Using hypnotherapy to overcome examination anxiety

Eleven medical practitioners who had previously failed their fellowship examinations sought assistance in combating the anxiety that they felt had been responsible for their lack of success. They were seen individually for two, 50-minute sessions of hypnotherapeutic training designed to engender an increased confidence in their ability to overcome examination anxiety. Two outcome measures were used: the actual examination result and a face-valid attitude scale, the Examination Anxiety Thermometer. On the first of these, 10 of the 11 practitioners recorded passes, whereas on the second, 9 indicated an attitude change toward lower levels of test anxiety. Attention is drawn to the minimal expenditure of time involved in the treatment and the generalizability of the hypnotherapeutic technique to other areas of the practitioners' lives.