I thought it was time to write an update on the breast cancer research I recently completed right here in West Michigan.
To do that, I want to introduce you to the newest issue of FOCUS, the newsletter of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH). For about two years now I have had the pleasure of editing SCEH’s newsletter. The newest issue, Shelagh Freedman, my co-editor and I just produced is full of useful and relevant information about the field of medical hypnosis. Not only that, but Shelagh thought it was appropriate for us to include an update on my breast cancer research in this issue of FOCUS.
Medical Hypnosis in Breast Cancer Survivors (MHBCS)
The research I completed centered around Medical Hypnosis in Breast Cancer Survivors (MHBCS). The dissertation committee just received the ensuing report and May 12, 2015, is the preliminary date set for the defense.
The purpose of the research project was simple. I asked, “Does hypnosis work for breast cancer?” A more specific goal of the research conducted right here in West Michigan was to refine our current understanding of medical hypnosis’ effects on interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) expression in breast cancer survivors.
Evidence suggests that cancer-related sickness behavior is a cytokine-induced inflammatory symptom cluster. Sickness behavior symptoms can include fatigue, reduced appetite, sleep disorders, altered mood and cognition (“chemo brain”) and major depressive episodes.
Sickness behavior can manifest during and after cancer treatment, negatively impacting the quality of life of breast cancer patients and survivors long after active treatment.
Preliminary results of the hypnosis in breast cancer study are promising. You can download the latest copy of SCEH’s FOCUS here to read more about the research and learn about SCEH.
Please allow me to introduce SCEH, the professional hypnosis society for which I hold membership.
The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH)
Founded in 1949, The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis is an international organization of health care professionals. SCEH’s members are medical doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, dentists, and students of these professions. SCEH members are committed to the highest level of scientific inquiry and the conscientious application of hypnosis in the clinical setting.
SCEH’s members make up a unique blend of some of the finest academics, researchers, and clinicians in the field of hypnosis. Those people are collaborating to support and inform the clinical work and research of SCEH members and other professionals.
When we mention the finest researchers, academics, and clinicians, we mean it. SCHE members are trailblazers constantly asking “How does hypnosis work?” and are at, or come from prestigious institutions such as:
- Harvard
- Stanford
- Oxford (U.K).
- McGill (Canada)
- Tulane Medical School
- Macquarie University (Australia)
- The University of Washington School of Medicine
- Saybrook University’s College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences.
There are just too many top rated institutions to list, and I apologize if I have omitted your institution. However, SCEH members firmly believe that serious scientific inquiry must be an antecedent to offer impeccable clinical hypnotherapy. Furthermore, those who care for patients, SCEH members believe, often raise the most important empirical questions on how hypnosis works and then make those questions subject to rigorous scientific research.
The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis’ workshops, lectures, and publication of the International Journal for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (IJCEH) provide hypnosis training for a broad range of individuals. From students to researchers, academics, clinicians and the public, SCEH educates on ethics, the proper use of hypnosis in the clinical setting, its nature, and related phenomena.
This education is especially important in the concentration I chose. Hypnosis for cancer patients. Medical hypnosis is the most commonly quoted form of nondrug treatment for cancer pain. The NIH endorses the use of medical hypnosis for the relief of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (Kanitz, Camus, & Seifert, 2013). However, hypnosis is not just used in health care. We also use hypnotherapy in business, sports and the entertainment industry for peak performance.
You can contact me here to schedule a free hypnosis consultation.
On the subject of hypnotherapy training…
I would like to introduce you to the Michigan Society of Clinical Hypnosis (MSCH). MSCH and The Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association are collaborating to bring “The Art & Science of Clinical Hypnosis” workshop to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, right here in Grand Rapids. The one-day workshop will take place May 9, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Topics Include:
- Why learn hypnosis?
- Self hypnosis
- Hypnosis techniques for ego strengthening
- Hypnotherapy for anxiety
- Metaphors and spiritual growth
- Ethical standards for mental health professionals
If you are a health care professional in the fields listed above and always wondered how hypnosis works, this is a great workshop to get started with hypnosis training. The speakers and presenters are not only some of the finest experts in hypnotherapy in Michigan, but perhaps nationwide.
