Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control

Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control is a compelling argument for the use of hypnotic analgesia as a viable alternative to psychopharmacological interventions for controlling acute, chronic, and perioperative pain, as well as pain from nonsurgical procedures. Yet clinical hypnosis is not an amp quot alternative amp quot medicine, the author argues rather, it is an innovative way of using a patient's subconscious resources to distract, dislocate, or reduce pain in a variety of clinical settings-from the ER to the hospital's rehabilitation wing. As the staff psychologist at the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center's burn center, Dr. Patterson draws on his experiences-and many hypnotic inductions-in helping patients deal with the kind of severe pain involved in treating burn wounds and in other types of acute and chronic pain, such as headaches, fibromyalgia, cancer, and neuropathy. Written for a general clinical audience-but particularly for pain specialists-Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control also provides a masterful survey of the different types of pain, as well as a variety of easy-to-follow induction examples (and instructive commentary throughout) for the major types of pain syndromes. The book is also an excellent resource for students and researchers who want to explore hypnotic analgesia's scientific basis and its growing acceptance as an evidence-based practice, the latter exemplified by the work of psychologist Milton Erickson. In the book's penultimate chapter, Dr. Patterson outlines a groundbreaking approach of combining brief counseling techniques and Ericksonian hypnosis for long-term pain management.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction Understanding Pain and Its Psychological Approaches The Scientific Basis of Hypnotic Analgesia and Pain Control Clinical Research and Hypnosis as an Evidence-Based Practice Ericksonian Hypnosis Ericksonian Approaches to Pain Control Acute Pain, Crisis, and the Hospital Setting Chronic Pain Motivational Interviewing Summary and Conclusions Appendix: Examples of Inductions for Specific Pain Problems References Index About the Author

About the Author :
David R. Patterson, PhD, ABPP, is a professor in the departments of rehabilitation medicine, surgery, and psychology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Currently, he is head of the Division of Psychology for his home department and chair of the ethics committee at Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Patterson has been working as a clinical psychologist at Harborview Medical Center since 983, particularly in the burn unit and the psychology consultation and liaison service he created. He holds diplomate degrees in the areas of psychological hypnosis and rehabilitation psychology.   Dr. Patterson has been instrumental in running psychology intern and postdoctoral training programs for more than 2 years and has mentored hundreds of clinical and research students. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health since 989, and he has published more than 5 articles and chapters in the areas of hypnosis, pain control, and adjustment to burn injuries and other types of trauma. His articles can be found in such journals as Psychological Bulletin, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Pain, and the New England Journal of Medicine.