Wednesday 30 March 2011

CBH PIONEER GROUP 2010





We would like to share some feedback/comments from the CBH pioneer group 2010.

 "I like CBH because it is a very structured and useful in going to the root of the problems. I also like this as an elegant model which is based on stoic philosophy that can be followed as a way of life rather than just as a therapeutic intervention"

~ Jyothi Chelamcharla


“CBH is a refreshing shift from the usual hypnotherapeutic techniques in dealing with problems.


Most psychotherapy focuses on the content of the problem.


CBH is different because it focuses on the process of the problem.
I find CBH very logical and structured yet very out-of-the-box.
Certainly a very powerful tool to include in the arsenal of therapeutic techniques to be used.”


~ Dr Alan Soh

“LCCH Asia reaching another milestone with its pioneer CBH group in Kuala Lumpur.   I love CBH because it has helped me and now I can use CBH to help others.
CBH will give you skills to work through those thoughts that control the emotional state. It is very powerful stuff’.
A truly integrative endeavour that asks questions about behaviour, cognition, emotions. It was a challenging and exciting course.”

~ Thevi Sinnadurai


'Learning the CBH was truly enjoyable and life changing for me. Irrational beliefs are the core of psychological distress for us humans. CBH which employs the REBT model with hypnotherapy teaches us to recognise, come up with rational and realistic counterparts, integrate these into our system in numerous interesting methods and maintaining these newly found beliefs by constant practice. Apart from being equipped to help our patients and empower them with lifelong skills to face adversities in their lives, it also had a profound effect on changing my outlook in life. '

~ Dr Gayathri

“The class, lecturers and students were wonderful. Unlike in fundamental Clinical Hypnosis class, we associated an event that made us distress to something normal and in a strange and contradictory way the event lead us closer in achieving our goals. Moving forward, Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy CBH emphasize on the belief rather than the event on why the distress should not bothers us.  After all it does not bother others. Having that belief, reprograming thoughts (i.e. from negative and destructive to positive and productive) through hypnosis are much quicker and permanent. I would suggest students completing their Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis to continue pursuing Diploma in Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy.”

~ Ahmad Marzuki Ishak

“I was hesitant at first to sign up for CBH. I thought I should just concentrate on improving my skills in hypnotherapy with what I had already learnt, and there was already so much material I had learnt, from Certificate through to Diploma and through to Practitioner Diploma. Surely all that material is sufficient to make me a more than competent hypnotherapist, I thought.

However, at the back of my mind, I had the notion that one can never ever be "competent", just as one can never have enough learning, because if one were to set "competence" or learning as finite goals, one would stop growing, developing and improving. CBH brought this notion out from the back of my mind and made it tangible, as CBH and the principles of Albert Ellis's REBT which it embodies, provides a model which encourages a lifetime of learning, and provides the tools one needs for a lifetime of improvement, growth and development. I am so pleased I signed up for the course. I totally enjoyed myself, and having successfully challenged my unhealthy beliefs during the course, with the help of my very able course mates, am now a "changed" person! “

~ Ng Yi-Ching

“After the CBH, i can manage my own emotions and thoughts much better, I know I am responsible to make my day either sunny, rainny, shinny or stormy. I can now explain the unreasonable into reasonable. This is not only noticeable by myself, even friends and family notice the "new" me...”

~ Monica Low

Wednesday 23 March 2011

NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING (NLP) FOR HYPNOTHERAPISTS COMES TO ASIA


Ms Thevi Sinnadurai PDCH from the LCCH conducted the first two-day workshop on the ‘Art of Changing using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)’ from 26-27 February 2011 in Kuala Lumpur.  Among the topics presented were on the introduction of NLP, presuppositions of NLP, unconscious filters, your internal world : representation system : VAK, eye accessing cues, body language, changing states, creating achievable outcomes (goals) and introduction to timeline therapy.

The course is in response to the many requests from students.  

Below are some of the feedback/comments from our students.

“I am more than satisfied with the aforementioned workshop. I bought the book on NLP by Richard Bandler last year but didn’t quite grasp the gist of it. Ms Thevi's presentation was succinct, pragmatic and thought stimulating. The handout notes are comprehensive and illustrative.  She is indeed an excellent lecturer---approachable, confidence inspiring, open minded ----need I elaborate more?   

But, but---I think you should advertise such useful workshop to attract and benefit more participants to make more fruitful exchange of views and knowledge. Perhaps at least 8-10 participants will be optimal.  However, I am not complaining --- we had personal attention from the dedicated coach and I had very communicative fellow participants. It was indeed an enjoyable weekend for me.” 
~ CY Wong


"The 2-day course, conducted by an experienced NLP practitioner who’s also well versed in hypnotherapy, was a great learning and sharing experience for me. Together with fellow-hypnotherapists, we explored the contents and application of both fields. The NLP books suddenly came alive! Thank you, Thevi.”
~ Lily Hor 


Wednesday 9 March 2011

Can Clinical Hypnosis Help People Living with Arthritis, Rheumatism, Gout and other Related Disorders?



The purpose of this article is to explain what clinical hypnosis is, how it may benefit people living with arthritis, rheumatism, gout and other related disorders, in particular in managing pain, and in procuring and maintaining lifestyle changes.

What is clinical hypnosis?