Carolyn Daitch, Ph.D., LP
Dr. Daitch is the director of the Center for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She is an elected fellow of the Michigan Psychological Association and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. In 2008, she received the received the Arthur Shapiro Best Book award from the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis for
Daitch, C. (2007). Affect regulation toolbox: Practical and effective hypnotic interventions for the over-reactive client (1st ed). New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Dr. Daitch has authored two more books:
- Daitch, C. (2011). Anxiety disorders: The go-to guide for clients and therapists (1st ed). New York: W.W. Norton, and
- Daitch, C., & Lorberbaum, L. (2012). Anxious in love: How to manage your anxiety, reduce conflict & reconnect with your partner. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Dr. Daitch is also a contributor to
- Kerman, M. (Ed.). (2010). Clinical pearls of wisdom: 21 leading therapists offer their key insights (1st ed). New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Dr. Daitch is a past-President of the Michigan Society of Clinical Hypnosis. She is an international lecturer and educator in the field of hypnosis and is often a member of the teaching faculty for the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis workshops.
Mary Pratt Miller, Ph.D., LPC
Dr. Pratt Miller is a licensed professional counselor and a nationally certified counselor in private practice in Northville, Michigan with over 30 years of experience as a licensed counselor.
She is an active member of her professional associations. They include the Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association, the Michigan Society of Clinical Hypnosis where she is now serving as president and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH).
She is a certified and approved consultant with ASCH. In addition to providing counseling services, Dr. Miller teaches professional workshops, provides consultation, and supervises LLPCs.
Dr. Pratt Miller taught in the master’s degree counseling programs of the University of Phoenix and the University of South Florida, and the Masters of Education program at National-Louis University.
Donald Moss, Ph.D., LP
Dr. Moss is the Director of Saybrook University’s College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences. He is the author of three books and over 50 articles related to Mind-Body Medicine.
- Moss, D. (Ed.). (2003). Handbook of mind-body medicine for primary care. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications has been translated into a number of languages.
- Moss, D. (2015). Pathways to illness, pathways to health. New York, NY: Springer.
He is the past-President of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.
David Monroe, D.Min., Psy.D., LPC
Dr. Monroe has served as a minister, teacher, chaplain, and counselor. He has twenty years of pulpit ministry experience, has served as a chaplain at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, as well as Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn.
He is a licensed counselor in private practice for over twenty-two years and is now counseling at the Hope Counseling Center in Redford.
Sandra Strandquist, LMSW
Sandra has worked with Michigan Behavioral Consultants for the past 14 years. She specializes in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety, and trauma. Sandra graduated from Colorado State University and the University of Utah. Sandra supervises one MSW student from GVSU each year.
Eric Willmarth, Ph.D., LP
Dr. Willmarth has worked for more than 20 years in his specialty area of pain management. He is the president of Michigan Behavioral Consultants, a group practice specializing in the treatment of chronic pain and illness.
Dr. Willmarth is the Director of Integrative Mental Health at Saybrook University’s College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences, where he teaches Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Hypnosis courses.
He is currently the president of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis and the secretary of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. He is the past-president of the Michigan Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the Society for Psychological Hypnosis (APA’s Division 30), and the Michigan Society for Behavioral Medicine and Biofeedback.
Dr. Willmarth is a frequent presenter at the meetings of the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
Last but not least, Dr. Eric Willmarth is also Werner’s dissertation chair!
Cost:
MSCH or MMHCA Members: $100 (CEU Certificate fee included)
Non-members: $130 (plus $20 if a CEU Certificate is desired)
Students: $50 (with proof of full-time enrollment in an institution of higher education)
CEUs are available for LCSWs and Licensed Professional Counselors.
The day-long seminar will be in the beautiful setting of Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Besides sparking your continuing interest in clinical hypnosis, your personal and professional growth, your registration also includes complimentary admission to Frederick Meijer Gardens and a box lunch and beverage.
We are scheduling an hour’s lunch so that you may have time to enjoy the Garden’s lovely May display.
You can register for the MSCH workshop here.
I hope this article provides a glimpse of hypnosis and hypnotherapy training. Furthermore, I attempted to highlight that many outstanding scholars, practitioners, clinicians and academics from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions firmly believe that medical hypnosis has its place in health care.
You can contact me here to schedule a free hypnosis consultation to find out if and how hypnotherapy might fit your health care needs and goals.
The Absenger Cancer Education Foundation (ACEF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Your gift may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes. Please consult with your tax adviser or the IRS to determine whether your contribution is deductible.