What is a Clinical Hypnotherapist?

Definition of CLINICAL HYPNOTHERAPIST 
by Dr. Fred H. Janke:
 
A clinical hypnotherapist is someone who has been trained in using  the art of hypnosis together with therapeutic intervention to bring about improvement or healing in a variety of clinical conditions and negative behaviours.  This is  much more complex than simple deep relaxation and requires sophisticated  training in a variety of therapeutic protocols.  A well trained hypnotherapist will be able to apply knowledge and training to establish and manage the subconscious root cause of negative behaviours such as fears, phobias, anxieties and 
addictions.  A well trained hypnotherapist will be trained to identify and contend with resistance to change.  The therapist will be equally able to intervene and benefit a patient in matters of acute and chronic pain as well as assisting in a variety of medical and surgical procedures, including maternity care and childbirth.  The hypnotherapist will be able to affect the over-all well being of a patient including interventions that improve post-operative wound healing and even be able to impact the healing and pain of complicated individuals such as burn patients.  A clinical hypnotherapist therefore needs to have training that is high-level and erudite.  The training should include the opportunity for an  adequate amount of hands-on supervised experience and should be followed up with refined and mature mentorship.   Thus a clinical hypnotherapist, trained in clinical intervention, is very much more than a simple hypnotist.  

Dr. Fred H Janke 
B.Sc, M.Sc, M.D., F.C.F.P.,  
F.R.R.M.S 
Director of Rural and Regional Health
Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine
University of Alberta