor Sawyer said the process could be changing how people’s minds respond to and process pain, or could even be influencing gut function. It could also help by reducing stress.

If people are considering this hypnotherapy for IBS, they should ask their doctor for a referral to a clinical hypnotherapist with experience in treating IBS, and who is registered with organisations such as the Australian Society of Hypnotherapists.

Other studies have found that medical hypnotherapy can help relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy treatment, particularly in children.

Pain
There is also growing evidence that hypnotherapy can help you manage pain both chronic and acute.

Studies suggest that it may be more effective than other psychological treatments, such as supportive counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy alone, physical therapy or educational programs for cancer pain, low-back pain, arthritis pain and other chronic pain conditions.

There is some suggestion that hypnosis can reduce pain and distress when used in conjunction with sedation (hypnosedation), or before a general anaesthetic is given.

At this stage there are relatively few studies on this.

Quitting smoking
Many people quitting smoking turn to hypnotherapy to help them beat their addiction. But unfortunately, here the evidence isn’t quite as strong.

A 2010 Cochrane review of studies of hypnotherapy for smoking cessation failed to show that hypnotherapy was any better than any other quit smoking interventions, or even no treatments at all.

So it’s difficult to make a blanket statement for or against hypnotherapy as a quit smoking aid because the programs are all so different, says QUIT Victoria director Dr Sarah White.

“All programs are not created equal, and it could be some of those programs contain elements of motivational interviewing or coaching, so it could be that which has an effect,” says White.

Some people also struggle to break the routines associated with smoking, White says.

“For some people, hypnotherapy might help them change that routine because it’s making them more aware that they get up and have a cigarette, but there’s no solid evidence of this.”

Weight loss
The few studies that have looked at the use of hypnosis for weight loss show that it only achieves a slight weight loss.

The advice from US-based Mayo Clinic is that hypnosis alone is unlikely to achieve significant weight loss.

Childbirth
Another area where hypnotherapy may show benefit is in helping women during childbirth.

A 2012 Cochrane review of seven studies of hypnotherapy in childbirth concluded that while the results across these studies were mixed, there was suggestion of benefits.

For example, some studies showed women who underwent hypnosis had a lower intensity of pain, shorter labour and shorter hospital stays compared to women who did not undergo hypnosis.

But on the question of whether hypnosis led to less pain medication being used, or a greater likelihood of a vaginal birth, the studies were too mixed to deliver a clear answer.

Depression
What about psychological problems? After all, if hypnotherapy is a psychological process, shouldn’t it be effective for the treatment of conditions such as depression?

According to Beyond Blue, there is not a whole lot of good clinical trial evidence examining the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for depression.

One study that combined hypnotherapy with another well-known therapeutic approach called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) suggested that the combination might be more effective than CBT by itself, but the size of the effect was not huge.

The Guardian
12-10-2015
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‘They all ended up dead’: anger lingers over students who died after hypnosis

Community of North Port, Florida, gathers to memorialise three students within weeks of each other after going to their high school principal seeking help

The fall ritual of homecoming is a memorable event on any school’s calendar, but it was especially poignant this year in North Port, a small town near the south-west Florida coast.

Old friends and classmates scattered at colleges and universities across the country returned to North Port high school to reminisce in the bleachers as their beloved Bobcats football team took on the rival Bayshore Bruins.

Marcus Freeman, a stand-out athlete once destined to star as the school’s starting quarterback until he was killed in a 2011 car accident at the age of 16, would likely have been a guest of honor. Also remembered this weekend were Wesley McKinley and Brittany Palumbo, two other teenage students who died in a series of tragedies that ripped the community apart.

All three died within weeks of each other – McKinley and Palumbo killed themselves after being hypnotised by George Kenney, the school’s disgraced former principal and self-appointed mind healer.

Kenney was an unlicensed amateur practitioner who ignored repeated orders from his bosses at the Sarasota school board to desist, yet was said to have hypnotised at least 75 students and staff over a five-year period.

Kenney was said to have hypnotised at least 75 students and staff over a five-year period
Under the floodlights on Friday, the treasured Bobcats emerged victorious, downing their opponents 21-12 in a bruising encounter. But in the stands much of the talk was of the once popular Kenney, and the $600,000 wrongful death settlement announced just days before the homecoming game that reopened old wounds and propelled the heartbreaking episode back into the school community’s conscience.

