Teamwork Approach to Clinical Hypnosis at a Pediatric Pulmonary Center

Abstract

The aim of this report is to demonstrate the success of a teamwork approach for providing instruction in self-hypnosis at a Pediatric Pulmonary Center. In order to add to the hypnosis service provided by a pulmonologist at the Center, the Center social worker learned how to use clinical hypnosis. During a 3-year period, she instructed 72 patients (average age 11.6 years) in self-hypnosis. Eighty-two percent of the patients reported improvement or resolution of the primary symptoms, which included anxiety, asthma, chest pain, dyspnea, habit cough, hyperventilation, sighing, and vocal cord dysfunction. The social worker and pulmonologist consulted with each other on a regular basis regarding their hypnosis work, and achieved similar successful results following their hypnosis interventions. Thus, clinical hypnosis at a Pediatric Pulmonary Center can be provided by a team of varied professionals. As a team, these professionals can support each other in their on-going development of hypnosis skills.

Key Words:

• Dyspnea
• habit cough
• hypnosis
• social work
• vocal cord dysfunction