Healing the Wounds of Development: Attachment Theory and Hypnosis, An Integrated Approach to Psychotherapeutic Treatment

Presented by Eric Spiegel, PhD

Eric Spiegel, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Philadelphia. 

Dr. Spiegel is co-author of the book Attachment in Group Psychotherapy, published by the American Psychological Association in 2013.  He has also published on attachment and hypnosis in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (IJCEH) and American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis (AJCH).  He has taught undergraduate and graduate psychology courses at Drexel University, James Madison University, Lafayette College and the University of Maryland, and enjoys teaching internationally on a wide range of subjects, including attachment and hypnotherapy.

Workshop Description:

In this workshop, we will consider the role that hypnosis can play in a relationally attuned therapeutic relationship towards facilitating attachment repair in patients with developmental arrests (e.g. affect dysregulation, lack of identity formation, boundary difficulties, etc.).  The relational and psychological functions of attunement, representation, and mentalization are essential components of a secure attachment experience.  The presenter will review the literature and describe how hypnosis can be applied in working with each of these areas of attachment.  In its’ utilization of shared attention, tone of voice, pacing, language, and imagery, clinical hypnosis as a state, relationship, and technique offers psychotherapists a way of introducing a healthy attachment experience and renewing appropriate developmental functioning in these patients.  Through a mixture of didactic and experiential (demonstration, role play and small group training) approaches, participants will develop increased competency in (1) understanding how the therapeutic relationship in general, and clinical hypnosis from an attachment frame in particular, can be utilized to re-build developmental structure and re-engage reflective functioning and (2) utilizing specific applications of clinical hypnosis towards this aim.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this workshop, participants should be capable of:

1.) Conceptualizing and describing how a hypnotherapeutic attachment approach could be utilized for the purposes of developmental repair.

2.) Articulating how the hypnotic elements of attunement, representation, mentalization can be used to facilitate developmental repair.

3.) Formulating and delivering 3 hypnotic suggestions which advance the attachment goals of enhancing attunement in the hypnotherapeutic relationship.

4.) Hypnotically developing a mental representation of a secure attachment figure or ego state.

5.) Increase their own capacity for reflective awareness about mental states in developmentally arrested patients.

Schedule :

8-8:30AM      Registration

8:30-9:30AM:

•        Review of attachment concepts and literature, and applicability to hypnosis and the hypnotherapeutic relationship

9:30-12:30PM: (Break at 10:15-10:30)

•    Attachment-Focused Hypnosis for Developmental Repair: Attunement
•    Processes, Goals, and Skills
•    Live demonstration
•    Practice skills

Lunch 12:30-1:30PM

1:30-3:15: (Break 3:15-3:30)

•    Attachment-Focused Hypnosis for Developmental Repair: Representation
•    Review of existing hypnotic representational approaches
•    Integration of these hypnotic approaches with an attachment-centered focus
•    Processes, Goals, and Skills
•    Demonstration (Live and/or video)
•    Practice skills

3:30-5 PM

•    Attachment-Focused Hypnosis for Developmental Repair: Mentalization
•    Conceptual review and incorporating mentalization into a hypnotic approach
•    Processes, Goals, and Skills
•    Review of presenter’s mentalization hypnosis technique
•    Practice skills
•   Wrap-Up

This workshop is appropriate for Licensed  Mental Health Professionals: Social Workers, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors, Psychologists & others holding a license to practice independently, or graduate student currently enrolled and under the supervision of a licensed professional. Master's level clinicians practicing in a non-profit setting under the supervision of a licensed professional. Students and non-licensed professional are required to submit proof of their status and supervisor. Individuals requiring special accommodations should contact the society at chsnj2015@gmail.com. 

Certificates of attendance will be handed immediately to professionals who attend the entire session and complete a course evaluation. 

This course is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards - ASWB NJ CE Course Approval Program Provider #95 Course #1748 from 03/06/2018 to 03/06/2020. Social workers will receive the following type and number of credit(s): Clinical Social Work Practice 7.

This workshop is co-sponsored by NJPA and the Clinical Hypnosis Society of New Jersey.  NJPA is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. NJPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

This workshop is approved by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis for 7 hours of CE that may be applied to membership or certification requirements.

Questions can be directed via e-mail to either Maria Masciandaro, President (drmgmas@me.com) or to the Treasurer, Philip Accaria, PhD (placcaria@aol.com) .