THE HYPNOTHERAPY JOURNAL Issue 2 Vol 9 www.hypnotherapists.org.uk Summer 2009 Life Lessons BRAID’S BACK! ‘Father of Hypnotherapy’ What Golf can stakes his claim on teach us Psychotherapy too Website Secrets What isn’t your web designer telling you? Entrainment Dangers of manipulating brainwaves moving therapy forward NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR HYPNOTHERAPY Address: PO Box 14542, Studley, Warwickshire, B97 9HH Phone / Fax: 0844 736 5806 / 0844 736 5762 Website: www.hypnotherapists.org.uk Email: [email protected] CONTENTS Editorial ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Committee News ............................................................................................................................................2 Life Lessons from the Golf Course ................................................................................................................9 Cognitive Hypnotherapy and Anorexia Nervosa .......................................................................................12 Interview with Donald Robertson, NCH Research Director .......................................................................20 Entrainment, Meditation, and Hypnosis ....................................................................................................24 Secrets Your Web Designer Isn’t Telling You .............................................................................................30 CPD Diary, Noticeboard and Classified .......................................................................................................32 Metaphor Corner ..........................................................................................................................................33 Book Reviews ................................................................................................................................................36 THE NCH COMMITTEE Chairman: Paul White Tel: 0208 647 9357 email: [email protected] Company Secretary: Martin Armstrong-Prior Tel: 0116 276 4911 email: [email protected] Marketing Director: Paul Howard Tel: 0208 647 9357 email: [email protected] Ethics Director: Trevor Silvester Tel: 01638 720020 email: [email protected] Technology Director: Rob Woodgate Tel: 0844 736 5806 email: [email protected] Research Director: Donald Robertson Tel: 01403 248266 email: [email protected] Development Director: John Harrington Tel: 0844 736 5806 email: [email protected] Supervision Director: Nick Cooke Tel: 0121 444 1110 email: [email protected] Ex-Officio Roles Administrators: Brenda Bentley and Margaret Wiggall Tel: 0844 736 5806 email: [email protected] Training & Accreditation: John Harrington Tel: 0844 736 5806 email: [email protected] Professional Standards: Jo-Anne Kelleher Tel: 0844 736 5806 email: [email protected] & Local Studies courtesy of Manchester Archives illustration Cover Journal Editor: Rob Woodgate Tel: 01474 740724 email: [email protected] The National Council for Hypnotherapy, established in 1973 under its former title “The Hypnotherapy Register”, represents the practice of Clinical Hypnotherapy as a discrete profession in its own right. Membership is open to those practitioners able to demonstrate appropriate knowledge, evidence of training and clinical experience relevant to the field. The NCH is a member of the UK Confederation of Hypnotherapy Organisations. bilities, so I’m really excited about the Editorial day, and I hope to see you there too. Aside from my role as Editor, you probably noticed that my ‘old life’ has come back to haunt me and I have been press-ganged into the role of Technology Director for the NCH. Phase I of the website redevelopment is now complete, and although we’ve tried to keep the look and feel of the old site intact, the ‘engine’ has been hey may take our tech- I’m also pleased to be able to show- completely rebuilt. niques, but they will never case some NCH member research. take ... our profession! The result is a site which will allow Lubna Yaqub’s dissertation on the use the NCH to more effectively manage T Sorry for that really bad of Cognitive Hypnotherapy protocols it’s membership as it grows, as well pastiche of ‘Braveheart’, but it seems in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa as creating a platform to more effec- the Scottish are back - and they are helped earn her a 2:1 degree in tively communicate with members bringing the fight to mainstream psychology, and you can read edited and the public. psychotherapy who, for too long, extracts in this Edition. have rubbished our profession whilst Adapting to change is never easy - simultaneously stealing all the good Meanwhile, Patrick Jemmer takes us even for those of us in the business of bits from us. into the world of brainwaves, and change - but hopefully the transition examines the connections between has been reasonably painless for most I am of course referring to the launch types of brainwave and states of people so far, and thanks to everyone of the first (of many, I hope) books mind. for your support and patience as we published by the NCH, The Discovery iron out the last of the wrinkles and of Hypnosis: The Complete Writings He also explains how the use of the administrators get up to speed of James Braid the Father of Hypno- certain types of sound can enhance with the new systems. therapy, edited by our Research Direc- a subject’s ability to go into hypnosis tor, Donald Robertson and now avail- or meditative states by manipulat- Finally, as thoughts turn to summer able on Amazon. ing their brainwaves, and examines holidays, please spare a thought for some of the dangers (eye explosion, your Editor and keep your articles, As Donald is only too keen to point anyone?). book reviews, metaphors and case out, the importance of Braid cannot studies coming in. be underestimated. The undisputed Hopefully, this educational bonanza ‘Father of Hypnotherapy’, his work will whet your appetite for the Not only do they count towards your set the foundation for scientific Hypnotherapy Extravaganza later this annual CPD requirement, but having research and ‘evidence based’ prac- month. your work in print could be useful in tice in the face of the hocus-pocus your marketing (especially as we’re that surrounded the (then common) At the time of writing, there were starting to publish selected public practice of Mesmerism. just a few places left, so if you are interest articles on the NCH website reading this and haven’t yet booked too). That his work was out of print for your place, get on the phone to the so long is a travesty, but perhaps administrators and make sure you are Enjoy the read. not surprising - as his writings could not too late. prove once and for all that Hypno- Rob Woodgate therapy is the cradle from which all Having previously seen both market- modern psychotherapy originated. ing guru, Gary May, and Dr John Butler talk, I know we’re all in for a You can find out more by reading my treat. interview with Donald Robertson on page 20. Both left my mind reeling with possi- hypnotherapists.org.uk - Issue 2 Vol 9 - The Hypnotherapy Journal 1 general public, health organisations, Committee News and other professionals. On the other hand, a well-designed individual study which meets the established criteria for an empirically-supported treatment (EST) can potentially sway opinion as well. Most of the studies published in the field of hypnotherapy don’t meet this level of evidence, unfortunately. I’ve just completed a Government- commissioned outcome study myself; fraction of NCH members actually it’s a follow-up to one published read research journals or are familiar about a year ago by our Coping with Research News with the evidence that already exists. Noise research team. (We found good Hence, the table I published in the evidence for the use of cognitive- Well, my second last journal from David Wark’s recent behavioural hypnotherapy in treating research news has article provides a summary of over noise-related stress and insomnia.) come around 30 well-designed individual studies It’s made me realise that the choice pretty quickly. My on hypnotherapy and explains the of client group and the goals of treat- last plea for input criteria used to judge their empirical ment are potentially crucial factors from NCH members value. Perhaps the most valuable type in determining the type of evidence resulted in one of research in terms of promoting produced. It’s probably much easier email response, hypnotherapy would not be the addi- to design CD scripts and treatment but there does seem to be a lot of tion of more clinical outcome stud- manuals, construct adequate control enthusiasm for research evidence, ies but more systematic reviews (and groups, or carry out follow-ups for etc., when I speak to people. Remem- meta-analyses) which pool data from some problems than for others. Perhaps ber that if you visit the NCH website, many individual studies to provide hypnotherapists should “start simple” you should be able to access my arti- stronger evidence for the efficacy and work their way up by undertak- cle entitled “How to find research on of hypnotherapy. These higher-level ing well-designed research in areas hypnotherapy?” where you will find reviews tend to have more influence that are easier to study