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Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

2024 Sessions

Fundamentals of Hypnosis Part 1

This introductory level workshop will provide a solid conceptual and practical framework for understanding the dynamic and fascinating field of hypnosis. The emphasis will be on starting to develop some of the core skills for designing and delivering hypnotically based interventions in ways that are consistent with your chosen style of practice. This workshop will include the opportunity to observe and deconstruct a recorded clinical hypnosis demonstration session.<br><br>People learn best through experience, and hypnosis is a vehicle of focused, experiential learning. Research on the effectiveness of hypnosis highlights the fact that hypnosis enhances treatment outcomes. It is a domain of professional practice that encompasses effective and empowering approaches to psychotherapy (such as skill building, resource accessing and reframing) and behavioral medicine (such as pain management and promoting health and healing). What a privilege to work with people in this way!

Speaker

Tuesday, December 08 8:00–10:00 AM
Preconference
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Fundamentals of Hypnosis Part 2

This introductory level workshop will provide a solid conceptual and practical framework for understanding the dynamic and fascinating field of hypnosis. The emphasis will be on starting to develop some of the core skills for designing and delivering hypnotically based interventions in ways that are consistent with your chosen style of practice. This workshop will include the opportunity to observe and deconstruct a recorded clinical hypnosis demonstration session. People learn best through experience, and hypnosis is a vehicle of focused, experiential learning. Research on the effectiveness of hypnosis highlights the fact that hypnosis enhances<br>treatment outcomes. It is a domain of professional practice that encompasses effective and empowering approaches to psychotherapy (such as skill building, resource accessing and reframing) and behavioral medicine (such as pain management and promoting health and healing). What a privilege to work with people in this way!

Speaker

Tuesday, December 08 10:30–12:30 PM
Preconference
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Fundamentals of Hypnosis Part 3

This introductory level workshop will provide a solid conceptual and practical framework for understanding the dynamic and fascinating field of hypnosis. The emphasis will be on starting to develop some of the core skills for designing and delivering hypnotically based interventions in ways that are consistent with your chosen style of practice. This workshop will include the opportunity to observe and deconstruct a recorded clinical hypnosis demonstration session. People learn best through experience, and hypnosis is a vehicle of focused, experiential learning. Research on the effectiveness of hypnosis highlights the fact that hypnosis enhances<br>treatment outcomes. It is a domain of professional practice that encompasses effective and empowering approaches to psychotherapy (such as skill building, resource accessing and reframing) and behavioral medicine (such as pain management and promoting health and healing). What a privilege to work with people in this way!

Speaker

Tuesday, December 08 1:00–3:00 PM
Preconference
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Exploring Hypnosis and Therapeutic Dissociation: The Role of Detachment Across Therapies as a Precursor to Meaningful Change

What makes it possible for someone to get so absorbed in subjective experience that they experience a significant reduction or even elimination of pain? How does encouraging someone to view their hurtful thoughts “as if clouds in the sky floating away from you” make it easier to dramatically reduce emotional reactivity to those thoughts?

Clinicians are often trained to be aware of the negative effects of dissociation (e.g., fugue states, psychogenic amnesia, etc.) through their clinical training, but some of the most vital elements of any good therapeutic intervention will feature dissociation. After all, every client has to detach from whatever it was he or she was doing, thinking or feeling that was hurtful in order to begin doing, thinking or feeling something else that is healthier and more adaptive. The field of clinical hypnosis has been studying the phenomenon of therapeutic dissociation intensively for over a century since it is the foundation for producing remarkable hypnotic phenomena.

In this workshop, we will witness some of these impressive human capabilities and consider the merits of positive applications of dissociation as a catalyst for meaningful change across a wide array of therapeutic approaches.

Speaker

Wednesday, December 09 11:45–1:45 PM
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

The Fiction of Memory

For several decades, Elizabeth Loftus has been manufacturing memories in unsuspecting minds. Sometimes this involves changing details of events that someone actually experienced. Other times it involves planting entire memories event events that never happened – “rich false memories.” People can be led to believe that they did things that would have been rather implausible. They can be led to falsely believe that they had experiences that would have been emotional or traumatic had they actually happened. False memories, like true ones, also have consequences for people, affecting later thoughts, intentions, and behaviors.
Can we tell true memories from false ones? In several studies, these created false memories in the minds of people, were then compared to true memories.. Once planted, the false memories look very much like true memories – in terms of behavioral characteristics, emotionality and neural signatures. If false memories can be so readily planted in the mind, do we need to think about “regulating” this mind technology? And what do these pseudomemories say about the nature of memory itself?

