Re: hypnosis

To Udo Ebeling

From my understanding you are asking a clinical question. Is hypnosis or EMDR more useful for the treatment of PTSD? I started my training in hypnosis in the early 70's. Training included courses and supervision with some of the foremost practitioners at that time including a week with Milton Erickson later in the 70's. My clinical practice for years was based on hypnosis. In early 1990 I took my first training in EMDR. I was working in the VA with PTSD patients ranging from WW2 ex-POW's to younger veterans with non- combat related PTSD. Rumors had been circulating in the VA about a new PTSD "cure" and I went to the training as a skeptic. My skepticism was based on an understanding of the difficulty working with veterans with long term symptoms of PTSD. I am currently the program coordinator of both an inpatient and outpatient PTSD treatment unit for the VA. I may use hypnotic techniques for relaxation training and for helping veterans learn skills for self management. My primary treatment approach now is EMDR. I have not found EMDR to be a magical "cure" for every veteran nor do I often have 3 session treatment successes with this difficult population. But, EMDR has been the most powerful treatment approach I have been able to use. When I don't use EMDR
with a patient I don't go back to hypnosis as a primary treatment method. One other issue. I do a considerable amount of training at the VA of young professionals. I find that EMDR is easily learned. I am not saying that clinical skill doesn't count. A generally unskilled clinician will continue to be a poor clinician no matter what they learn.

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