Treatment Planning in Clinical Hypnosis

The Clinical Hypnosis Society of New Jersey is pleased to offer the fourth 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,  February 21, 2026 as we welcome Don Moss, PhD and Eric Willmarth, PhD presenting "Treatment Planning in Clinical Hypnosis." 

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, ESH, and ISH.  There is a $15 fee for nonmembers.  All proceeds go to fund the Stephen R. Lankton Scholarship Award.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Planning treatment in clinical hypnosis always involves a balancing between applying the accumulated knowledge in the field and responding to the dynamic interaction with the patient in the present moment. This presentation will outline the knowledge and the craft that should be applied in planning clinical hypnosis, and the communication with patients to obtain their informed consent. The authors also acknowledge that the principle of utilization prevails in treatment sessions, and the intended itinerary for a session may shift abruptly, based on what the patient presents in the moment.

TIMED AGENDA

11:00 – Overview of the Webinar, Introductions

11:15 – The Patient’s Presentation and Complaints

11:30 – Group Discussion:  Memorable Patient Presentations in your Clinical Practice

11:45 – The Use of Evidence Based Protocols in Treatment Planning

               Case Narrative:  IBS

12:00 – Breakout Session Discussion:  Attendees’ Use of Evidence Based Protocols

12:10 – Cautions and Contraindications

               Recognizing Medical Conditions Requiring Attention

               Case Narrative:  The Artist with the Broken Heart

               Case Narrative:  Successful Hypnosis with Hypertension

12:20 – Treatment Planning: The Science and the Art

12:35 – Utilization: Seizing the Moment

               Case Narrative:  Pain

               Case Narrative:  Fire Alarms

12:40 – Therapeutic Use of the First Session

12:45 – Group Discussion

12:50 -- Closing

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this program the participant will be able to:

• Understand hypnotic dimensions of the patient’s decision to seek help and the patient’s experience of the first therapeutic encounter;
• Explain the initial assessment and screening process, to determine the patient’s appropriateness and readiness for clinical hypnosis treatment;
• Explain the value and strategy of coordination with the patient’s medical providers.
• Execute a thorough case assessment to elucidate the information necessary to develop a quality treatment plan; and
• Design treatment plans for patients/clients who present with anxiety and bowel disorders.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Dr. Donald Moss is Professor and Dean, College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences, at Saybrook University, Pasadena, CA. He is a health psychologist, certified in hypnosis and biofeedback. He is the education chair and president for the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH). He previously served as the president of SCEH, president of Division 30 (hypnosis) of the American Psychological Association, and president of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.

Moss is co-author with Fredric Shaffer of A Primer of Biofeedback (AAPB, 2022), and co-author with Angele McGrady of Pathways through Long-Term Health Conditions: Lifestyle Medicine for your Wellbeing (Pavilion, 2025), Integrative Pathways: Navigating Chronic Illness with a Mind-Body-Spirit Approach (Springer, 2018), and Pathways to Illness, Pathways to Health (Springer, 2013).

Moss is co-editor of several scholarly books, including The Integration of Psychotherapy and Psychophysiology (Oxford University Press, 2024), Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback (AAPB, 2023), Mindfulness, Compassion, and Biofeedback Practice (AAPB, 2020),  Physiological Recording Technology and Applications in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback (AAPB, 2019), Foundations of Heart Rate Variability: A Book of Readings (AAPB, 2016), and Handbook of Mind-Body Medicine in Primary Care (Sage, 2003).

Moss is also the author or co-author of over 80 book chapters and scholarly journal articles on topics in health psychology, psychophysiology, hypnosis, and research best practices. He is currently an associate editor of the journals Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback and Frontiers (Psychology), and a consulting editor for the journals International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Annals of Palliative Medicine, and International Journal of Psychophysiology.

With over 40 years of clinical hypnosis experience, Eric K. Willmarth has worked in a large pain management practice for the past 38 years.  As a clinical psychologist, he has integrated hypnosis, biofeedback, and psychotherapy on a daily basis. Dr. Willmarth is the current president of the Michigan Society for Clinical Hypnosis and is a past president of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, and the Society for Psychological Hypnosis, APA’s Division 30.   He is currently the Director of the Applied Psychophysiology Program in the College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences, Saybrook University. Eric serves on the ASCH Clinical Hypnosis Education and Training Committee and has presented on hypnosis-related topics nationally and internationally for decades. He continues to enjoy learning from each of these experiences.