Dr. Meichenbaum will discuss the “State of the Art” in treating PTSD and use videos to demonstrate how to conduct integrative treatment intervention. He will highlight the value of a Constructive Narrative Perspective. Finally, some 300,000 soldiers are returning from combat with PTSD and comorbid disorders. Dr. Meichenbaum will address their needs and discuss ways to bolster resilience. (see www.warfighterdiaries.com)
Someone with a flashback experiences an intense traumatic memory as if it were happening to them again. Learning how to view the same memory as if it were happening to someone else on a small, distant movie screen eliminates the intense unpleasant feeling, while preserving important learning. There will be a live demonstration.
PTSD is a clinical problem that may be a covert cause of hypnotherapy failure. Paradoxically, hypnotherapy has been proven useful for treatment, even prior to the formal description of diagnosis. The main features and case results of this program, which has been successfully applied in clinical research and practice, will be presented.
Self-esteem, self-confidence and self-concept are closely connected with the development of human identity. The enhancement of self-esteem and identity formation can be used effectively in psychotherapy with children, especially in the treatment of anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and many other social difficulties. Hypnotic interventions proved to be effective in working with children and adolescents on an individual basis.
An example of how a Constructive Narrative Perspective (CNP) can be used to explain the persistence of Post-traumatic Disorder and the treatment implications will be offered. Research implications for using a CNP will be examined.
Specific direct and indirect techniques are required to activate family resources and to induce a deep and meaningful change of the most rigid family patterns. A family hypnotic session reveals the powerful and subtle resistances a family may develop in the course of the hypnotic treatment as well as of the many different solutions a therapist may adopt to overcome these resistances. Special focus will be on how to properly combine direct and indirect in the different phases of the therapeutic process.
Treating post-traumatic disordered patients requires multi-level communication; overt contracting and informed consent, plus covert suggestion implying greater competency than patients experience. Key issues are role differentiation, establishing safety parameters, neutralizing regressive invitations, working with significant others, and challenging patients to master their trauma through redefining their personal identity.
Metaphor, energetic bodywork, imagery and hypnotic techniques share a powerful complementary relationship. Our state of mind can dramatically influence our health and creative potential. This workshop will introduce participants to the human energy field and specific energy-based healing techniques which when combined with metaphor and imagery, can help replenish the mind and the body as well as manage a wide variety of symptoms including chronic pain, anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Neurofeedback allows us to retrain brainwave patterns associated with problems of depression, substance abuse, ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety and panic disorder, insomnia, headaches, migraines, head injuries, stroke, Tourette's, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, PTSD, enuresis and physical balance. Neurofeedback is also used in peak performance training and countering cognitive decline with aging. Integrating hypnosis with neurofeedback is ideal for treating many of these problems. A live demonstration will be included.