About this course
Year 3 · CWW curriculum · Course ID CWW-22
In this course you will understand the limits of supportive hypnosis around medical, dental and birth care.
CWW curriculum overview · My Progress
Before you begin
Complete the entry orientation and supervisor agreement, and study the units in order. Your Year 2 demonstration must be approved before you begin Year 3. If you have equivalent prior learning, your Shihan will document the decision. Completing this course does not establish external professional registration; external credentials and legal authority are verified separately.
What you’ll learn
1. Working alongside clinical care
Study the medical and birth themes as an advanced overview. This course does not train a learner to replace anesthesia, deliver a baby or alter treatment. Hypnosis research in some clinical settings does not promise pain-free procedures. Care decisions remain with the appropriately qualified treating team and patient.
- Understand the Esdaile State: Learn the historical and clinical significance of the Esdaile state in surgical hypnosis. Example: Inducing analgesia for minor surgical procedures.
- Master Somnambulism Techniques: Explore methods to induce somnambulism and apply it to reduce dental anxiety. Example: Using suggestibility to ease fear during dental extractions.
- Induce Deep Trance States: Practice techniques for guiding clients into deep trance for pain relief. Example: Supporting birthing persons through contractions.
- Apply Neuroscience of Pain: Understand how hypnosis alters brain activity and pain pathways. Example: Explaining the role of the thalamus in pain modulation.
Practice activity: Rewrite a pain-free guarantee as an accurate description of optional supportive care.
2. Inclusive preparation
Use a fictional nonurgent preparation conversation. Ask what language and support the person prefers and what their treating team has advised. Offer only a Shihan-approved educational activity within your competence. Do not advise medication changes, postponement of care or a particular birth outcome.
- Design Hypnotic Interventions: Create scripts and protocols for acute and chronic pain scenarios. Example: Tailoring hypnosis for post-operative recovery.
- Integrate HypnoBirthing Philosophy: Use inclusive language and affirmations to support diverse birthing families. Example: Adapting scripts for nonbinary birthing persons.
- Facilitate Relaxation and Bonding: Teach breathwork, visualization, and partner techniques for calm birth. Example: Rainbow Relaxation for prenatal bonding.
Practice activity: Prepare a choice-based communication plan for a person anxious about an upcoming appointment.
3. Handover and limits
Identify what needs to be checked with the treating team and what would stop your involvement. Document consent, role and agreed communication. Unexpected pain or medical symptoms are not a cue to intensify hypnosis. Follow the clinical or emergency pathway; do not interpret symptoms as an emotional block.
- Evaluate and Improve Practice: Use feedback and data collection to refine hypnosis sessions. Example: Post-birth surveys to assess effectiveness.
Practice activity: Write a fictional handover that states your role and asks the clinician to resolve a suitability question.
Study resources
The unit notes above and the lessons below are your study guide. Your Shihan can arrange access to the original Surgical, Dental, Birthing Hypnosis syllabus and any separately licensed readings. Paid external books or courses are not included automatically, and practical demonstrations are arranged with your Shihan.
Next step: work through the lessons below in order, then complete the assignment at the end of the curriculum.