Future focused strategies in treating depression.

Depression commonly features the experience of hopelessness and a loss of the ability to imagine and believe in one's positive future. This article considers this important feature of depression and how effective recovery from depression includes the restoration of hope and a belief in actualizing a positive future. It provides in detail a treatment strategy that is focused on cocreating with the patient a positive therapeutic outcome in the patient's future and encourages patients to internalize a representation of the future experience of recovery and restoration of hope. This approach is described in detail and begins by guiding the client suffering from depression to experience a positive therapeutic outcome during hypnosis. This is followed by having the client internalize this positive resolution and recovery and integrate this experience on conscious and subconscious levels. As the client "returns from the future" to the present, bringing back with them this experience of having achieved a resolution and recovery from depression, this corrective emotional experience can affect their daily behavior in the present arising from a significant change in thoughts, feelings, and actions. Case examples that illustrate the use of the future focused strategy in clinical practice are included.

Age Progression in the Treatment of Suicidal Patients.

Suicide is a very distressing but preventable phenomenon; it is also the most profound and serious outcome for patients and healthcare professionals. Suicidal ideations and hopelessness are a high-risk predictor for suicide attempts and death by suicide. The proper therapeutic management of suicidal patients continues to be an important challenge to all practicing clinicians. This article provides a review of age progression and specific information on the value and use of hypnotically mediated age progression as a therapeutic tool in the effective clinical management of patients with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Case examples are provided to illustrate the use of age progression in clinical practice. The literature that explores a future-oriented strategy in the treatment of suicidal patients is reviewed. Moreover, information on a method of enhancing a future oriented strategy with hypnotically mediated age progression interventions is provided. The goal is to improve therapeutic results and reducing the risk of suicide attempts and death by suicide.

The Roots and Evolution of Ego-State Theory and Therapy.

The purpose of this article is to elucidate the origins of ego-state theory and therapy and to discuss the concept of human personality as a structure comprising numerous ego states. The historical roots of ego-state theory and therapy are reviewed. Also, the evolution of ego-state therapy from classic hypnotherapy to modern methods is identified. The article notes that these methods of ego-state therapy have been described by different authors and under different names. It is suggested that core concepts related to ego-state theory and therapy of guided hypnotic dissociation may underlie the core of clinical effectiveness in many contemporary psychotherapeutic methods.

Future-Focused Therapeutic Strategies for Integrative Health.

For many years, the therapy field was dominated by a focus on the past. In this context, many clinicians were trained to use hypnosis as a tool to explore the past, and there is a rich literature documenting the use of hypnosis as a tool to induce age regression and the uncovering of traumatic memories. This article presents a therapeutic paradigm that focuses on the future. Hypnosis is used to induce creativity, flexibility, and openness to the future. In the context of health care, hypnosis is used to explore the best possible treatment outcome, which may be pharmacological, surgical, or a combination of both as well as other nonsurgical interventions. This article elaborates on the effective use of a therapeutic hypnosis strategy and technique focused on the future.

Mind-body hypnotic imagery in the treatment of auto-immune disorders.

For many years Western Medicine has considered the immune system to be separate and independent from the central nervous system. However, significant scientific advances and research discoveries that occurred during the past 50 years have presented additional facts that the immune system does interact with the central nervous system with mutual influence. This article provides a systematic review of the literature on the connection between the brain and the immune system and its clinical implications. It then provides a rational foundation for the role of using hypnosis and imagery to therapeutically influence the immune system. Five case examples are provided with illustrated instructions for clinicians on how hypnosis and imagery may be utilized in the treatment of patients with auto-immune disorders. Suggestions for future research in this field are included.