(This is a typical schedule but it can be adjusted to two half-days and two full days as long as content is covered.  The curriculum is based on the most recent Standards of Training published by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.)

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NOTE:  Schedules will be adjusted depending on different courses, thus this is just a guideline for content. Your schedule is likely to start and end at a different time.  (Often I start courses at 9 am Central Time Zone.)

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DAY 1   

 45 min.    Welcome and Introduction to Clinical Hypnosis
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Provide at least one commonly accepted definition of clinical hypnosis;
● Explain 3 to 4 hypnosis terms and how they apply to the clinical hypnosis experience;
and
● Define two commonly held misperceptions concerning hypnosis and give an accurate rebuttal for each.

75 min.    Principles and Process of Rapport, Attunement,Trance Elicitation (Elicitation) and Reorientation
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Describe three effective ways to build and reinforce rapport;
● Describe at least 4 observable physiological and 4 psychological/behavioral signs of trance;
● Discuss the importance of removing suggestions; and
● Demonstrate at least 3 methods of reorienting.

15 min.          BREAK

 

     30    Hypnotic Phenomena/Demonstration
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Explain five different hypnotic phenomena;
● Discuss and describe how the concept of trance logic and other hypnotic phenomena can be used therapeutically;
● List at least three principles of eliciting phenomenon; 
● Define abreaction and describe how it can be addressed therapeutically.    

            
   45    Anatomy of a Hypnotic Experience:- Invitation, Intensifying, Utilization, & Reorienting
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Describe the steps in a formal hypnotic encounter;
● Identify 2 characteristics of trance exhibited by the subject; and
● Define 3 changes the facilitator made during the reorientation phase of trance.  

 

  30    Group Hypnosis Experience

Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:

 ●  Experience clinical hypnosis
●  Identify 3 aspects of their individual experience of trance.

   LUNCH

 45    Fundamentals of Language/Suggestion Formulation
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Explain at least two ways hypnotic communication creates positive expectancy;
● Discuss Erickson’s Principle of Individualization and Utilization as it pertains to
language and suggestion; and
● Name at least four commonly used words/phrases to reinforce the patient’s hypnotic
experience; and
● Differentiate between direct and indirect suggestion.

 30    Introduction to Small Group Practice (SGP)/Demonstration (For SGP1)

  
15    Break
           
120    Small Group Practice 1/Wrap up
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Demonstrate one method to build attunement (rapport) with the subject;
● Facilitate at least one elicitation and reorientation method with a member of the group,
describe his/her responses, and what they observed in the behavior of the participant;
and
● Adapt the hypnotic process/procedures to the observed behavior of the subject in trance.

DAY 2   
45    Neurophysiology of Hypnosis    
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Describe how hypnosis affects the autonomic nervous system and the stress response;
and
● Detail three implications of neurophysiological research on the practice of clinical
hypnosis.  

         
45    Intensifying (Deepening) Techniques (For SGP 2)      Demonstration
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Describe three methods of trance intensification;
● Demonstrate the ability to intensify the hypnotic experience in ways best tailored to their
patient/client; and
● Identify how fractionation can be used to intensify trance.  

             
        15       BREAK

        120    Small Group Practice 2    
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Demonstrate the ability to build attunement (rapport) with the subject different from
previous practice session;
● Facilitate at least one elicitation method, one intensification method and reorientation
method with a member of the group different from previous practice session, describe
his/her responses, and what they observed in the behavior of the participant; and
● Adapt the hypnotic process/procedures to the observed behavior of the subject in trance.  

         
60            LUNCH

 

     45    Ego Strengthening/Demonstration (For SGP 3)
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Define what is meant by ego strengthening and how it might be used in clinical practice;
● Identify three different types of ego strengthening; and
● Describe at least three strategies for ego strengthening in clinical hypnosis practice.    

               

     45    Self-Hypnosis    
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Define self-hypnosis and explain the difference between self-hypnosis and heterohypnosis;
● Describe at least three therapeutic applications of self-hypnosis in clinical practice; and
● Explain how to teach self-hypnosis to a patient.

                   
15            BREAK

       120    Small Group Practice 3
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Demonstrate the ability to build attunement (rapport) with the subject different from
previous practice session;
● Facilitate at least one elicitation method, one intensification method, an ego
strengthening suggestion and reorientation with a member of the group different from
previous practice session, describe his/her responses, and what they observed in the
behavior of the participant; and
● Adapt the hypnotic process/procedures to the observed behavior of the subject in trance.  

                                                    
DAY 3 

         90    Utilization: Hypnotic Suggestions for Integrating Hypnosis into Practice/Demonstration (For SGP 4)    
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Describe situations of uncertainty that might occur as clinical hypnosis is included in
practice and identify strategies for managing/resolving such;
● List at least three uses of hypnosis to your discipline that you have been taught and are
ready to apply and three applications of hypnosis that require more training; and
● Describe three ways that he or she will begin to incorporate hypnotic communication,
hypnosis and hypnotic techniques into his/her practice.  

         
     15    BREAK

 

     135    Small Group Practice 4  
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Demonstrate the ability to build attunement (rapport) with the subject different from
previous practice sessions by identifying ego strengthening suggestions of interest to
subject to use in the treatment phase of the process.
● Facilitate at least one elicitation method, one intensification method, an ego
strengthening suggestion, elicit hypnotic phenomenon and reorientation with a member
of the group different from previous practice session, describe his/her responses, and
what they observed in the behavior of the participant.
● Adapt the hypnotic process/procedures to the observed behavior of the subject in trance.
● Clarify readiness for incorporating hypnosis into practice.    

                      
          60            LUNCH

          45    Hypnosis and Pediatrics
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Identify three developmental characteristics that make children particularly
hypnotizable;
● Describe how hypnotic approaches vary according to the developmental age of the child;
and
● Describe the therapeutic benefits and applications of using hypnosis with children.                
       45    Treatment Planning
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Execute a thorough case assessment to elucidate the information necessary to develop a
quality treatment plan;
● Design a treatment plan for a patient/client who presents with anxiety; and
● List at least 4 hypnotic techniques/application that may be best suited to achieve the
specific therapeutic goal in the case presented.        

   
       15     BREAK

       45    Strategies for Managing Resistance

 Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Describe three types of resistance; and
● Identify at least four strategies for bypassing or working through resistance.                   

          30    Ethical Practice / Professional Conduct
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Describe at least two ethical-legal issues; and
● Discuss standards for professional conduct in using hypnosis clinically.    
 

      30    Membership/Certification/Next Steps/Questions 
Educational Objectives for this session:
At the conclusion of this session the participant will be able to:
● Discuss ASCH’s clinical hypnosis standards of training, levels of training, and
requirements for, ASCH certification; 
● Describe the opportunities available for further training, membership and certification.