“It’s something they will never get over,” said Damian Mallard, the attorney who represented the families of the three victims.

“Probably the worst loss that can happen to a parent is to lose a child, especially needlessly because you had someone who decided to perform medical services on kids without a licence.

“He altered the underdeveloped brains of teenagers, and they all ended up dead because of it.”

What makes it worse, he said, is the fact that the man whose “extreme negligence” cost the children their lives escaped punishment.

Kenney served a year of probation in a 2012 plea deal on a misdemeanor charge of practicing hypnosis without a licence, but was allowed to retire from the school board on a full pension and now runs a small bed and breakfast close to the Smoky Mountains on the banks of Lake Junaluska.

“He never apologised, never admitted wrongdoing, and is now living comfortably in retirement in North Carolina with his pension,” Mallard told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

As an employee of the school board Kenney was exempt from individual action and as part of last week’s settlement, which headed off a trial that was set to begin on 11 October. The board accepted no liability for the teenagers’ deaths.

Each family will collect $200,000, the most that could be awarded without the approval of the Florida legislature. But there is still plenty of anger directed at the board and Kenney himself.

“Kenney was known to be performing hypnosis and no one stopped him,” said McKinley’s parents, Charles and Margaret, in a statement.

“He was committing crimes by engaging in hypnosis. We hope the school board will change the way it operates to prevent these types of tragedies from occurring in the future. We will move forward with the hope our wonderful son’s legacy will be that the school board puts children’s physical and mental welfare first and foremost.”

Before the settlement headed off a trial, the Sarasota school board was preparing a defence that there was no link between the hypnotism and the teenagers’ deaths. The district’s lawyers hired a licensed hypnotherapist and psychotherapist, Dr Ellyn Gamberg, as an expert witness to testify that the families’ claims were unfounded, and that on the day of his death Freeman could not have hypnotised himself using knowledge gained from his sessions with Kenney, as the lawsuit alleged.

“I can go through some of the literature with you that says one of the hallmarks for putting yourself into self-hypnosis is to enter a very relaxed state of attention and focus, and I think that would be extremely impossible while driving a car,” she said, according to court documents obtained by the Herald-Tribune.

The three students had all sought out Kenney’s help with individual problems they were experiencing and agreed to subject themselves to hypnosis without knowing that it was against Florida law for anybody to perform it without a licence.

In depositions for the trial it emerged that Kenney, who had studied hypnotism online and who had been conducting sessions with numerous students and employees since 2006, was specifically told three times by the board’s director of high schools to stop.

He never apologised, never admitted wrongdoing, and is now living comfortably in North Carolina with his pension
Damian Mallard

Mallard, the attorney, spoke to other students who said they were hypnotised by Kenney in a hotel room during a school trip to Orlando in 2009.

“I was in this trance,” according to one unnamed student in a written deposition. “I was told I wouldn’t be able to find my room because all the room numbers would be changed to Chinese. I was lost for about 20 to 25 minutes walking around. I was seeing the Chinese lettering, the weird lines and all.”

He added: “He made a couple of the guys put lipstick on. Everybody thought it was funny because it was, you know, teenagers putting lipstick on.”

Less than two years later, three students were dead. The first was Freeman, a “humble yet confident” young man in the words of the school football team’s former head coach Matt Pryer, and an outstanding athlete who was also a two-time state BMX cycling champion.

Kenney taught Freeman to “self-hypnotise” to help him overcome pain during games, according to police reports, and lost control of his car in March 2011 driving home from a dentist appointment. His girlfriend, who was badly injured but survived, told police that Freeman “had a strange look on his face” moments before his car veered off an interstate.

“There’s nothing that can bring Marcus back, but we hope that this can bring us some closure,” said the boy’s mother, Dana Freeman, after last week’s settlement was announced.

Less than a month later, McKinley, 16, was found hanging from a tree outside his home. The talented guitar player was applying for a place at the respected Juilliard School of Music and agreed to be hypnotised because he was worried about an upcoming audition and wanted to improve his performance.

But on the day of his death, friends testified, McKinley was acting strange. One said McKinley asked him to punch him in the face as they got off the school bus together.

