Hypnosis and Audiology?

[Cochlear]

Wanted to pick your brain on the whole hypnotherapy field combined with allied medical professions.

Do you guys think adding the credential of certified hypnotherapist would be at all beneficial to an audiologist? There's an 8 week certification program offered this summer at a community college near me and it just got me thinking I suppose. Once the course is completed you can then become a member of the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association. Seems like some medical doctors and dentists are taking advantage of this currently.

Here's their site:
http://www.imdha.com/

Thoughts? Feelings? I'm somewhat skeptical of hypnotherapy as a whole, but then again that might be because the only hypnosis I've ever seen has been the gimmicky entertainment kind where the end-goal is to make your usually reserved grandpa bark like a dog or something.

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[DrumHead]

The question I would ask is: Unless you plan to go into business for yourself, would having a hypnotherapy certification listed on your CV help or hurt you? Or to put it another way: Is it worth the effort?

With the questionable effectiveness of hypnotherapy in general, I say it won't enhance your list of credentials. You run the risk of being dismissed based on perceptions and presumptions, whether true or not, with little chance to defend yourself.

Do I personally think hypnotherapy works? I can't say, but if it is effective with smokers and over-eaters, I see potential for tinnitus managment and balance disorders.

 

[chicoborja]

There is a small amount of research to suggest that hypnosis can be effective as a component of tinnitus therapy. In general, this form of therapy has an insignificant, and potentially unimportant, role in audiology. In you feel like doing it, go for it but don't expect it to make you a better audiologist or increase your marketability.

 

[Cochlear]

I can definitely see a potential for hypnosis in tinnitus therapy, thanks for the feedback guys. I'm still not sure if the whole "certified hypnotist" thing would benefit or harm a professional health provider's reputation though, so we'll see. I might just go to the informational session just to see what all the fuss is about. The 8 week class is around $1k--seems mighty expensive unless it genuinely helps patients.

 

[DrumHead]

I would say in the meantime, do some literature research and see what you can find, then show up with some good questions to ask.

 

[Audie2014]

I agree that putting "certified hypnotherapist" on your audiology CV may give employers a strange impression, but maybe there's a different way to market that skill that will sound better, eg. "audiologist investigating the effectiveness of hypnotherapy on tinnitus management." That way you show that you have some doubt as well.

 

[Dustbug10]

Of course it work. How do you think I got you guys to join this forum?

 

[rEliseMe]

I'm still not sure if the whole "certified hypnotist" thing would benefit or harm a professional health provider's reputation though, so we'll see.

I don't know all the social rules for CVs... If you have the training, are you required to list it on your CV? If not, I would suggest (if you really are that interested in it) getting the training and then only mention it to potential employers if it will be beneficial. Because you're not a wholehearted proponent of hypnotism in audiology, I don't think that it would be misleading to leave it out. I agree, though, it would be very interesting to see application in tinnitus therapy.

Also, I'm sorry I've been inundating you all with posts! I'm just so happy to have found this place.

 

[chicoborja]

If the OP is interested, I can said him/her some .pdf files of research articles on hypnosis in tinnitus therapy. My e-mail is [email protected]



BTW, there is no requirement to put it on a CV. Further, if you are not working in academia, you would typically submit resumes to potential employers rather than CVs


I would use the 1000 dollars for a better purpose. I suspect hypnosis as a component of tinnitus therapy has been investigated by researchers but is not in wide use by audiologists. In cases of severe tinnitus, it may be more likely that a psychologist uses hypnosis in conjunction with cognitive-behavioral therapy.