Many conditions our patients present with have a complex aetiology, with biopsychosocial elements. Hypnosis is ideally placed to help with much of these, with recognised effects on mood, inflammatory response and immune functioning.
This one day online training, with presentations, demonstrations and tutorial small group practice, will begin to equip you with skills that you can use when working with IBS, FND, tinnitus, migraine and many other conditions.
Cases will be used throughout to demonstrate ways of working with functional disorders
There will be opportunities to practice (in breakout rooms) some of the techniques demonstrated.
It is essential for attendees to have some prior knowledge of clinical hypnosis.
Delegates should have completed the Adjunctive Clinical Hypnosis: Essential Skills for Healthcare Professionals or the BSCAH Module 1 or equivalent.
This knowledge will be required in order to achieve the learning outcomes for these more specialised modules.
If you have any queries about the course or your eligibility, please contact Hilary Walker or Ann Williamson
Aim:
To develop and enhance healthcare professionals’ skills, knowledge, and the safe application of clinical hypnosis for managing functional disorders.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, participants will have:
- Gained practical experience in establishing and using ideomotor signals to enhance therapeutic communication.
- Explored and applied classical hypnotic reframing techniques to support patients with functional symptoms.
- Practiced hypnotic interventions suitable for individuals with functional disorders.
- Engaged in interactive discussions and case-based learning to deepen understanding of hypnosis and imagery techniques in clinical practice
| Programme | |
| 9.30 – 10.00 | Introduction |
| 10.00 – 10.15 | Setting up Ideomotor Signals |
| 10.15– 10.45 | Breakout rooms to practice setting up ideomotor signals |
| 10.45 -11.15 | Presentation and Demonstration of Reframing |
| 11.15 – 11.25 | Break |
| 11.25– 12.15 | Breakout rooms to practice reframing |
| 12.15 – 12.30 | Feedback |
| 12.30 – 13.30 | Lunch |
| 13.30 – 14.00 | Use of hypnosis and imagery in functional disorders |
| 14.00 – 14.50 | Short presentations on use of hypnosis in FND and gut related disorders – interactive cases |
| 14.50 – 15.00 | Break |
| 15.00 – 15.45 | Breakout rooms to practice hypnosis and imagery |
| 15.45 – 16.30 | Discussion / Q & A / Evaluation |
Access to additional resources on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is available for three months. from completion of the course.
Progression
This course provides a foundation in clinical hypnosis for managing functional symptoms. For further training, explore BSCAH’s University-accredited Level 6 & 7 course in Clinical Hypnosis, Language & Communication Techniques in Healthcare at Birmingham City University.
Further info: https://bscah.co.uk/advanced-diploma-in-professional-studies-bsc-graduate-certificate-pgcert-course-in-clinical-hypnosis-language-and-communication-techniques-in-healthcare/
BSCAH also provides various one day workshops throughout the year to further your training..
Reading list
General text:
Brann L., Owens J., Williamson A.(eds): ( 2012) The Handbook of Contemporary Clinical Hypnosis: Theory and Practice: John Wiley & Sons (The BSCAH book. Recommended. Multi-author, a variety of styles, oozes practical clinical experience)
Relevant papers:
- Vasant DH, Whorwell PJ. (2019) Gut-focused hypnotherapy for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: Evidence-base, practical aspects, and the Manchester Protocol. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 31(8): e13573.
- OS Palsson (2006) Standardized Hypnosis Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The North Carolina Protocol. Int J Clin and Exp Hypnosis, 2006. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207140500322933
- Adler et al (2025) Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Neurogastroenterol Motil https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40179285/
- Dipesh H, Jane Boissiere & Peter J. Whorwell (2025) Training Allied Healthcare Professionals Maybe the Answer to Upscaling Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy https://doi.org/10.1002/ueg2.70051
- Gillan C. (2021) Review article: the effectiveness of group and self-help hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome and the implications for improving patients’ choice and access to treatment. Aliment Pharmacol Ther;54(11-12):1389-404
- Hasan SS, Whorwell PJ, Miller V, Morris J, Vasant DH. (2021) Six versus twelve sessions of gut-focused hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized trial https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33662389]
- Hasan SS and Vasant D. (2023) The emerging new reality of hypnosis teletherapy: A major new mode of delivery of hypnotherapy and clinical hypnosis training. Int J Clin Exp Hypn ; 71(2): 153-164.
- Keefer, L Palsson O S & Pandolfino J E (2018) Best Practice Update: incorporating psychogastroenterology into management of digestive disorders. Gastroenterology, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29410117/
- Lövdahl J, Törnblom H, Ringström G, Palsson OS, Simrén M. (2022) Randomised clinical trial: individual versus group hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther;55(12):1501-11.
- Palsson OS, van Tilburg M. (2015) Hypnosis and Guided Imagery Treatment for Gastrointestinal Disorders: Experience with Scripted Protocols Developed at the University of North Carolina. Am J Clin Hypn. 2015;58(1):5-2
Vasant, Boissiere & Whorwell (2025) Training Allied Health Professionals maybe the answer to upscaling GDH: United European Gastroenterology Journal 1-2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ueg2.70051