WORKSHOPS

Sunday 16 September 2012
Dr Bob Large, Consultant Psychiatrist, The Auckland Regional Pain Service, NZ

Managing Pain in Context: Treatment or Self-Management?
1-day workshop: 0900-1700


Chronic pain is an increasingly recognised cause of suffering and disability across many different cultures and countries. One in six New Zealanders (16.9%) report chronic pain and the prevalence is slightly higher in Australia (19%) (Dominick et al 2011). Pain is defined as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage” (IASP 1986). Chronic pain may be viewed as pain which persists beyond the time of healing in the case of injury; or for three months or more in the case of other pain syndromes. Persistent pain is associated with psychosocial disruption and distress and has a destructive impact on people’s well-being, functioning and self-construing (James & Large, 1992).

Interdisciplinary pain management programmes have proved to be effective in helping reduce distress and improve functioning. These programmes are based on CBT principles and include extensive psycho-education to dispel the many myths about pain, its causes and neurophysiology. Patient education plays a vital role in engaging patients in the tasks of self-management. Fear avoidance of activity and movement (kinesiophobia) may be a key factor in perpetuating pain and disability and this is addressed by physical activation involving graduated exposure. Self-regulation techniques are effective in developing self-efficacy and may reduce the distress and intensity of pain. Relaxation and meditative strategies, including self-hypnosis training form a foundation for the effective learning of these techniques.

The research on the phenomenon of hypnotic analgesia has established that hypnotic suggestion can change the motivational-affective and sensory-discriminative processing of nociception in the cerebral cortex and may initiate descending inhibitory control of nociception. (Large et al 2003).

This workshop will explore the predicament of chronic pain sufferers, the elicitation of hypnotic analgesia and a method of teaching self-hypnotic skills to clients who wish to include these techniques in their repertoire of self management skills.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday 17 September 2012
Carolyn Manning, Private Practice, Melbourne

CBT in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress and other Anxiety Based Disorders, Utilising Hypnosis
3-hr workshop: 0900-1230


This workshop will provide practical examples aimed at assisting practitioners to develop their skills in the use of hypnosis with clients who have experienced major trauma and anxiety. Demonstrations of hypnotic interventions, case presentations and interactive discussion and exercises will be included in this workshop.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday 17 September 2012
Tonya Gabriel-Brennagh

A Solution Focused Approach to Facilitating Interpersonal Skills, Utilising Hypnosis
3½-hr workshop: 1330-1730


This workshop will provide training in evidence-based current research, highlighting the relationship between interpersonal communication, intimacy and self-efficacy. These studies show that the development of self-efficacy and effective intimacy derive from, and contribute to, individuals’ interpersonal communication skills The workshop will also review the types of personal schemas that impact effective interpersonal communication and provide practical strategies that participants can utilise with their clients, to help the latter develop effective interpersonal skills. A number of CBT-based strategies can also be used in helping clients develop interpersonal effectiveness and intimacy in their lives. These include: psychoeducation, specific CBT techniques (thought stopping, challenging beliefs & behaviours, etc), skills training (changing behaviours & problem solving) and relaxation strategies.   In the workshop, participants will review the range of CBT and solution-focused techniques using in counselling. An important phase of the workshop will then be to focus on the contribution that can be made to enhancing interpersonal functioning, using Ericksonian and other hypnosis techniques as synergistic supports for CBT-based and solution-focused interventions.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday 18 September 2012
A/Prof Gerard Kennedy, Victoria University, Melbourne

The Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Disorders, combining CBT and Hypnosis   
1-day workshop: 0900-1700


Insomnia is being increasingly reported as both a primary problem and also as a symptom secondary to other disorders such as stress and depression.  The term sleep hygiene has been used to refer to a range of behavioural changes that are useful for increasing sleep duration and quality.  Some of the behavioural changes that assist in improving sleep include; stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation and biofeedback training and the restriction of stimulant intake in the evenings.  In general, behavioural changes are aimed at reducing physiological arousal and thus increasing the likelihood of sleep onset. Many patients report a range of irrational beliefs about sleep and other related issues. It is often these beliefs that lead to maladaptive behaviours that either prevent or disrupt sleep. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) aims to assist patients to take a more realistic view of issues that may be central to maintaining insomnia. In addition to insomnia, there are a number of other sleep disorders that reduce psychological wellness. This workshop will address the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia and a number other relatively common sleep disorders, highlighting the central role of hypnosis, combined with CBT techniques.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 19 September 2012
Dr Norman Shum and Dr Sue Stefanovic