Discussant

Speaker

Thursday, December 10 2:30–4:00 PM
Great Conversation
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Faculty

Elizabeth Loftus

PhD
Distinguished Professor
University of California, Irvine

Elizabeth Loftus, PhD is Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine. She holds positions in the Departments of Psychological Science, and also Criminology, Law & Society, and is a Professor of Law. Loftus’s research has focused on human memory, eye-witness testimony and also on courtroom procedure. Her work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Science Foundation. She was elected president of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), the Western Psychological Association (twice), the American Psychology-Law Society, and the Experimental Psychology division of the Ameri- can Psychological Association (APA). Loftus has received seven honorary doctorates for her research, from universities in the United States, but also The Netherlands, Great Britain, Israel and Norway. She was elected to numerous prestigious organuizations including the National Academy of Science.

We've Had Antidepressants for Over 30 Years Now: So, Hows' That Working Out for Us?

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the most common mood disorder on earth and earlier this year was ranked as the number one cause of suffering and disability worldwide by the World Health Organization (WHO). Depression is a complex, multi-faceted disorder and many different theories have been formulated to describe its etiology and course. In this joint presentation, Drs. Polster and Yapko will compare and contrast their viewpoints about depression, the liberal use antidepressant medications, and why good psychotherapy is more important than ever.

Speaker

Friday, December 11 8:00–9:30 AM
Great Conversation
Faculty

Erving Polster

PhD
Director
Gestalt Training Center San Diego

Erving Polster, PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a veteran teacher of gestalt therapy and has authored 6 books. In his current writings, he offers perspectives and designs for a communal application of psychotherapy principles. He also describes and celebrates a powerful contemporary momentum for people-at-large to join together in the search for personal and social enlightenment.

Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Hypnosis and Experiential Learning

The modern perspective of hypnosis considers the role of attention and absorption in catalyzing adaptive responses. Hypnosis provides a context for developing new associations on multiple levels that have therapeutic potential. In this clinical demonstration, a hypnosis session will be conducted to assist the client in evolving resources that may be helpful to facilitate personal growth.

Discussant

Speaker

Friday, December 11 1:30–3:00 PM
Clinical Demo with Discussant
Faculty

Steven Hayes

PhD
Foundation Professor of Psychology Emeritus
University of Nevada, Reno

Steven C. Hayes is a Nevada Foundation Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of Nevada and President of the Institute for Better Health, a 45-year-old charitable organization that promotes quality in mental and behavioral health services. An author of 48 books and over 700 scientific articles, he is especially known for his work on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), one of the most widely used and researched psychological interventions of the past 20 years.

Dr. Hayes has received several national awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy and the Cattell Award from the Association for Psychological Science—their lifetime achievement award for applied psychology. His popular book Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life was, for a time, the best-selling self-help book in the United States, and his book A Liberated Mind explains why psychological flexibility helps us navigate the world. Methods he has developed are distributed worldwide by the World Health Organization and other major agencies. His TEDx talks and blogs have been viewed or read by over three and a half million people, and he is ranked among the most cited psychologists in the world.

Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

It's Time to Invite the "Crazy Cousin" to the Family Picnic: Why Every Therapist Should Know Much More About the Hypnosis They're Already (Sort of) Doing

The field of hypnosis has moved to the forefront of objective research in striving to understand the many dimensions of subjective experience. High quality neuroscientific evidence for changes in the way the brain and mind interact offer compelling evidence that there is much more to hypnosis than meets the eye.

The old “hocus-pocus” days are long, long gone and thinking of hypnosis as the “crazy cousin” that nobody wants at the family picnic is simply a misinformed and obsolete perspective. Modern hypnosis focuses on attentional processes and how they relate to cognition, mood and behavior. The reasons why are obvious: What you focus on shapes your responses and quality of life. Hypnosis can be thought of as a means of helping people re-direct attention to that which will help them achieve their aims. The field of clinical hypnosis is broad, deep and fascinating, and most impressive of all is the capacity of hypnosis to empower people, as the studies of therapeutic efficacy clearly show.

In this address I will share some insights about hypnosis and the merits of integrating its many uses into clinical practice as well as personal growth.

