Evidence Based Abreactive Ego State Therapy for PTSD

Abstract

A single 5–6 hours manualized abreactive ego state therapy session has recently been subjected to two placebo-controlled investigations meeting evidence-based criteria. Ego state therapy was found to be a highly effective and durable treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Apparently, ego state therapy works because it is emotion focused, activates sub-cortical structures, and because the supportive, interpretive therapist reconstructs the patient's personality to be resilient and adaptive. In this article the author reviews the treatment procedures and presents the findings of both studies.

Keywords:

• hypnosis
• hypnotherapy
• hypnotic intervention

Notes

1. The spiral bound manual (Clinical Edition) (Barabasz, Barabasz, Christensen, & Watkins, 2012) is available only to licensed heath care professionals and Ph.D., M.D., M.B., Ch.B.s and clinically qualified university researchers at nominal cost by e-mailing the author ([email protected]). In an effort to preclude access to lay hypnotists the author asks that this copyrighted manual not be made available to the public as it could be misused.