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Frequently Asked QuestonsDefinition of Medical Hypnosis
Medical hypnosis is a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention. It is like using a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun and make them more powerful. Similarly, when our minds are concentrated and focused, we are able to use our minds more powerfully. Because hypnosis allows people to use more of their potential, learning self-hypnosis is the ultimate act of self-control.
How does medical hypnosis work?
What is a trance?
What myths exist about medical hypnosis?
What is the difference between medical hypnosis and
biofeedback?
What is the difference between a hypnotist and a hypnotherapist?
What is hypnotherapy?
How does hypnosis work with children?
What if my child goes into trance and cannot come out of it?
Who is a candidate for medical hypnosis?
What are the benefits of medical hypnosis for patients?
Will the doctor control my child's mind?
Are there any side effects to medical hypnosis?
How long does it take to learn self-hypnosis?
How can I help my child do even better at self-hypnosis?
How often do you see the patients? How soon can we expect results?
Is medical hypnosis covered by my insurance?
How much does it cost?
How do I get started?
What is the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis?
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions
How does medical hypnosis work?
Adults and adolescents typically begin by relaxing deeply, muscle group by muscle group. When the body is relaxed, in the state of hypnosis, (also called a trance), the mind is more open to suggestions. From there, one visits one's special place or safe spot—a place where one feels comfortable, happy, confident, relaxed and/or in control. Then, in that state of mind, one uses guided imagery or visualization to envision a state of health or improved performance.
The images are always positive, never negative. For example, one might tell oneself, “I will no longer feed the warts,” or, “I am pain-free,” or some other positive suggestion.
By practicing these techniques several times a day, patients can help themselves get better. For example, some patients with warts who visualize the blood vessels constricting at the sites of the warts actually feel tingling at those sites-and the warts themselves disappear after a few weeks.
No one can ever control anyone else’s mind. Therefore, ultimately, all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.
What is a trance?
Trance, or the state of being in hypnosis, is a highly focused state of mind in which the body is relaxed and the mind is open and able to do things that we didn't know we could do.* For example, you may have noticed while driving in the car one day, listening to a song on the radio, or deeply engrossed in thought, that you missed your turnoff. Or, you were at a movie or a lecture and two hours went by far more quickly than you could have imagined. Or, while reading a book you were so focused that people had to call your name a couple of times to get your attention.
Children are in and out of trance all the time, and they use their imaginations far more easily than most adults do. Children are typically able to enter trance more quickly and easily than older adolescents and adults do. They carry less baggage and have less “armor” to protect themselves. They are less inhibited and more open to using their imaginations than adults are.
When children use their imagination, they are “in trance”. We simply help them to help themselves by harnessing the power of their own minds. When we do trance work with patients, we guide them into a special place, someplace where they feel happy, safe, comfortable, etc., and then help them to work on their specific problem.
Trance is not sleep. In trance, you can communicate and use your mind to consciously control your body.
In trance:
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You're in control; no one can force you to do something that you are unwilling to do.
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You can interact and communicate.
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You can be aware of what is going on around you.
*From Olness, Karen, M.D., and Kohen, Daniel P., M.D., Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy with Children, The Gulford Press, 1996.
The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis lists these as the three top myths about medical hypnosis:
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People often fear that being hypnotized will make them lose control, surrender their will, and result in their being dominated, but a hypnotic state is not the same thing as gullibility or weakness. Many people base their assumptions about hypnotism on stage acts but fail to take into account that stage hypnotists screen their volunteers to select those who are cooperative, with possible exhibitionist tendencies, as well as responsive to hypnosis. Stage acts help create a myth about hypnosis which discourages people from seeking legitimate hypnotherapy.
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Another myth about hypnosis is that people lose consciousness and have amnesia. A very small percentage of subjects, who go into very deep levels of trance will fit this stereotype and have spontaneous amnesia. The majority of people remember everything that occurs in hypnosis. This is beneficial, because most of what we want to accomplish in hypnosis may be done in a medium depth trance, where people tend to remember everything.
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In hypnosis, the patient is not under the control of the hypnotist. Hypnosis is not something imposed on people, but something they do for themselves. A hypnotist simply serves as a facilitator to guide them.
