AIM’s Headquarters Committee/Board of Directors formally approved a new Logo to be used starting October 5, 2024 and all previous logos will be replaced.

The elements in the AIM Logo:

1. Caduceus in the center:
   This is the double serpent staff held by Hermes, the divine messenger of ancient Greek mythology, symbolizing communication, balance and duality. In the medical field, this symbol is often used to symbolize healing and health, although the more traditional medical symbol would be the single-snake staff. The two snakes are entwined in the center of the staff, which is topped with wings, representing speed and freedom. The combination of the two snakes and the wings also symbolizes the fusion of spirit and matter, the balance between body and soul.
2. The Yin Yang Symbol:
   The Yin Yang Symbol is derived from Taoist philosophy and symbolize the balance between opposing forces, such as light and darkness, yang and yin, male and female. This symbol represents the balance and harmony between all things and echoes the meaning of the double snake staff, emphasizing the concept of health and harmony and suggesting the integration of mind, body and spirit.
3. The letters “I AM”:
   Alphabet I from Caduceus and The Yin Yang Symbol
   These letters are arranged on the top and bottom of the pattern. Literally, “I AM” can represent the concept of self-affirmation and self-realization, and may symbolize the integration of body, mind and spirit. It is a strong statement of being and may be in line with the logo’s theme of health and balance.
4. Rounded frame:
   The entire logo is enclosed in a circular frame. The circle symbolizes wholeness and infinity, and is complemented by the yin and yang symbol, signifying the harmony and continuity of the universe.
5. Related to the U.S.:
   The Logo features several five-pointed stars at the top, and the horizontal lines at the bottom of the image which correspond to the stars and the red and white stripes found in the U.S. flag. The image uses deep blue, gold, and white as its primary colors. The deep blue is similar to the blue in the U.S. flag, representing justice, perseverance, and loyalty. The letters “A” and “M” on either side stand for “AMerican”.

The North American Menopause Society
09-09-2024
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Clinical Hypnosis vs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: What’s Better for Managing Hot Flashes?

New scoping review suggests superior effectiveness of clinical hypnosis in reducing hot flashes and improving associated symptoms and quality of life

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 10, 2024)–Nonhormone options for hot flashes and other menopause symptoms are growing in popularity, especially for women who cannot take hormones due to health complications. Cognitive behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis are common nonhormone treatment options. According to a new scoping review, however, one is more effective than the other. Results of the scoping review will be presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Chicago September 10-14.

Recognizing that a percentage of menopausal women cannot take hormone therapy either because of health restrictions, such as being a breast cancer survivor, or because of their concerns regarding the potential risks of hormones, in 2023 The Menopause Society published its Nonhormone Therapy Position Statement. Among other things, the Position Statement addressed both cognitive behavioral therapy and clinical hypnosis.

A new scoping review which synthesized the findings from 23 studies spanning from 1996 until 2022, however, was designed to compare the effectiveness of these two treatment options. Of the total studies reviewed, 8 had administered clinical hypnosis and 15 administered cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of hot flashes.

The researchers found that clinical hypnosis interventions consistently demonstrated clinically significant efficacy in reducing hot flash frequency and severity, as well as improving quality of life, sleep quality, and mood. Specifically, clinical hypnosis showed a significant reduction of more than 60%. In contrast, cognitive behavioral therapy interventions showed mixed findings, with minimal impact on hot flash frequency reduction, although they did prove helpful in reducing the daily interference and stress associated with hot flashes.

More detailed results will be discussed at the 2024 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society as part of the abstract presentation entitled “Clinical hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy for hot flashes: a scoping review.”

“Clinical hypnosis is the first behavioral intervention to achieve significant reductions of physiologically recorded hot flashes,” says Vanessa Muniz, lead author from Baylor University. “This suggests that hypnosis may act through mechanisms beyond response expectancy or placebo effects, potentially altering activity in the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus.”

Based on the results, the researchers suggest that future research should explore neurophysiological mechanisms of hypnosis and innovative delivery methods such as smartphone apps, and tailor interventions to individual characteristics for optimized outcomes in managing hot flashes.

“Since hot flashes are one of the most common bothersome symptoms of menopause, evaluating the available treatment options, including the nonhormone options, are important so we can provide our patients with the option that will work best for them, says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

Both Vanessa Muniz and Dr. Faubion are available for interviews prior to the Annual Meeting.