Speaker

Saturday, December 12 9:15–10:15 AM
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Process-Oriented Hypnosis: Being General Deliberately to Produce Specific Results

As advances are made in better understanding the power of focus in shaping one's subjective perceptions and even one's physiology, the field of clinical hypnosis has played an especially important role in this ongoing process of discovery. Despite too many clinicians' terribly misinformed dismissal of hypnosis as little more than a gimmick, in fact hypnosis has evolved a strong scientific basis arising from its insights into neuroscience, cognition, suggestive language and information processing, placebo and nocebo responses, the therapeutic alliance, and more.

Just as there are many different models of psychotherapy, each with different foundational philosophies and methods, there are many different models of hypnosis, each with a different emphasis and utilizing different approaches. The highly innovative work of Milton Erickson in particular is widely acknowledged by therapists who may or may not use hypnosis but are definitely influenced by his strategic methods.

Milton Erickson was often credited with being a "mind-reader," but he simply said he was more observant than most. Realistically, there are many common denominators of human experience that can make one seem a mind reader to a client when touching on them in the course of therapy. Hypnosis can be especially well used to address generalities that have very specific effects. In this workshop, we'll explore this gentle style of process-oriented hypnotic intervention.

Speaker

Wednesday, December 01 7:30–9:30 AM
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Re-thinking Depression: Disease or Social Phenomenon?

Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, depression was already ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the number one cause of human suffering and disability. The pandemic caused a huge spike in rates of depression giving rise to serious questions about the way we think about depression. Is it primarily a neurochemical phenomenon? Is it a product of environmental and situational influences? Or both? This conversation will explore these questions and others as well.

Speaker

Thursday, December 02 1:30–2:30 PM
Great Conversation
Faculty

David Burns

MD
Emeritus Adjunct Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Stanford Medical School

David Burns, MD, is an Adjunct Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Stanford Medical School and has served as a visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of the phenomenally successful Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (> 5 million sold) and host of the popular Feeling Good Podcast (> 8 million downloads).

Dr. Burns was a pioneer in the development of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and is the founder of the new TEAM-CBT, which is featured in his latest book, Feeling Great. He has received numerous awards for his research and teaching, including the prestigious A. E. Bennett Award for his research on the now-defunct “chemical imbalance” theory of depression and the Irma Bland Teaching Award from the American Psychiatric Association. His new Feeling Great app is now available in app stores.

More than 50,000 mental health professionals have attended his training programs throughout the United States and Canada.

Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Depression

Depression is one of the most common problems brought to psychotherapists. Treatment options and biological substrates will be discussed.

Panelist

Thursday, December 02 2:45–3:45 PM
Topical Panel
Faculty

Michael Miller

MD, DLFAPA, DFASAM
Clinical Professor
Loma Linda University

Michael M Miller, MD, is a board-certified general and addiction psychiatrist and is board-certified in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. He is a skilled individual, family and group psychotherapist along with being expert in the medication management of addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disorders, treating patients of all ages. He also works an independent consultant to a wide range of non-profit, governmental, and health care clients, serves as an expert witness, and is widely respected as a teacher. Dr. Miller was a clinician and educator specializing in addiciton medicine in Wisconsin for 40 years before relocating to California. He now serves as an addiction psychiatrist at the Jerry L Pettis VA Medical Center in Loma Linda, California, where he is active in clinical teaching in the addiction medicine fellowship program of Loma Linda University. He is a full professor in the medical schools at LLU and UC-Riverside, teaching residents from varoius specialties along with medical students. Dr. Miller is past president of the American Society of Addiction (ASAM), has served as co-author and editor of the ASAM Criteria, and led the development of the 2011 ASAM Definition of Addiction. He was a founding board member of both the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) and the American College of Academic Addiction Medicine (ACAAM). He has been a leader in organized medicine and public health, including serving over 25 years in the AMA House of Delegates and as chair of the AMA Council on Science and Public Health

Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Is the Repressed Memory Controversy Still Controversial?

The so-called "repressed memory controversy" gave rise to some of the most polarizing debates in the history of psychotherapy. Was anything resolved? What have we learned about the complex interplay between trauma, memory, and suggestibility? Two experts who each played important roles in shaping the conversation about the salient issues will share their experiences and insights about the complex issues associated with the "memory wars."