Historically, hypnosis has been used in religious ceremonies, and has been associated with magic, the occult and the supernatural. Hypnosis still has these associations today. It is no wonder then that the general public, including many professionals, view hypnosis with bemusement, scepticism, suspicion and fear. Some people may also have images of swinging pendulums and stage hypnotism, with volunteers on stage clucking or mooing, when hypnosis is mentioned.

This view of hypnosis is now changing. Due to the encouraging results of numerous scientific studies and research on hypnosis conducted from the 18th century and which continue to date, hypnosis has now found its way into mainstream medical and clinical settings. Clinical hypnosis is being used for, inter alia, fractures, cancer, burns, pain relief, gastrointestinal disorders, phobias, childbirth and dentistry. Many hospitals, especially in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, are now staffed with clinical hypnotherapists. 

Although there is no singular and universally accepted definition of clinical hypnosis, a widely accepted definition is the one offered by the American Psychological Association’s hypnosis division (Yapko, 2003) –

“Hypnosis is a procedure during which a health professional or researcher suggests that a client, patient or subject experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts and behaviour.”

How Can Clinical Hypnosis Help?

Pain Management

The most notable symptom of arthritis, rheumatism and/or gout is chronic pain. Hypnosis can be used, as part of a patient’s treatment program, to reduce sensitivity to pain.

Well-controlled experiments have been carried out to test the effectiveness of including hypnosis as part of treatment programs for the relief and control of pain. They have shown hypnosis to be an effective tool.

One such study conducted by David Spiegel, MD, et al, and published in the April 29, 2000, issue of The Lancet, concluded that hypnosis reduced pain, anxiety, and blood pressure complications in patients undergoing invasive medical procedures.

A more recent study (published in the November-December 2004 issue of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine) by researchers at the University of Iowa, IU Carver College of Medicine and the Technical University of Aachen, Germany, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to find out if hypnosis alters brain activity in a way which may explain pain reduction.

They found a distinctly different pattern of brain activity in volunteers experiencing painful heat under hypnosis than when not under hypnosis. There was reduced brain activity in top levels of the pain network, and increased activity in the left anterior cingulated cortex and the basal ganglia. The researchers speculate that this increased activity in these two regions of the brain may be part of an inhibition pathway which blocks the pain signal from reaching the higher cortical structures responsible for pain perception.

Faulty and negative thought patterns

Painful arthritis attacks can also have a psychological impact on patients. Patients may often have feelings of helplessness, sadness and loss, due to a realization that they have lost their good health, mobility and/or independence. There may also be feelings of stress, anxiety and low self-esteem. Such negative emotions may further aggravate the pain, and a vicious circle of pain and negative emotions may develop. Therefore, it is desirable for a pain management to be comprehensive, which includes challenging faulty and negative thought patterns.

Hypnosis can be used to challenge these thought patterns as it includes relaxation techniques to minimize stress and anxiety, positive ego-strengthening suggestions to restore confidence, raise self-esteem and motivation, and other techniques to shift negative thoughts towards a more balanced thought pattern. Patients are also taught self-hypnosis so that they can maintain a more positive outlook, as well as to manage their pain autonomously, after leaving the therapy room. 

Motivation for Change in Lifestyle

Hypnosis may also be used to motivate patients towards adopting and maintaining a healthier lifestyle, by encouraging them to incorporate exercise and to adopt a healthier diet as part of their treatment plan.

What to Expect in a Hypnosis Session

The first session will involve taking a thorough case history of the patient, discussing his/her concerns and identifying a concern which the patient would first like to address. A personalized treatment plan will be presented and hypnosis will also be explained to the patient, to dispel any misconceptions. If hypnosis is used, it would include relaxation, pain reframe and ego-strengthening suggestions. Typically, a first session lasts 1½  hours.

In the second session the patient may be taught pain control techniques and self-hypnosis, which will be reinforced under hypnosis. Typically, a second session lasts 1 hour. Ego-strengthening and motivational suggestions will also be given to the patient under hypnosis to boost his confidence and shift his mind set positively. The patient is encouraged to practise self-hypnosis on a daily basis, so that he/she may gain control and autonomy over his/her concerns.

The third session also typically lasts an hour. In this session the patient may give feedback on his/her progress and reinforcements through hypnosis may be given if required.

Subsequent sessions may or may not be required depending on the patient’s progress.

Patients should inform their medical doctors or specialists of their intention to see a qualified clinical hypnotherapist, before they do so. This is because clinical hypnosis is a complementary treatment, to be incorporated in a patient’s medical treatment plan, and is not an alternate therapy.


References

Yapko, Michael D.,  Trancework : an introduction to the practice of clinical hypnosis (3rd Edition) (2003) NewYork & Hove, Brunner-Routledge

Hypnosis for Pain (2001). In WebMD, Inc. Retrieved October 28, 2010 from http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/hypnosis-for-pain

University of Iowa (2005). Brain Imaging Studies Investigate Pain Reduction By Hypnosis.  In ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050326100346.htm





Ng Yi-Ching, D.Hyp, PDCHyp, MBSCH, is a clinical hypnotherapist and practices at Global Doctors Specialist Centre (Hospital), 18 Jalan Kiara, Mont’ Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (+603-62030999). She holds a Diploma and a Practitioner Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis and trained with the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (Asia). She is also a Full Member of the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis in the United Kingdom.