Reuters
01-07-2024
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Emotional Davis credits hypnotherapy for return to winning form

July 1 (Reuters) – In the doldrums after a barren run of tournaments, Cam Davis said he used hypnotherapy as a circuit-breaker before claiming his second PGA Tour title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Davis also needed a bit of luck, with Akshay Bhatia three-putting on the final hole at the Detroit Golf Club on Sunday to gift-wrap the trophy for the 29-year-old Australian.
Three years after claiming his first PGA Tour win at the same tournament, a relieved Davis struggled to hold back tears and spoke of a “roller-coaster of emotions”.

“I’m working with a hypnotherapist that I only just started working with, just trying to take a different approach to try and get my head back in the right place,” he told reporters.
“I honestly haven’t been in a very good place mentally at all for the last six months or so.
“I felt like all the opportunities have been slipping out of my hands as the year progresses without playing very good golf.
“I felt like a change of direction was definitely needed, something that I was actually going to stick to because I’m definitely someone that will start doing something and if it doesn’t feel like it’s helping straight away, it’s very easy to drop it.”

Davis’s aspirations of representing Australia at the Paris Olympics golf tournament fell by the wayside during his lean start to the year.
The country will be represented by former world number one Jason Day and Min Woo Lee, who finished joint runner-up at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Davis, however, will hope his Detroit win might put him on track for a spot on the International team for the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal in September.

“I guess I just missed the boat on the Olympics, this win’s come a little bit late for that big goal of the year, but I’ve got two more big goals of finishing high on the FedExCup and also trying to get on that Presidents Cup team,” he said.
“Just to know that the good golf is in there and was able to come out this week, I want to just keep that rolling. I’ve still got plenty to play for this year.”

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Congratulations to the Greater China Research Team 2024-2025 for its establishment!
The teammates include (in alphabetical order):
Charles Leung
Fong Wai Chun
Hui Chun Yu Patrick
Lau Ming Kit Canus
Liu Chun Yu Matt
Lui Wing Derby
Mabel Lau Mei Po
Un Hiu Tung
Yang Yan Kim Ning
YEUNG Ka Yiu

Yahoo Finance
12-06-2024
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Global Hypnotherapy Market Analysis Report 2024-2030, by Type (Body Healing, Mind Healing, Sensory Healing, External Energy), End-use (Offline, Online) and Region

Dublin, June 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “Global Hypnotherapy Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Type (Body Healing, Mind Healing, Sensory Healing, External Energy), End-use (Offline, Online), Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2024-2030” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The global hypnotherapy market size is expected to reach USD 80.76 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 31.3% over the forecast period. The growing need for mental health care services and their rising demand in hospitals, clinics, and private practices are factors driving growth. According to an American Psychological Association study published in November 2022, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for depression & anxiety treatment increased continuously for 3 years. Moreover, the need for treatment of stressor-related disorders & trauma disorders has grown.

Approximately 80% of psychologists state that they have witnessed a surge in the number of patients suffering from anxiety issues since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and over 65% recorded a rise in the demand for depression treatments. The rising number of mental health awareness campaigns plays a vital role in informing the public about the advantages and functions of different therapies. Various mental health awareness campaigns conducted by companies and institutes help reduce misconceptions related to these treatments and promote them as authentic and effective solutions.

For instance, in April 2023, CHARGE Wellness & Hypnotherapy Center introduced a mental health awareness campaign that also launched a new method that involved combining this technique and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) in the therapy session to promote mental well-being. Furthermore, hypnotherapy is a class of alternative or complementary treatment that employs hypnosis to facilitate individuals in handling their pain. It has been shown to be effective in operating a variety of pain conditions, including chronic & acute pain, cancer pain, and pain associated with other medical procedures, including surgery.

Hypnotherapy Market Report Highlights

Mind healing dominated the type segment with around 40% share in 2023 owing to its rare ability to access the subconscious mind, facilitating behavioral change.

The sensory healing segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period.

The offline segment held the largest share of over 55% in 2023 owing to its core benefit that it facilitates development of personal connection between a therapist and the patient.

The online segment is estimated to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period as it offers higher accessibility to patients.

Europe dominated owing to increasing stress levels in people due to their daily lifestyle.

In March 2023, Mindset Health raised funding of USD 12.0 million to expand digital hypnotherapy applications & distribution. The company supports individuals with chronic conditions in handling their health using app-based audio, along with the help of health consultants and clinical research.