Speaker

Friday, December 03 1:30–2:30 PM
Great Conversation
Faculty

Elizabeth Loftus

PhD
Distinguished Professor
University of California, Irvine

Elizabeth Loftus, PhD is Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine. She holds positions in the Departments of Psychological Science, and also Criminology, Law & Society, and is a Professor of Law. Loftus’s research has focused on human memory, eye-witness testimony and also on courtroom procedure. Her work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Science Foundation. She was elected president of the Association for Psychological Science (APS), the Western Psychological Association (twice), the American Psychology-Law Society, and the Experimental Psychology division of the Ameri- can Psychological Association (APA). Loftus has received seven honorary doctorates for her research, from universities in the United States, but also The Netherlands, Great Britain, Israel and Norway. She was elected to numerous prestigious organuizations including the National Academy of Science.

Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Homework Assignments

Therapy happens in life, not just in the consulting room. Assignments facilitate treatment goals.

Panelist

Saturday, December 04 11:00–12:00 PM
Topical Panel
Faculty

Steven Hayes

PhD
Foundation Professor of Psychology Emeritus
University of Nevada, Reno

Steven C. Hayes is a Nevada Foundation Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of Nevada and President of the Institute for Better Health, a 45-year-old charitable organization that promotes quality in mental and behavioral health services. An author of 48 books and over 700 scientific articles, he is especially known for his work on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), one of the most widely used and researched psychological interventions of the past 20 years.

Dr. Hayes has received several national awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy and the Cattell Award from the Association for Psychological Science—their lifetime achievement award for applied psychology. His popular book Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life was, for a time, the best-selling self-help book in the United States, and his book A Liberated Mind explains why psychological flexibility helps us navigate the world. Methods he has developed are distributed worldwide by the World Health Organization and other major agencies. His TEDx talks and blogs have been viewed or read by over three and a half million people, and he is ranked among the most cited psychologists in the world.

Faculty

Donald Meichenbaum

PhD
Retired Professor
University of Waterloo Ontario

Donald Meichenbaum, PhD in Clinical Psychology is currently the Research Director of the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention, Miami (www.melissainstitute.org). He is one of the founders of cognitive behavior therapy and was voted one of the most influential psychotherapists of the 20th century. His latest books include Roadmap to Resilience (www.roadmaptoresilience.com) and Evolution of Cognitive Behavior Therapy: A Personal and Professional Journey.

Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Exploring the Hypnotic Elements of Mindfulness

Mindfulness isn't a therapy in its own right, but its capacity for improving the quality of people's lives has received substantial empirical support as a class of meaningful interventions, particularly when embedded in a substantive therapeutic framework. Guided mindfulness meditation as a focusing strategy shares some key characteristics with clinical hypnosis, guided imagery, positive psychology, and other such focus-related approaches, but usually has a different aim in its application. This speech explores these overlaps when mindfulness is applied to a goal-oriented treatment process. This is NOT a speech about spiritual exploration with mindfulness. Rather, the focus is entirely on clinical applications of key aspects of mindfulness by deconstructing the hypnotic elements of such processes. We will identify the therapeutically relevant components of guided meditations, and how we can construct more meaningful interventions by incorporating them in novel ways.

Speaker

Sunday, December 05 12:30–1:30 PM
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Hypnosis Re-Imagined: How Milton H. Erickson Changed Our Minds

Milton H. Erickson, M.D., is widely acknowledged as one of the most creative and influential therapists of the 20th century. Almost singlehandedly, Dr. Erickson re-defined how hypnosis and hypnotic phenomena are conceptualized and applied in clinical practice. His remarkable influence on the field was highlighted by a recently published international survey of hypnosis practitioners in more than 30 countries, the majority of whom defined themselves as primarily “Ericksonian” in their theoretical and practical orientation. Furthermore, there are more than 100 institutes around the world that bear his name and promote his approaches, with The Milton H. Erickson Foundation headed by Dr. Jeffrey Zeig as the “hub of the Erickson wheel.” What is it about Erickson the man and Erickson the pioneering psychiatrist that has left such an enduring mark on the fields of clinical hypnosis and psychotherapy? This conversation between two experts in hypnosis will consider the range of possible answers to these intriguing questions.

Presenter

Wednesday, December 13 3:45–4:45 PM
Room Pacific - AB (Hilton)
Great Conversation
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

Jeffrey Zeig

PhD
Director
The Milton H. Erickson Foundation

Dr Zeig is the Director and Founder of The Milton Erickson Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona. He has edited or authored 20 books on psychotherapy including A Teaching Seminar with Milton Erickson and The Evolution of Psychotherapy.
Dr. Zeig has served the Architect and Organizer of: The Evolution Conferences; The Couples Conferences; the Erickson Seminars and The Milton H. Erickson Congresses. Dr Zeig is a Clinical Psychologist and marriage and family counselor in Phoenix, Arizona. In his private practice he specializes in brief psychotherapy and hypnotherapy. Dr. Zeig teaches nationally and internationally and has presented at major medical centers in the United States.

