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Hypnotherapy and therapeutic suggestion: bridging the gap between evidence and utility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2022

Henry Orewa  and
Itoro Udo Open the ORCID record for Itoro Udo [Opens in a new window]
Henry Orewa
Affiliation:
Postgraduate student on the Masters in Public Health programme at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Itoro Udo
Affiliation:
Consultant psychiatrist at City Clinic & Wellness Center, London, Ontario, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. He is an accredited practitioner with the British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis (BSCAH) and holds an Advanced Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis with distinction from Staffordshire University, UK. He uses clinical hypnosis in his daily work, especially in the management of complaints of bodily distress and medically unexplained symptoms.
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Summary

The use of hypnotherapy in psychiatry has been controversial. However, evidence presented by Chan and colleagues shows that it is beneficial to the promotion of good mental health and well-being, specifically being applicable in the management of mental disorders. But what does this mean for practice? This commentary looks at what we agree and disagree with, what we opine is missing from the article and what now needs to happen. Patients should be able to access hypnotherapy or hypnosis routinely on the National Health Service. Since it works, who may it work for and how may we make this available to those who could benefit from it?

Keywords

Hypnosishypnotherapyevidencecontroversiespsychiatrists
Type
Commentary
Information
BJPsych Advances , Volume 29 , Issue 6 , November 2023 , pp. 388 - 390
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists

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Footnotes

†

Commentary on… Update on hypnotherapy for psychiatrists. See this issue.

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