“We want Wesley’s friends to know they did not let him down in any way and his tragic death was the result of extreme negligence on the part of George Kenney,” his parents said.

Palumbo’s parents found their 17-year-old daughter Brittany, who they called “the light of our lives”, hanging in her bedroom closet three weeks later. The cat lover and keen mathematician was upset about some disappointing test scores and was hypnotised by Kenney for anxiety, her family said. When her scores did not improve she became despondent.

“What I believe happened is my daughter went into her room that night and blinked her eyes and she entered a calm and relaxed state that allowed her to go through what she went through,” Brittany’s mother Patricia said.

The $600,000 settlement was “a hollow victory”, the Palumbo family said in a statement.

Lawyers for the Sarasota school board would not discuss the case, announcing only that an out-of-court settlement was in everyone’s “best interests”.

Kenney, meanwhile, did not return calls seeking comment. But clues to his behaviour come in legal interviews conducted for the trial. Everything he did, he insisted, was in the best interests of the children he hypnotised.

“I don’t think I was unreasonable,” he said in a deposition obtained by the Herald-Tribune. “I took steps to get trained at an appropriate level. I could have performed it in private practice but I chose to do it for kids who asked me if I would help them.”

May Motivation and Sleep Become Allies in Everyone’s Daily Life
Stress management and sleep are like twin brothers—they can support each other or they can clash. There is a close connection between stress and insomnia. The “sleep-needing brain” deals with a large amount of information during the day, and prolonged high tension from daytime stress can significantly impact sleep quality. During sleep, the parasympathetic nervous system helps alleviate daytime stress. Poor sleep quality is often a result of stress, and insufficient sleep puts the body in a stressed state. In today’s fast-paced society, practical psychological interventions like hypnotherapy can comprehensively address both stress management and sleep issues.

Stress Relief Hypnotherapy

1. Stress and Sleep
2. Stress, the Frontal Lobe, and the Amygdala
3. DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
4. Emotional Detection and Management
5. Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and Obsessiveness
6. Cognitive Restructuring and Exposure Hypnotherapy
7. Various Anti-Stress Breathing Techniques
8. Hypnotherapy for High-Stress Distress
   8.1. Anxiety, Stress, Fear, and Worry
   8.2. Psychological Stress Distress
   8.3. Life Stress Distress
   8.4. Work Stress Distress
   8.5. Interpersonal Stress Distress
   8.6. Psychogenic Pain
9. Techniques for Leading Stress Support Groups
10. Processes for Conducting Stress Relief Hypnosis Workshops

Insomnia Relief Hypnotherapy

1. Brain Fatigue and Rest
2. ICSD: International Classification of Sleep Disorders
3. Assessment of Drowsiness, Insomnia, and Sleep Quality
4. Precipitating, Perpetuating, and Predisposing Factors
5. Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment of Sleep Debt
6. Sleep Stages, Memory Consolidation, and Emotion
7. Sleep Cycles and Quality Recommendations
8. Biological Rhythms and Sleep Rhythms
9. Sleep Drive and Zeitgebers
10. Relationship Between Sleep Debt and Weight
11. Polyvagal Theory and the Parasympathetic Nervous System
12. Hypnotherapy for Insomnia
    12.1. Chronic Insomnia
    12.2. Short-Term Insomnia
    12.3. Other Types of Insomnia
13. Addressing Sleep Paralysis and Monday Blues
14. Techniques for Leading Sleep Support Groups

CNN
18-08-2015
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Not just for TV: Hypnosis legit part of comprehensive treatment plan

When “Comedy Hypnotist” Chris Jones invited celebrity judge Howie Mandel on stage and hypnotized him on the competition show “America’s Got Talent,” the performance brought the audience to its feet and even inspired a social media hashtag, #HowieShakesHands.

Mandel, who struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder, followed Jones’ cues and for the first time in more than eight years, the germaphobe shook hands with his fellow judges. The seemingly instant transformation was so surprising, some viewers thought it was an act (Mandel said it was not).

But according to David Spiegel, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, not only is hypnotherapy legitimate, it’s “literally the oldest Western conception of a psychotherapy.”

Moreover, Wesley Anderson, a practicing hypnotherapist for more than 20 years, said, “Most people experience some form of a hypnotic state every day.”