Hypnosis, Zen Buddhism and the Cancer Experience.
4-hr workshop: 0830-1300


Hypnosis and Zen might seem like strange bedfellows but add the element of cancer and a connection emerges.

 

  Hypnosis concerns the mind
  Zen concerns the spirit
  Cancer concerns the body

 

On Daydream Island we are all interested in hypnosis. Some ASH members may know about or be interested in Zen Buddhism. A small number may have had a personal or close encounter with cancer. As clinicians we may be asked to see a client or patient suffering from cancer. While we may be competent and comfortable managing either the mind or the body aspects, the spirit is an area, that up till now, has been rather neglected. However, having an awareness and knowledge of hypnosis and Zen can add another dimension to our clinical skill set.

 

The workshop will include theoretical and applied [practical] experiential components.

 

Participants will be introduced to Zen Buddhism, meditation practice and the relationship between hypnosis and meditation. Included in this section will be instruction in small and large group experience of meditation-oriented hypnotic induction.

 

The ramifications of the cancer experience will be presented with an invitation for participants to share their own experiences in using hypnosis with cancer clients or patients. The workshop will also look at the risk factors of who is likely to experience clinically significant distress following a cancer diagnosis, and remind us of the psychological issues in dealing with cancer. Findings from a study conducted at the University of South Australia with breast cancer survivors will be presented. Applications of hypnosis with cancer clients/patients will be discussed and demonstrated, together with hypnosis research in psychoneuroimmunology.

 

The workshop will involve case studies and practical demonstration on how to use hypnosis with cancer clients/patients. Participants will be provided with opportunity to practice hypnotic approaches and techniques, and will learn how to use a Zen hypnotic approach.

 

Some remarks will be addressed to the recent development in mindfulness-based therapies.

OBJECTIVES

 

On completion of the workshop the participants will be able to:

  1. Understand the application of Zen Buddhism to cancer client/patients.
  2. Understand “cancer” as a heath condition.
  3. Evaluate the evidence for using hypnosis with cancer/clients patients.
  4. Understand clinical applications of hypnosis with cancer clients/patients.
  5. Conduct a hypnotherapy session with cancer clients/patients.
  6. Utilise hypnosis and Zen Buddhism with cancer clients/patients.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Wednesday 19 September 2012
Doris Brett

Annie Stories by the Sea: Metaphor, Anecdotes and Stories in Psychotherapy
4-hr workshop: 1330-1730


Metaphors, myths and stories have been the earliest healing and teaching tales. They remain profoundly powerful and yet non-threatening, ways of communicating, allowing insight and encouraging change. They are effective for both adults and children and techniques used with both of these groups will be taught in this workshop.
This workshop will explore the use of several Focused Psychological Strategies [FPS]. These include:
Psycho-education – exploring the utility and clinical value of metaphors and story-telling for you and your clients.
Skills training – giving you the clinical skills to utilise metaphors and story-telling as part of your therapeutic style.
Interpersonal therapy – exploring the importance of communication on your and clients’ interpersonal effectiveness and how metaphor and story-telling can improve how we communicate with others.


This workshop is designed to help you:

  understand the principles of metaphor, story and myth;
  learn about their clinical applications; identify and use age-old metaphoric stories and understand their clinical value;
  uncover the metaphors in everyday life; and
  construct your own metaphors for use with clients and explore different sources of metaphor ranging from jokes to poetry and everything in between.

The workshop will be experiential, providing an opportunity to tap into these areas of creative and clinical insight which offer such an effective means for change. Special methods of working with children through the use of storytelling and metaphor will also be covered.