The Clinical Hypnosis Society of New Jersey is pleased to offer the third in the series of conversations based on the book, Introduction to Clinical Hypnosis: the basics and beyond, edited by Dr. Gary Elkins.
Join us on Saturday, December 13, 2025 as we welcome David R. Patterson, Ph.D., ABPP, presenting "Hypnosis for Acute Pain."
This program will be held virtually on Zoom from 11AM to 1PM EST.
The Clinical Conversations are free to members of ASCH, its component sections, SCEH, and ISH. There is a $15 fee for nonmembers. All proceeds go to fund the Stephen R. Lankton Scholarship Award.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This two hour program will focus on using hypnosis for managing pain from two types of acute pain etiologies: acute pain crisis and procedural pain. The presenter will provide theoretical background and clinical demonstration for using hypnosis with both types of pain. Hypnosis for crisis involves very rapid, direct inductions. For procedural pain, patients undergo a hypnotic session well before the medical procedure (e.g., surgery, dentistry, childbirth, burn care). The procedural hypnotica induction makes use of priming, confusion, amnesia and post-hypnotic suggestion. The presenter will describe each of these hypnotic techniques and then demonstrate them.
TIMED AGENDA
11:00 AM Hypnosis for crisis
11:30 AM Demonstration of quick hypnotic techniques
12:00 PM Hypnosis for procedural pain theory
12:30 PM Demonstration of hypnosis for procedural pain
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. To describe the difference between treating acute and chronic pain
2. To perform a quick hypnotic induction for patients in crisis
3. To perform an induction for procedural pain
4. To describe how principles of priming, confusion and amnesia can be integrated into a hypnotic intervention for procedural pain
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
David R Patterson PhD, ABPP is an emeritus professor of psychology in the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Surgery and Psychology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr Patterson’s current interests are in psychological approaches to the reducing and managing pain, particularly through hypnosis, immersive virtual reality and Eastern concepts such as mindfulness and Zen Buddhism. He remains a strong advocate of providing interventions for people in pain, particularly after trauma and had conducted several studies using pharmacology, as well as psychological alternatives. Dr Patterson has over 200 peer-reviewed publications, chapters, monographs and book chapters in topics such as pain control and adjustment to burn injuries and trauma. He has co-directed the bioethics committee in his hospital and published in the New England Journal of Medicine on topics related to bioethics. He was funded from 1989 to 2020 by the National Institutes of Health to conduct randomized controlled trials on treating burn pain and trauma pain. He has developed internship and postdoctoral training programs and has mentored hundreds of students. He has given keynote lectures and clinical workshops in dozens of countries and his work as been featured on both national and international news outlets on numerous occasions over the past 30 years. Dr Patterson’s book with Elena Mendoza entitled Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control was published in 2024.
Training health and mental health professionals since 1986