Hypnosis applications to the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Hypnosis, an early mind-body therapy, is well-suited for PTSD because the disorder itself is a mind-body problem. Hypnosis can calm patients, reduce emotional reactivity, and help change maladaptive beliefs. When combined with cognitive behavioral therapy approaches, hypnosis may amplify their effects. The article describes hypnotic techniques for each PTSD symptom cluster and compares hypnosis with mindfulness, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Adding hypnosis to established PTSD treatments like Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy can boost their impact, expanding the therapeutic options for clinicians.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Current evidence-based therapies considered efficacious for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), and medication treatments. Hypnosis, one of the first mind-body therapies known to Western medicine, has been used for mind-body problems such as conversion reactions, medication-less anesthesia, and wound healing. Because PTSD is a mind-body problem, hypnosis seems especially suited for its treatment. Hypnosis is a state-based treatment that can move PTSD patients into a state of calm, downregulate their emotional reactivity, and facilitate altering maladaptive beliefs. Combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches, hypnosis may magnify their effects. In this article, we present hypnotic techniques applicable to PTSD based on the PTSD symptom clusters they treat. We describe the goals, similarities, and differences between hypnosis and mindfulness, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. We describe how adding hypnosis to PTSD treatment protocols such as PE and CPT boosts their impact. We encourage the use of hypnotic techniques which can enhance the therapeutic palette of the CBT practitioner treating PTSD.