by Tim Brunson, PhD

Many hypnotic techniques depend in great part on the confidence of the operator. I always teach that the hypnotist's absolute belief in their ability to achieve successful results is vital when using waking hypnosis or any rapid trance inductions. Indeed, as we are in the business of using suggestion and imagination to obtain mental and physical results, there is little room for doubt and second guessing. However, there are situations when a demonstration of a high level of confidence may create a situation where the clinician may appear to be crossing an ethical line.

Clinical hypnotherapists are not alone in this dilemma. In fact, this is a constant problem within the medical profession where instilling hope in a patient has to be weighed against legal advice, which says that it is prudent to provide warnings regarding any possible risk. For instance, when my father had his second heart bypass surgery, the talented young surgeon dramatically informed him that he had less than a 5% chance of surviving the operation. Even though this bothered my father deeply, luckily the procedure was a complete success. On the other hand, unlike medicine, which absolutely must consider the negative effects of such communication, installing doubt in a hypnosis subject is even more contrary to nature of our art.

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