“Rather than merely taking a temporary pill, learning a permanent skill is very empowering and it shows patient that they have the ability and power to gain control over their bodies and life challenges. Jeff Lazarus, M.D.
What is the difference between medical hypnosis and biofeedback?
Medical hypnosis and biofeedback are essentially the same treatment. The difference is that with biofeedback, the patient is hooked up to a monitor, usually one that wraps around the finger, with the other end attached to a computer. The patient can then see how the mind and body truly connect.
In trance, the more focused the mind, the more relaxed the body. This causes the breathing to slow and the heart rate, or pulse, to decrease. Blood pressure also decreases and the skin temperature increases.
Biofeedback computer programs help patients learn to relax; older programs allowed patients to actually watch their pulse, respiratory rate, and/or skin temperature change as they view the monitor.
Newer biofeedback programs involve something called heart rate variability, which is beyond the scope of this brief answer.
The technique used in medical hypnosis to guide a patient into trance, and the work done while a patient is in trance is the same as when a patient is hooked up to a biofeedback machine. Dr. Lazarus typically does not use biofeedback, as he finds that his results with medical hypnosis alone are excellent.
What is the difference between a hypnotist and a hypnotherapist?
A hypnotist:
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Is not a medical professional
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Accepts virtually anyone for treatment
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May get good results but, may engage in indiscriminate use of his or her skill, often with unfortunate or humiliating results.*
A clinical hypnotherapist
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Is first a therapist
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Uses mental imagery
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Is a trained in one of the health professions, such as pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, dentistry, nursing, psychology, or social work
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Is certified by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is simply therapy with mental imagery. It is a treatment with specific therapeutic goals and specific techniques used while the patient is in a highly focused state,* or trance. Trance is not sleep. In trance, you can communicate and use your mind to consciously control your body.
*From Olness, Karen, M.D., and Kohen, Daniel P., M.D., Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy with Children, The Gulford Press, 1996.
How does hypnosis work with children?
Children are in and out of trance all the time, and they use their imaginations far more easily than most adults do. Children are typically able to enter trance more quickly and easily than older adolescents and adults do. They carry less baggage and have less “armor” to protect themselves. They are less inhibited and more open to using their imaginations than adults are.
When children use their imagination, they are in trance. We simply help them to help themselves by harnessing the power of their own minds. When we do trance work with children, we guide them into a special place, someplace where they feel happy, safe, comfortable, etc., and then we help them work on their specific problem.
In a trance, a patient:
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Is in control; no one can force a child (or anyone) to do something that he or she is unwilling to do.
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Can interact and communicate.
-
Can be aware of what is going on.
*From Olness, Karen, M.D., and Kohen, Daniel P., M.D., Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy with Children, The Gulford Press, 1996.
What if my child goes into trance and cannot come out of it?
When people are in trance, they feel wonderful, and sometimes patients are not in a hurry to return to their usual state of mind. Dr. Lazarus has had extensive training not only in guiding people into trance, but also in helping them return from trance.
Dr. Lazarus also teaches patients to return to their usual state of mind. When patients practice self-hypnosis alone, they will always return to their usual state of mind. Because trance is so relaxing, occasionally, patients may fall asleep while in trance. Upon awakening, they will once again be in their usual state of mind.
Who is a candidate for clinical hypnosis?
People with open minds who are motivated and willing to use their imaginations do very well with medical hypnosis.
What are the benefits of clinical hypnosis for children?
Rather than take a temporary pill, learning a permanent skill is very empowering. It shows them that they have the ability and power to gain control over their bodies and life challenges. This raises self-esteem and awareness, builds confidence and gives a sense of mastery and hope. Plus, it's fun! And, there are no side effects!
Will the doctor control my child's mind?
No. No one can control anyone else's mind.
Medical mental imagery, also called medical hypnotherapy, is very different than stage hypnosis, and from the kind of hypnosis that is shown in children's cartoons. Stage hypnotists are highly trained people who know how to put on a good show. They typically ask for volunteers from the audience, call several people onstage, and, after talking with them briefly, send all but a few back into the audience.
