Pump up the Volume: Hypnosis to Augment PTSD Treatment

The PTSD diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR has 24 criteria, resulting in many possible symptom configurations, and different treatment needs in clients. Clinical and professional practice treatment guidelines for PTSD recommend manualized approaches based on efficacy evidence from randomized controlled trials, but “cookie cutter” treatments often target only certain symptoms, and can therefore be less effective with diverse, real-world patients, particularly those who have more severe symptoms, co-morbid conditions, or complex traumatic stress. To meet this challenge PTSD treatment research has increasingly begun to focus on evidence-based strategies organized into modular approaches to best address diverse and more severe symptom presentations. This movement away from monolithic, one-size-fits-all treatments offers an opportunity to revisit the use of hypnotic interventions to augment/enhance the specific ingredients of a customized, patient-focused approach. There is a pressing need to evaluate the potential contributions of hypnosis to PTSD treatments, but randomized, controlled trials are difficult to conduct with customized approaches. How can hypnosis researchers creatively meet this challenge?

This webinar will describe evidence-based, evidence-informed, and modular treatments for PTSD, and then explain the ways that hypnotic interventions have been used to enhance and augment evidence-based treatment strategies in clients with PTSD or complex traumatic stress.

After attending this intermediate-level presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe and differentiate between common post-traumatic responses to chronic interpersonal violence exposure during developmental periods (complex/Type II trauma) vs. single-event trauma exposure in adulthood (PTSD/Type I trauma).
• Describe how to utilize this distinction to select an evidence-based or evidence-informed overall treatment approach for trauma-survivor clients.
• Identify at least one hypnotic intervention to augment/enhance an evidence-based overall treatment approach for PTSD/Type I trauma reactions in adults.
• Identify at least one hypnotic intervention to augment/enhance an evidence-informed overall treatment approach for complex/Type II trauma reactions in adults.

This program meets APA’s continuing education STANDARD 1.1: Program content focuses on application of psychological assessment and/or intervention methods that have overall consistent and credible empirical support in the contemporary peer reviewed scientific literature beyond those publications and other types of communications devoted primarily to the promotion of the approach.

This program meets APA’s continuing education GOAL 1: Program is relevant to psychological practice, education, and/or science.

General Admission: $65.00

SCEH Members: $55.00*

Students: $15.00*

(*Please email [email protected] for coupon code)

Refund Policy: 100% of tuition is refundable up to 48 hours before the program. Within 48 hours of the program, and at any point in Homestudy format, tuition is nonrefundable.

Ford, J. D., & Courtois, C. A. (2020). Defining and understanding complex trauma and complex traumatic stress disorders. In: J. D. Ford & C. A. Courtois, eds., Treating complex traumatic stress disorders in adults: Scientific foundations and therapeutic models, 2nd edition (pp. 3-34). New York: The Guilford Press.

Galovski, T. E., Harik, J. M., Blain, L. M., Elwood, L., Gloth, C., & Fletcher, T. D. (2016). Augmenting cognitive processing therapy to improve sleep impairment in PTSD: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 84(2), 167-177.

Henning, J. A., & Brand, B. L. (2019). Implications of the American Psychological Association’s Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Guideline for trauma education and training. Psychotherapy, 56(3), 422–430

Henning, J. A., Brand, B., & Courtois, C. A. (2022). Graduate training and certification in trauma treatment for clinical practitioners. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 16(4), 362–375.

Horley, R. (2013). The use of hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioural therapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder in a patient previously resistant to other modes of therapy. Australian Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (Online), 40(2), 123.

Lynn, S. J., Malakataris, A., Condon, L., Maxwell, R., & Cleere, C. (2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder: cognitive hypnotherapy, mindfulness, and acceptance-based treatment approaches. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 54(4), 311-330.

Michael, T., Schanz, C. G., Mattheus, H. K., Issler, T., Frommberger, U., Köllner, V., & Equit, M. (2019). Do adjuvant interventions improve treatment outcome in adult patients with posttraumatic stress disorder receiving trauma-focused psychotherapy? A systematic review. European journal of psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1-13.

Rotaru, T. Ș., & Rusu, A. (2016). A meta-analysis for the efficacy of hypnotherapy in alleviating PTSD symptoms. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 64(1), 116-136.

Janna A. Henning, J.D, PsyD., FT

Dr. Janna Henning is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience in providing mental health services for adults with complex trauma, dissociative disorders, chronic and life-threatening illness, and grief and loss-related concerns. She is a Professor in the Doctor of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) Program at Adler University in Chicago and the creator and coordinator of its Traumatic Stress Psychology Emphasis, which provides training in effective, research-informed approaches for clients coping with traumatic stress, death and dying, life-threatening illness, bereavement, and loss. She is a Past-President of SCEH and utilizes clinical hypnosis to augment evidence-based interventions in her clinical work. Dr. Henning earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School. She is a Fellow in Thanatology (Death, Dying and Bereavement) through the Association for Death Education and Counseling, a Faculty Member for the Portland Institute for Loss and Transition, and Chair of the Education and Training Committee of APA’s Division 56 (Trauma Psychology). She also provides trauma- and loss-focused continuing education, training, and clinical consultation, as well as self-care coaching to prevent and manage vicarious traumatization and burnout, for professionals who work with survivors of trauma and loss.

Target Audience: Mental Health professionals, health professionals, psychotherapists, counselors, hypnosis practitioners, students.

Psychologists. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 1.5 continuing education credits. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is also committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods.

Counselors/Clinical Counselors. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available 1.5 hours of continuing education. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to provide continuing education programming for counselors and clinical counselors. License Number: 197.000159

Social Workers. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 1.5 hours of continuing education. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) to provide continuing education programming for social workers. License Number: 159.001036

MFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs. Course meets the qualifications for 1.5 hour of continuing education credit for MFTs, LPCCs, and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. If you are licensed outside of California please check with your local licensing agency to to determine if they will accept these CEUs. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) to offer continuing education programming for MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs, and/or LCSWs. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is an accredited or approved postsecondary institution that meets the requirements set forth in Sections 4980.54(f)(1), 4989.34, 4996.22(d)(1), or 4999.76(d) of the Code.

Non Psychologists. Most licensing boards accept Continuing Education Credits sponsored by the American Psychological Association but non-psychologists are recommended to consult with their specific state-licensing board to ensure that APA-sponsored CE is acceptable.

*Participants must attend 100% of the program in order to obtain a Certificate of Attendance.

If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address questions, concerns and any complaints to [email protected]. There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.