A Short Unobtrusive Hypnotic Induction for Assessing Hypnotizability: II. Clinical Case Reports

Abstract

Three clinical cases illustrating the use of a brief hypnotic-assessment procedure (HAP) utilizing the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) (Pekala, 1982, 1991c) are presented. The PCI-HAP consists of a 20-minute induction procedure, a short debriefing interview, and completion of the PCI by the client after the session. The procedure allows for the assessment of a client's hypnotizability level in a manner that is relatively unobtrusive and that generates phenomenological data to begin to help tailor a hypnotic intervention to the client. The use of the PCI-HAP for the three cases reviewed suggests that it can provide useful information about a client's hypnotizability level that I find helpful in treating the client in a private-practice setting.