Hypnosis applications to the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Kaloyan S. Tanev, Carolyn Daitch
American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis February 5, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/00029157.2025.2459173 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Hypnosis |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Keywords | Cbt Hypnosis Mind-body Trauma |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Adding hypnosis to evidence-based PTSD treatments such as Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy may boost their impact. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychedelic Psychiatry's Brave New World. | 2020 | Review | |
| Reviewing the Potential of Psychedelics for the Treatment of PTSD | 2020 | Review | |
| Novel psychopharmacological therapies for psychiatric disorders: psilocybin and MDMA. | 2016 | Review | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD: Are memory reconsolidation and fear extinction underlying mechanisms? | 2018 | Review | |
| Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. | 2016 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Efficacy of imagery rescripting and imaginal exposure for nightmares: A randomized wait-list controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy June 16, 2017
- Hypnosis and Mindfulness: The Twain Finally Meet. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis April 2016
- Hypnosis, rumination, and depression: catalyzing attention and mindfulness-based treatments. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis April 1, 2010
- Eastern meditative techniques and hypnosis: a new synthesis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis October 1, 2003