in partnership with the

Behavioral Medicine Research & Training 

Foundation

Non-profit Scientific & Educational Organization 91-1948669

operating under Section 501c3 of the US Internal Revenue Code 

6576 Blue Mountain Road, Port Angeles, WA 98362

Course Description and outline for:

Hypnosis in Psychophysiology

45 hours of CE credit, Course Fee: $750.

Presented by: Eric K. Willmarth, Ph.D. 

Concept: 

This introductory level course is the equivalent of a three credit course and provides 45 hours of CE 

credit. The course is targeted to licensed / certified clinicians such as psychologists, counselors, physical therapists, 
social workers, nurses, and physicians as well as to graduate students. 

The standard techniques of Clinical 

Hypnosis are described and students are taught the elements of their application. Uses of 
hypnotic techniques with specific types of patients and integration of these techniques into other 
behavioral medicine interventions are discussed. It is the intent of this course to 1. Provide 
students with a basic background and appreciation of the history of clinical hypnosis and provide 
and introduction to a variety of current theories of the mechanisms of hypnosis. 2. Provide 
students with sufficient knowledge to understand pertinent legal and ethical considerations 
related to the use of clinical hypnosis, and 3. Provide an overview of the empirically validated 
uses of hypnosis.

An optional in-person training session is available at extra cost to provide students with 
fundamental skills needed to induce a hypnotic state to make clinical use of the hypnotic 
condition in a variety of situations.

Learning Objectives:
1. Provide clients with a basic background and appreciation of the history of clinical hypnosis 
and provide and introduction to a variety of current theories of the mechanisms of hypnosis.
2. Provide clients with fundamental knowledge (but not necessarily the skills unless the optional 
laboratory is taken) needed to induce a hypnotic state and a knowledge base to make clinical use 
of the hypnotic condition in a variety of situations.
3. Provide clients with sufficient knowledge to understand pertinent legal and ethical 
considerations related to the use of clinical hypnosis.
4. Provide an overview of the empirically validated uses of hypnosis.

Required Texts: 

1. Required text: Hypnotic Induction & Suggestion: An Introductoty Manual. Hammond, D.C. 
(Ed.) 1998 Available through the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. (22.95) Ph. (630) 980-
4740
2. Required text: Clinical Hypnosis and Self-Regulation:
Cognitive-Behavioral Perspectives. Kirsch, I., Capafons, A., Cardena-Belna, E., & Amigo, 5. 
(1999) American Psychological Association, Washington D.C. Available through Amazon.com., 
APA Books and other major outlets.
3. Additional reprints as provided by the instructor.

Format: Home study supported by e-mail chats after each unit is completed. 

Computer and Computer Knowledge Requirements:  Anybody with a modern computer and 
a bit of basic understanding of computer operation (at the level of being able to send e-mails) can 
play this course with minimal problems. You must have a computer (a) capable of connecting to 
the internet and running a typical internet program, (b) containing/running a modern word 
processor such as Microsoft word or Word Perfect, (c) the capability to play sounds such as 
music (has speakers and appropriate software which normally come with any modern computer), 
and (d) a slide viewing program such as Power Point (you can probably get a slide viewing 
program free off the internet if you don’t have one). Any modern (e.g., built within the last ten 
years), IBM style computer running Windows 98 and more recent platforms (e.g., XP or 
Windows 8) should be able to do this. Speed, hard disk size, and RAM are not factors for 
computers in the above category.

 Dozens of students have used recent Apple products (MACs etc.) for the course however 

they frequently have more difficulty playing the course materials than PC users do.
If you are using a MAC type of computer, you must have a current version of “quicktime”. If 
you do not have it, you can download it for free from the web.

Grading:
After the course, prepare a mock case presentation in which a disorder of your choosing is 
treated with hypnosis. In addition to a full description of the problem or symptoms to be treated, 
describe your rational (supported by a literature review) for the use of hypnosis in treatment and 
include a sample hypnotic script that you would use. You may include direct or indirect 
suggestion, metaphors or symbolic stories as long as you can then defend/explain the choice of 
your technique in a brief critique of the session.

Faculty: The course is taught by ERIC K. WILLMARTH, Ph.D. Dr. Willmarth received his 
doctorate in Clinical Psychology form the Fielding Institute in 1998. He is currently director of 
behavioral medicine at the Michigan Pain Consultants in Grand Rapids, MI. He is chair of the 
American Society of Clinical Hypnosis’ Ethics Committee and chaired the program committee 
for the AAPB’s 33rd annual meeting in 2002. He received the E.R.Hilgard Award in 2000 from 
the American Psychological Association for Best Academic Thesis in Hypnosis. Dr. Willmarth 
publishes widely in both hypnosis and applied psychophysiology.

Topic Outline:

I. Initial Hypnosis Demonstration The Nature of Suggestion The History of Hypnosis- 1700 to 
1900
II The History of Hypnosis 1900 to 2000 Hypnosis in the Media
III Susceptibility - Background Lab- Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility-Form A
IV Current Theories of Hypnosis
V Introduction to Hypnotic Induction
VI Lab.- Induction Practice
VII Advanced Induction and Deepening Techniques
VIII Lab. - Practice with Deepening Techniques
IX Applications of Hypnosis Review of Empirically Validated Hypnotic Treatment
X Literature Review Hypnosis in Pain Management
XI Literature Review Hypnosis in Medical Seffings
XII Literature Review Hypnosis in Psychotherapy
XIII Hypnotic Induction Small Group Practice
XIV Ethical Standards of Hypnosis Legal Considerations
XV Hypnotic Induction Small Group Practice
Hypnosis Societies and Training Opportunities

Administrative Information

Schedule:

 You can start the course whenever wish to within six months of the purchase date 

and work at your own pace as long as you complete the course within one year of purchase.

Duration of course validity: You must begin the course within six months of the purchase 

date and complete it within one year of the purchase date. Courses not completed by that time are 
void and must be repurchased if still available. No refunds are provided for courses not 
completed within one year of purchase. 

CE Credit

:

 Saybrook University is regionally accredited and approved by the state of California to grant 

degrees. These are continuing education, not university accredited, courses. CE credits are given through 
(1) the state of California’s Board of Behavioral Sciences (Approval # PCE1895); (2) The National Board 
of Certified Counselors (Provider # 6270), and (3) the Behavioral Medicine R&T Foundation is approved 
by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The 
Foundation maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Saybrook University is regionally accredited and approved to grant degrees by the state of California.

BCIA:

 

This course is accepted by the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance for both 

certification and recertification.

Purchasing courses: Courses can be purchased from Biofeedback International Resources

by clicking the Buy Me button for the specific course HERE.

Full refund will be made until the students are given access to the course website.

After getting access to the course website, there is no refund at all, as Saybrook University and the

Foundation have committed their resources to you and you have access to all of the course materials.

A course would only be cancelled due to an extreme emergency on the part of the course instructor or

the Foundation. In the highly unlikely event a course is cancelled, you would receive a full refund.

Scholarships:  Saybrook University and the Foundation give 

scholarships 

consisting of 

25% off the cost of the course(s) to (a) students and professionals (e.g. clinicians, coaches, teachers) 
from emerging nations and (b) full time graduate students in developed nations.

Course updates: Updates to all courses are placed on the course web site as they are made. 
Students are informed when updates are available.