Re-thinking the Therapeutic Alliance: Suggestibility and Treatment Responsiveness

Virtually all clinicians recognize the importance of the relationship between the therapist and the client. Whether it’s called a therapeutic alliance, an attunement, or a rapport, a positive interrelationship is routinely characterized as being the most important factor shaping the client’s progress. While the alliance is certainly a key factor, a key question then is, what makes some clients more responsive to the alliance and intervention and others less so? What role does suggestibility play in the process? The art and science of clinical hypnosis offers some valuable insights into the multiple factors shaping a client’s response to clinical interventions. Some of these insights will be presented and discussed in this speech that is an ode to the merits of suggestion and hypnosis in psychotherapy.

Discussant

Presenter

Thursday, December 14 9:40–11:10 AM
Room California - D (Hilton)
Speech with Discussant
Faculty

Camillo Loriedo

MD
Founder and Director
Istituto Italiano di Psicoterapia Relazionale - Rome - Italy

Camillo Loriedo, MD

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Director, Istituto Italiano di Psicoterapia Relazionale, Rome
Director, Scuola Italiana di Ipnosi e Psicoterapia Ericksoniana, Rome
President, Società Italiana Milton Erickson (SIME-Italian Milton Erickson Society)
Founder and President, Italian Society of Psychotherapy (SIPSIC)
President, Italian Society of Hypnosis (SII)
Since 1998, Member of the Milton Erickson Foundation Board of Directors
Professor of Psychiatry, “Sapienza” University of Rome
Past-President, International Society of Hypnosis (ISH)
Past-President, European Society of Hypnosis (ESH)
Since 2020, Founder and Director of the Silent Emotions Center in Rome for Eating Disorders Diagnosis and Treatment

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITIONS
The Milton H. Erickson Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contribution to the field of Psychotherapy, Milton H. Erickson Foundation (2001)
ESH Fellowship, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the European Society of Hypnosis (2011)
Benjamin Franklin Award (Gold Medal), the highest ISH honor, with the following motivation: Prolific author, creative therapist, distinguished leader. International Society of Hypnosis (2012)
Shirley R. Schneck Award for Significant Contributions to the Development of Medical Hypnosis, Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH) (2012)
ESH Honorary Membership by the European Society of Hypnosis, for outstanding contributions to the field of Hypnosis (2014)

PUBLICATIONS
Authored over 440 scientific papers and 34 books, including:
Loriedo, C., Vella, G., Paradox and the Family System, Brunner/Mazel, New York, 1992
Loriedo, C., Peter, B. (Eds.), The New Hypnosis: The Utilization of Personal Resources in Ericksonian Practice and Training, Hypnosis International Monographs, Munich, 2002
Loriedo, C., Zeig, J.K., Nardone, G., Tranceforming: Ericksonian Methods, Milton Erickson Foundation Press, Phoenix, 2010

Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.

The Experiential and Strategic Treatment of Depression

Depression is the most common mood disorder in the world, one that is still growing steadily in both prevalence and severity. How a clinician thinks about the nature of depression and answers fundamental questions - such as what causes depression - naturally determines what treatment approaches they are most likely to take. Regardless of one’s preferred theoretical orientation, however, depression experts agree that treatment needs to be multi-dimensional and active in teaching skills in key areas such as coping, social, and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, the more we learn about the neuroscience of mood, especially neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, the more important well designed experiential learning processes become in treatment. These include the use of task assignments and focusing processes such as hypnosis and mindfulness, which can be applied in treatment to teach mood self-regulation skills. Learning to think strategically requires a better-than-average understanding of the patterns that regulate depression as well as an appreciation for how active the client needs to be in the treatment process. Such approaches are unapologetically goal-oriented because the larger goal is obvious: We want the client to not only feel better but be better. A video demonstration of a clinical hypnosis session addressing depression will be included.

Presenter

Saturday, December 16 9:20–12:20 PM
Room Pacific - C (Hilton)
Faculty

Michael Yapko

PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice

Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, as well as throughout the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on How to Recover from Depression has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books, including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals, Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (www.mindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the great outdoors in their spare time.
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