ABSTRACT
Throughout this book there have been numerous descriptions of ways to apply hypnosis in a variety of clinical contexts. Hypnosis is especially widely used in the context of psychotherapy as a vehicle for helping people on a variety of levels, from empowering them to be better problem solvers to teaching better coping skills to building better, more satisfying lives. Hypnosis is unapologetically goal oriented in nature, for each time individuals do hypnosis the clinician has a specific outcome in mind. The clients establish the goals, of course, and the clinician strives to create a context through hypnosis that makes it possible for clients to develop the necessary skills to reach those goals. It bears repeating that hypnosis in and of itself cures nothing; rather it’s what happens during hypnosis that has great potential to be therapeutic. Thus, in this chapter, I describe a few specific strategies commonly employed during hypnosis and how they may be utilized for addressing a few of the most common problems clients present in psychotherapy.