American Psychological Association
01-04-2024
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Uncovering the new science of clinical hypnosis

With decades of data and new research supporting its effectiveness, practitioners are embracing hypnosis to treat certain conditions

Years ago, as a psychology grad student, Amanda Barnier, PhD, did a pair of experiments in which she gave people a pile of stamped postcards and asked them to send her one each day for the next few months. She asked a group of people to mail the cards as a favor to her; for another group, she administered a posthypnotic suggestion to send the cards. Both groups were equally likely to mail the cards, day after day, until their stacks ran out. But their motivations and experiences, she found, were quite different (Psychological Science, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1998). The people she asked to do her a favor had an internal explanation for the action. “They felt they made a decision to comply with my social request,” said Barnier, now professor of cognitive science and pro vice-chancellor of research performance and development at Macquarie University in Australia. “The hypnotized people felt it was a compelling urge they had to meet. Hypnosis made the action feel more involuntary.”

That reduced sense of personal agency may be precisely what makes clinical hypnosis such a powerful tool in psychotherapy and behavior change, said Barnier, who has studied the power of hypnosis ever since. “By changing the person’s sense of authorship, the effort becomes external to them. Hypnosis kick-starts the process by making it easier to change.”

Hypnosis is as old as the field of psychotherapy itself, but today, advocates pointing to its evidence base say it deserves a fresh look—and a much wider audience. “Hypnosis has a certain historical mystique that can sometimes make it difficult for practitioners to understand its modern relevance,” said David Godot, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in Long Beach, California, and president of APA’s Division 30 (Society of Psychological Hypnosis). In fact, clinical hypnosis has clear benefits in psychotherapy, improving outcomes in areas such as pain management, anxiety, depression, sleep, and more. “Over the past few decades, there have been tremendous advances in understanding hypnosis and its benefit for research and practice,” Godot said.

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BBC News Online
23-12-2003
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Hypnosis for the people

All doctors should know how to perform hypnotherapy on their patients, according to a US expert.
Professor David Spiegel, of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Stanford University, said the therapy had been shown to help patients deal with pain, and could potentially be used in many other situations, such as helping people cope with long-term illnesses.

Professor Spiegel told BBC News Online: “We have more and more people living with these illnesses who need help coping with them, and hypnosis is a safe and effective way to teach people how to manage their own response, how to take the edge off their pain, how to think through their anxiety and not let it overwhelm them.”

The Stanford scientist made his comments at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston.

He teaches self-hypnosis to help people manage their symptoms themselves.

Different colours

“If they have pain, I’ll have them imagine they’re doing to the part of their body that hurts what they actually do in the real world when it hurts, whether it’s using a bag of ice cubes or applying heat.”

Professor Spiegel said studies had shown hypnosis did help patients. In a study of women with breast cancer his team is due to publish later this year, those given support plus self-hypnosis had half the pain of those not given that combination.

His team has also found evidence that the brain’s reaction can be changed under hypnosis.

A study of people classed as highly receptive to hypnosis looked at how colour was processed in their brains.

Real view

They were shown patterns, either in colour, or in shades of grey. But if they were hypnotised to see colour, when in fact they were looking at the grey pattern, they believed they were seeing colour and their brain reacted as if that were true.

Professor Spiegel said that studies showed hypnosis was a distinct psychological state, and it was not simply that the person under hypnosis was adopting a role suggested to them.

He added: “People who are hypnotised see what they believe. They don’t just tell you that’s what it is – it actually looks that way to them.”

He is still looking for a “brain signature” which will show what happens in the brain when people are hypnotised.

Frontiers in Psychology
12-12-2023
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Meta-analytic evidence on the efficacy of hypnosis for mental and somatic health issues: a 20-year perspective

Summary: Hypnosis has been documented and investigated for centuries, and its therapeutic use is endorsed by multiple medical associations. In this comprehensive overview, the authors conducted a systematic review of meta-analyses to examine the efficacy of hypnosis in evidence-based healthcare. They focused on patients with mental or somatic health problems and compared hypnosis interventions to control conditions. Here are the key findings:

1. Robust Evidence:

• Hypnosis is most effective in patients undergoing medical procedures and those experiencing pain.
• The largest effects were observed in populations of children and adolescents.
• Reported effect sizes ranged from small to large, indicating positive impacts on treatment outcomes.

2. Safety and Efficacy:

• Hypnosis reduces pain, emotional distress, duration of medical interventions, medication use, and symptoms related to irritable bowel syndrome.
• Future research should explore moderators of efficacy and compare hypnosis to established interventions.
• For more details, you can read the full article here.

This study highlights the potential of hypnosis as a psychological tool for treating various health issues, emphasizing its safety and positive impact on patient outcomes.