International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis - E-Lib FK UWKS

PATIENT SELECTION 45
the area of pain relief are enviable. Such complications are not the result of
hypnosis, but rather a failure on the part of the clinician to adequately assess
hypnotizability and carefully construct hypnotic suggestions.
When Fromm Frauman, Lynn & Brentar, 1993) looked at therapists' styles and
values, she found that the coercive, omnipotent stance tended to produce negative
reactions in the client, while a more permissive, respectful, and collaborative stance
was unlikely to encounter complications. This research again highlights clinician
characteristics, such as style and competence, as limiting factors in the hypnotic
relationship, rather than hypnosis itself as having any inherent dangers.
A ®nal area of concern is the potential for abuse of the hypnotic technique by the
client. It is the task of the clinician to teach clients that self-hypnosis is solely for
their own use. Children, in particular, must be reminded that the new skill they are
learning is for them alone, and not for them to teach to their classmates and friends.
There are stories shared among clinicians about individuals who have misused their
hypnotic skills with others. Most of these cautions, again, have to do with the risks
for highly hypnotizable subjects, and not with dangers inherent to hypnosis.
In the ®nal analysis it is the clinician's own judgment and experience that
determines whether or not hypnosis should be employed and when to introduce the
notion of hypnosis. If a client is unwilling to learn about hypnosis he or she has the
conclusive say in determining this. As has been outlined in the preceding
comments, the issues of trust and control in the therapeutic relationship are the
cornerstones of good rapport, and the client's wishes must be respected.
CONCLUSION
In summary, the selection of the client for hypnosis is a relational process in which
both the client and clinician bring many variables to the therapeutic table. The
hypnotic responsiveness of the client, individual differences and the positive
expectancies the client holds, or those which are established with the client, are all
important variables in the assessment and preparation of a client. There are no
known dangers inherent to hypnosis, but contributing factors to `negative effects'
are found within the therapist and client characteristics and within the relationship
they form.
There are four phases to the assessment and preparation of the client. The ®rst is
the evaluation phase, the second is the educational, the third is the assessment of
hypnotizability, and the fourth is the teaching of self-hypnosis.
This chapter has emphasized that hypnosis is a valuable technique to utilize in a
variety of settings. With an appropriate introduction and education about hypnosis
and hypnotic phenomena clinicians are likely to experience much success in the
use of hypnotic techniques within their individual ®elds. The chapters that follow
will explore in detail the diverse applications of hypnosis.