DentaltownUK April 2017 - 103

The European Society of Hypnosis Congress

Hypnosis - unlocking
hidden potential
The European Society of Hypnosis
congress in Manchester is now about 4
months away and the committee have been
working hard to organise an outstanding
event. It's a huge task and can tell you that
they are doing a great job! The academic and
social programmes are shaping up nicely
with some really interesting and exciting
things planned.
It always amazes me just how much I take
away from big hypnosis conferences like
this. I remember when I attended my first
one, having only very basic hypnosis
training under my belt. It was 2001 and I
was in Melbourne, Australia at the ASH
conference. Being new to hypnosis, I wasn't
really sure which workshops I should attend,
and I worried that they might be too
advanced for me. As a dentist, I obviously
made a beeline to all of the dental
workshops and I soaked the m up! If you
regularly attend hypnosis conferences, you
already know that presenters usually
accommodate and cater for the wide range
of experience in the room, and I learned an
enormous amount.
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Halsband will give a
keynote presentation based on some
fascinating work carried out alongside Dr
Thomas Wolf: "Functional changes in brain
activity after hypnosis in patients with
dental phobia".
Dentist, Dr Veit Messmer will also give a
keynote on 'Hypnosis in Dental Treatment:
why, when and how?' Some of the dental
workshops are the ''Tooth sleeping pearl'
method' with Allan Krupka, 'Nonverbal
Trance Induction' with Albrecht Schmierer,
' Working with Personality parts in
dentistry' with Veit Messmer and 'Jediatrics

and Jediodontics - the art of rapport,
language and communication for health and
healing in medicine and dentistry' by
myself. There will also be a Dental panel
headed up by Thomas Wolf.
What surprised me at that first conference
I went to in Australia however was just how
much I learned from some of the other
(non-dentally specific) workshops that I
could apply to my day to day work.
I can vividly recall sitting in on a lecture
on 'nocturnal enuresis' thinking - 'Wow, I
could slightly change and use that technique
for other issues with my dental hypnosis
patients!'
I still really enjoy the mix of attending
workshops, lectures and seminars that are
specific to dentistry (such as phobia,
bruxism, pain, smoking cessation and
gagging etc), attending workshops that are
relevant to anyone using hypnosis (eg rapid
induction techniques, rapport,
communication and language skills, etc)
and also attending those seemingly
unrelated to dentistry (such as depression,
addiction, childbirth etc). Attending this
mix challenges me, gives me new knowledge
and ideas and broadens my way of thinking.
While there are plenty of general and

profession specific options, I encourage you
to also dip into other topics in the
presentations you attend this August!
Over the years I have attended and presented
at many various hypnosis conferences all
over the world and have to admit that there
is always something special about the ESH
ones! While it is a European Society, the
conference attracts delegates and
phenomenal presenters from all over the
world.
Going to congresses gives an excellent
opportunity to meet like-minded
practitioners to share ideas, and exchange
advice and techniques.
The congresses are an opportunity to not
only share professional experiences, but to
also share some personal social experiences! I
now have literally dozens of friends, who I
first met at a hypnosis congress somewhere
in the world.
I also think that there is often an
assumption that to go to a hypnosis
conference, you must already have a strong
knowledge of the topic matter.
While it is true that there will be some
advanced lectures, seminars and workshops
that will present new research and ideas to
even the most experienced, the ESH
conference will have plenty on offer for those
with moderate, a little, or even no previous
experience. You will be surprised by just how
much you take away that you can use
straight away regardless of your previous
experience.
The ESH conference in Manchester is
going to be outstanding, and will likely be
the most valuable conference you have
attended in some time! ■

See you there!
Mike Gow
(Member of the scientific programming
committee ESH 2017)

The British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis (BSCAH) and The European
Society of Hypnosis (ESH) would like to welcome you to Manchester for our sociable
and thought-provoking ESH 2017 Congress. 23th - 26th August 2017
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