Hypnoanalysis and hypnopsychotherapy as dialogical practices

Abstract

There are important differences between stage and therapeutic hypnosis and between hypnosis and sleep. Therapeutic work in deep hypnosis is especially demanding, requiring a high level of competency. In professional circles the use of the terms hypnosis, medical hypnosis, hypnotherapy, hypnoanalysis and hypnopsychotherapy is confusingly inconsistent and we therefore propose clearer differentiation between them. Especially valuable is the distinction proposed by Robert M. Lindner between hypnosis as a suggestive method and hypnosis as creating the condition under which therapy, within the framework of either medicine or psychotherapy, is practised with increased chances of success. Based on this distinction we point out that hypnosis as a dialogical practice is essential for the development of (psycho)therapeutic relationship. The presentation of two clinical cases, a patient with driving exam phobia and a patient with dissociative disorder,is used to demonstrate two kinds of application of hypnosis in psychotherapy and medicine and two kinds of therapeutic competency that are necessary. Professional competency for hypnoanalysis and hypnopsychotherapy can only be developed through many years of training, which encompasses the three pillars of psychotherapeutic education: theory, practice under supervision and training therapy in which the future therapist experiences for himself/herself the therapeutic process supported by hypnosis.