Hypnosis and Mindfulness for C-L Psychiatrists Treating Anxiety and Pain

Abstract: Hypnosis (Limited to 40 participants): Hypnosis is a psychophysiological state of aroused, attentive, receptive focal concentration with a corresponding diminution in peripheral awareness and heightened suggestibility that has been used clinically for hundreds of years. In the formal induction of a trance, an individual enters this state of sustained, attentive, receptive concentration in response to either an inner signal or a signal from another person. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis, and can be learned by instruction or discovered intuitively. Data from fMRI studies of dissociation indicate alterations in the connectivity of the default mode network, the frontoparietal network and the salience network.

Hypnosis is an important skill for C-L psychiatrists to acquire and can be used for control of anxiety, insomnia, pain, or phobias that interfere with medical treatment. It can be particularly helpful in situations where complex medical issues or medical frailty may limit the use of psychotropic medications

The course will begin with a brief historical, neuroanatomical, and theoretical review of hypnosis; myths and misconceptions regarding hypnosis will be addressed in a prerecorded lecture. We will demonstrate situations in which hypnosis can be of use for inpatients/outpatients (general induction technique; trance for pain management, smoking cessation, needle phobia, and insomnia). The majority of the time will be spent in dyadic and small-group practice of inducing the trance state, in which participants will alternate between the roles of hypnosis practitioner and recipient. Participants will work to develop skills and gain comfort with the techniques by practicing them. The small-group experiential component will be supervised by trained faculty. The practice sessions will include time for questions, feedback and active learning. There will be a particular emphasis on how to introduce and normalize the use of hypnosis in the general medical setting among our medical colleagues and with patients. The course will discuss the use of hypnosis in diverse populations, address translation of English scripts into language appropriate text for non-English speaking patients and address the use of hypnosis in individuals who have experienced trauma. A toolkit of scripts, recordings, and literature will be available after the course.
Mindfulness:

Mindfulness has been defined as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to things as they are.” With mindfulness, we can learn how to relate differently to thoughts, feelings and body sensations. Two common applications of mindfulness are in pain and anxiety. Studies have shown that mindfulness changes our relationship to pain, improving ability to cope with and accept it. In the same way, mindfulness allows space to hold anxious thoughts without overwhelm, and allows reevaluation of habit loops of worry. This preconference course will focus on these two applications and will involve experiential and educational components, including guided meditations, findings from the literature, practical resources for use in personal or clinical care, and time for discussion and questions. The course is open to all practitioners, from those who have no previous mindfulness exposure to experienced meditators.