Despite the common framing of depression as a medical illness, there is much more hard evidence pointing to social factors leading to the large and still growing population of depression sufferers. In this presentation, the focus will be on the social factors that lead to and exacerbate depression. How therapy, itself a social process, can make use of hypnotic and strategic approaches to experientially teach skills known to reduce and even prevent depression will be explored.
Disturbed sleep painfully contributes to depression. Paradoxically, client's symptoms become pathways that disarms suffering, yielding to the solace of sound sleep. Clients then pace healing to the rhythms of restorative sleep, without excess alarm. Ericksonian-based trance language directly addressing disturbed sleep first, and indirectly addressing depression will be offered.
As the rate of depression increases around the world, it is apparent that depression is about more than just "bad chemistry." The evidence is clear that social factors play a huge role in depression's onset and course, and these can be better addressed through psychotherapy than with medications. Key aspects of effective treatment will be described in this workshop.
A key idea in Milton Erickson's work was that a person's problematic experiences and behaviors can be skillfully accepted and utilized as the basis for therapeutic change. Self-Relations psychotherapy develops this idea further, emphasizing symptoms as indicating the death of an old identity and the impending birth of a new identity. Thus, we don't try to "get rid of" depression, anxiety, or other "acting out/acting in" expressions, but instead invite them into a human relationship of "sponsorship", where their healing and helpful nature may be realized. We will see how a therapist can generate a ritual space where symptoms and other disturbing experiences can be "midwifed" into new identities.
This workshop will provide participants with innovative and supportive strength-based interventions to address the unique impact of violence and trauma on adolescent girls. A model for applying Ericksonian hypnosis and metaphor will be presented and practiced. These techniques can be used to facilitate clients in reconnecting to a healthy mind/body state by applying tools for understanding and working with the expressions of trauma such as disordered eating, suicidal ideation, self-harming, addiction, depression, anxiety and phobias in the daily lives and relationships of young women.
The diagnosis of depression has two very different realities which can make treatment difficult. We will describe a depression that begins with acute and chaotic symptoms. The use of hypnosis in the beginning acute and chaotic phase is very important and usually has a quick and effective result.
This workshop will demonstrate how we can start with the symptom and discover new ways to use hypnosis for diseases like phobias, panic disorders and depression. Dr. Bauer will describe interpersonal techniques to help these patients.