At this time, the hypnotist may tell the remaining subjects that they were chosen because they are smarter than the people who were asked to leave. This further (falsely) enhances their self-esteem and makes them even more willing to do what the hypnotist suggests. These individuals are often willing to do silly things æ bark like a dog or cluck like a chicken, for example—for reasons that the rest of us may not understand. Afterwards, they may say, “Oh, I can't believe I actually did that!” Yet, at some level, they were willing to do these things.**
However, if a stage hypnotist were to tell a subject, “Take this gun and go rob the corner store,” the subject would not do it. No one would ever do anything that he or she is unwilling to do—even while in trance.
As Dr. Lazarus explains to patients, I can teach you to hypnotize yourself, and I can teach other patients to hypnotize themselves, but the only person that I can hypnotize is myself. _
** After Yapko, Michael D., 2003. Trancework: An Introduction to the Practice of Clinical Hypnosis (3rd Edition)
Are there any side effects to medical hypnosis?
No. None.
How long does it take to learn self-hypnosis?
Like any other skill, the learning curve depends on the patient. If one is motivated, one can learn this technique easily and quickly.
In learning any new skill, one can improve one's ability by working with an instructor or coach, and by practicing. The more one practices, the better one learns the skill. Like a coach, Dr. Lazarus teaches his patients a powerful technique. It is up to the patients to practice it.
How can I help my child do even better at self-hypnosis?
The best way to help your child is to stay out of it! Hypnosis belongs to the patient, not the parent. In fact, research shows that the less the parents are involved, the more effective the treatment, and the better the results. The technique works only if the child is motivated.
So, as a parent, you are asked to do the exact opposite of what you've done the child's entire life: you must not get involved!
For example, if your child has an ear infection or a strep throat, you give the child his/her medication twice a day, or remind the child to take the medication. With clinical hypnosis, it is ALL up to the patient. You must refrain from asking, “Are you doing your homework?” or, “Are you practicing the exercises?”
As a parent, this can be very difficult to do, since you love your child and want to help him or her. Dr. Lazarus often uses humor to encourage parents to stay out of it. If you forget once in awhile, we let it slide. But if you keep bothering your child, then, of course, there have to be consequences! Typical suggestions for consequences include: no desert that night, or no television that night, or, you have to go to bed early that night!
How often do you see the patients? How soon can we expect results?
This depends on how motivated the patient is and if there are other psychological problems in the patient and/or family. Dr. Lazarus tries to take on only patients whom he thinks he can help.
If patients are not ready to learn this technique on the first visit, Dr. Lazarus will encourage them to return when they are ready. Some patients need additional therapy or counseling, for example, from a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker.
If the child is otherwise emotionally well, and if the families are no more dysfunctional than the rest of us, as Dr. Lazarus jokes; then dramatic improvement usually occurs after two or three visits.
For bio-behavioral problems, one can never predict how long change will take. That is why Dr. Lazarus screens patients carefully, and why it is extremely important for the family to answer all of his questions openly and honestly.
Is medical hypnosis covered by my insurance?
Dr. Lazarus accepts only fee-for-service payments. You will be required to sign a form that indicates that you understand that his services may not covered by insurance. Our office accepts checks and cash. Payment is required at the time of each visit. You will be given a receipt with the proper diagnoses and insurance codes for you to submit to your insurance company.
How much does it cost?
Dr. Lazarus first meets with the parents alone. This usually takes about two hours. The first visit with your child will usually take 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. Subsequent visits vary from one to two hours, depending upon the problem and what Dr. Lazarus needs to do. Dr. Lazarus will let you know before the next visit what how long the next visit and what the charge will be and why.
Typically there is no charge for phone calls. Because he feels it is important to provide personal, individualized service, Dr. Lazarus does not use e-mail to communicate with patients and parents.
How do I get started?
If your child has an issue you would like to Dr. Lazarus to hear about, please call him at 650-322-5333 to schedule an appointment or fill out this brief form
The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis membership is mostly made up of psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, medical doctors, masters-level nurses, dentists and chiropractors. As an interdisciplinary organization, ASCH provides an opportunity to learn from and interact with colleagues in other health and mental health care disciplines. This allows for a cross fertilization of ideas and applications that meshes neatly with current trends, such as mind-body health and integrative medicine. Regardless of whether you are a professional wanting to learn hypnosis, or a patient wanting help with a problem, take your time and enjoy the visit to its site.