“If you’ve ever been lost in a daydream or zoned out and missed your turn while driving your usual route, you’ve experienced a form of hypnosis,” he said.

Does it really work?

Spiegel has been conducting studies about the benefits of hypnosis for more than 40 years and he said there is no doubt that hypnosis works as an effective therapeutic technique to manage pain and kick bad habits.

In 2000, Spiegel and his colleagues determined that patients using hypnosis as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan could significantly reduce drug use and procedure time.

“Lowering those two meant an average cost savings of approximately $338,” Spiegel said. A 2007 article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute doubled that figure, finding that a hospital saved $772 per patient in the hypnosis group, mainly due to reduced surgical time. “Patients who received hypnosis reported less post-surgical pain, nausea, fatigue and discomfort,” according to a release from the American Psychological Association.

Hypnosis has its skeptics, partly because while studies seem to show it has tangible benefits, it’s most often used in tandem with other treatments; scientifically quantifying its success alone is difficult.

From comedy performers such as Jones to Harvard educated psychiatrists such as Spiegel, anyone can learn to hypnotize and call themselves a “hypnotist,” which also gives doubters pause. Three states – Colorado, Connecticut and Washington – require mandatory licensing requirements from individuals wanting to practice hypnotherapy.

According to the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, or ASCH, most insurance companies will cover 50% to 80% of the cost of individual therapy, but only if treated by licensed professionals. ASCH requires its members to be licensed health care workers and, at minimum, have a master’s degree. The National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists, on the other hand, requires applicants have a graduate-level degree as well as 50 hours of classroom instruction and 30 hours of clinical training.

How does it work?
The first thing Anderson does when meeting a new client is what anyone would do upon meeting a stranger: He gets to know them. “I try to establish a rapport and establish the client’s intentions for hypnosis,” Anderson said.

Using verbal and nonverbal cues, a hypnotherapist will help the client quiet their peripheral, conscious mind, the part that’s constantly stimulated by outside sources.

Clients will relax, their posture will adjust and they will usually become very still, Anderson said. “They’re halfway between being completely asleep and completely awake,” he explained.

In this trance-like state, the part of the brain responsible for the subconscious, nonlogical thoughts can become wide open to suggestions. “The normal adult filters and belief systems of what is and what isn’t will start to fade,” he said. “Clients become almost childlike. “Hypnotherapists can then begin to use imagery and suggestion to help them start thinking about their bad habits or their pain differently.

For radio host Jenn Hobby, who underwent hypnosis to help her kick her smoking habit, that meant tapping into her relationship with her goddaughter, who at the time of her session, was just a toddler. Her hypnotherapist told her to imagine her goddaughter playing outside and running around the playground.

“Then he said, ‘now imagine giving her a lit cigarette,’” Hobby remembers. “That really hit home, more than anything else.” When she left the office that day, she felt differently about cigarettes and smoking.

Helping clients manage pain, Anderson said, he often counsels them to turn down receptors that might cause them discomfort the same way a plumber might turn off water before working to repair a leak.

“The pain signals might be there, but they wouldn’t make it into awareness,” Anderson said.

Feeling ‘somewhat betrayed’
What’s vital to the process, Anderson and Spiegel said, is that both parties – hypnotherapist and client – agree to the intentions of the session beforehand. Mandel said he agreed to participate in the segment and said he knew what he was doing the entire time, but he never established a rapport with his hypnotist.

So while his “handshaking breakthrough” seemed like a positive thing, for Mandel, the former “Deal or No Deal” host said he felt “somewhat betrayed” after he watched the episode.

“I was upset about it and it’s hard for me to watch,” Mandel told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie.

Spiegel said Mandel’s reaction to his experience is understandable. “When entertainers with no knowledge or concern for clinical care take advantage of a real phenomenon, real people can feel exposed, tricked or humiliated,” he said.

Only one part of the puzzle
Despite the success of Hobby’s hypnosis experience – she’s only had a few cigarettes since – she said being hypnotized wasn’t the only thing that led to her quitting. “There’s no magic pill. You have to be really committed to change your behavior,” she said.

Spiegel agreed. Hypnosis, while valuable, is only one part of the comprehensive treatment puzzle. “Anything that can help a patient that much is worth looking into,” he said.