Hypnosis in a primary care practice: developing skills for the "new morbidities"

Training in hypnotherapy provides the primary care practitioner with skills needed to address increasingly common, significant sources of childhood morbidity: stressful life events, psychophysiological symptoms, chronic disease, and behavioral problems. Although there are many reports on the utility of hypnosis in these areas, there are few on its use within primary care. This paper describes the integration of hypnotherapeutic methods into the continuum of pediatric encounters in a solo general pediatric practice. Specific techniques for approaching and examining young patients and their problems are illustrated. Preliminary data are presented from a prospective chart review of those children and adolescents within the practice who use hypnosis. Guidelines for the application of hypnosis in pediatric primary care are summarized. Emphasis is placed on the necessity and opportunity for research on the efficacy of these methods in the primary care setting.