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Applying Yapko's Approach to Pediatric Hypnosis: Assessment and Treatment in Medical and Mental Health Settings
Pamela Kaiser, PhD, CPNP; Jody Thomas, PhD; Jeffrey Lazarus, MD

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As in most fields, innovations in medical and mental health care typically occur in the world of adults before they trickle down to children. As such, translating innovative adult hypnotic approaches for use in children is critical for advancing the field of pediatric hypnosis. Michael Yapko, PhD, has developed a systematic and efficient method to identify an individual's strengths and underdeveloped resources for targeted hypnosis intervention. His pragmatic perspective, informed by utilization principles, positive psychology, and brief strategic therapy, is complementary to current teachings in pediatric hypnosis.

This workshop will demonstrate how pediatric clinicians can use Yapko's model by considering children's emerging patterns in cognitive, perceptual, and behavioral styles across developmental stages. Participants will learn how to assess these stylistic patterns and translate them into therapeutic goals and targeted hypnotic intervention. Use of hypnosis for anxiety, pain, and peak performance will be specifically discussed. This cutting edge approach can greatly improve the efficacy and efficiency of interventions.

The primary focus of the workshop will be the utilization of experiential learning methods to foster understanding and consolidation of the basic principles and strategies of Yapko's approach. Video clips, live demonstrations, and small and large group exercises will complement the didactic teaching. Participants will analyze patient videos, and learn to identify style patterns that can be translated into effective hypnotic intervention. Both newcomers and participants from last year's workshop can expect to learn skills to enhance their clinical work. Professionals from various backgrounds are encouraged to attend.

Pediatric patients' strengths and underdeveloped resources will be more efficiently and accurately determined due to clinicians' use of a systematic approach to assessment. Clinicians will be able to utilize this approach to more effectively target intervention, and develop more precise interventions. With more precisely defined goals for a hypnosis intervention plan, pediatric patients may potentially achieve therapeutic outcomes sooner.

At the conclusion of this session, participants should be able to…

- Express a basic understanding of Yapko's assessment method;
- Define features of children's cognitive, perceptual and coping style as it relates to hypnosis;
- Efficiently appraise a child's strengths and underdeveloped resources as targets for
hypnotic intervention based on Yapko's systematic method to assess style patterns;
- Describe at least two examples of how a child's style pattern profile could influence
selecting targets for intervention in hypnosis; and
- Utilize this assessment to pragmatically construct a targeted hypnotic intervention in at
least 3 clinical situations.