Hypnotherapists help improve patients hospital stay

Hypnotherapy graduates volunteer in a groundbreaking scheme to help improve patient’s hospital experience

The London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH) volunteer scheme is providing a hypnotherapy service to hospitals that is spreading throughout the UK. Thomas van Berckel who develops and runs the program says “the scheme has a two-fold purpose: to bring clinical hypnosis into the primary health care arena and to create effective research looking at the efficacy of clinical hypnosis.” Thomas adds that, “we are involved in the promotion of hypnotherapy and ultimately it’s integration within hospitals throughout the UK.”

The LCCH’s most recent placements include the Cardiology and the Cystic Fibrosis Units at the Royal Brompton Hospital and the Cancer Care Unit at St Georges Hospital. Initially two therapists go into each placement. Feisal Umar, placed at St Georges Hospital says, “the placement scheme complements and integrates with conventional medical approaches. In this way we can help the patient to improve their experience as much as possible during their stay in hospital.”

Maggie Elmore, using hypnotherapy with pulmonary hypertension patients at the Royal Brompton Hospital says “hypnotherapy allows patients to work through personal issues regarding their condition. It also allows them to address any concerns they may have about medical procedures they need to undergo. Having believed that they'd hand over control of their lives to the medical profession forever, hypnotherapy helps patients understand that in a very real and positive way they are part of a team, still in the driver's seat, still in charge, which then helps them cope better.”

Peter Mabbutt, CEO and Director of Studies for the LCCH said “with NICE (The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) now recommending hypnotherapy, the placement scheme will help both the medical community and the general public gain a more realistic understanding of hypnotherapy and its potentials.”