Clinical Application with Special Populations

Practicum, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a course of study for teachers, doctors, nurses, etc., that involves actually working in the area of study and using the knowledge and skills that have been learned in a school. Students will work with hypnotherapy clients on assessment, treatment planning, treatment coordination, and other presenting clinical issues while under the supervision of a supervising instructor. Clients will be engaged through internet marketing, current support group, and word of mouth. All clients will give Informed Consent to being treated by a student under supervision. As a prerequisite for practicum, students will be licensed or license-eligible to provide counseling to clients in individual settings.

The supervision will be in the form of case consultation sessions where students will present written case logs, excluding identifying information that will be discussed with the supervisor and other participating students. The supervision consists of case discussion and review, reading appropriate materials, and the implementation of treatment interventions by the supervisor. The student will see clients in his/her professional office. Supervision will occur either in the student's office or in the supervisor's office.

It will be the student's responsibility to maintain a case log during the course of supervision. The log will contain the date, type of case, client's age, gender, marital/relationship status, DSM-5 codes and the modality of therapy used. The supervisor will keep a similar log.

Students will engage in a minimum of 25 hours of individual supervision. Supervised group practice will be incorporated into class time.

Course content will include 1) students will demonstrate the pre-talk techniques, 2) students will conduct an intake evaluation; 3) students will demonstrate an induction into hypnosis and will administer suggestions, post hypnotic suggestions and anchors; 4) during the course of the 75 hours of classroom study, students will engage in 25 hours of practice independently in all aspects of hypnosis; 5) students will take a quiz at the end of each weekend class; 4) students will take a final exam for certification in the National Board of Hypnosis.