Dr. David B. Reid, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, is a distinguished Fellow and Approved Consultant of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) and an esteemed member of the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH). An accomplished author, Dr. Reid has received numerous awards for his notable publications, including “Hypnosis for Behavioral Health: Professional’s Guide to Expanding Your Practice” and several peer-reviewed published articles. He is a coauthor of “Permanent Habit Control: Practitioners’ Guide to Using Hypnosis and Other Alternative Health Strategies” He serves as the Science Editor for the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis and chairs the SCEH Certification Committee. Dr. Reid’s contributions have earned him recognition and accolades from ASCH and SCEH, alongside his impactful work as an adjunct professor at Saybrook University and his tenure as the former President of Division 30 (Psychological Hypnosis) of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Reid maintains a thriving private practice at Augusta Psychological Associates in Central Virginia and will soon be working at a community hospital, Augusta Health where he will maintain an outpatient practice and provide in-patient consultation to the neuro-rehabilitation unit.
MysticMag has the opportunity to chat with Dr. Reid.
David, your work spans a multitude of areas, from psychology to hypnosis and business consultation. How do these fields intersect in your approach to helping individuals, and how do these diverse areas contribute to your understanding of human behavior and well-being?
In my line of work, regardless of whether I’m assisting an individual, a group, a company, or a baseball team, I’m ultimately engaging with people first and foremost. Hypnosis for me is the common denominator for nearly all of my professional endeavors. When it comes to hypnosis, we discuss employing hypnosis, using hypnosis, or preferrably being hypnotic. Exploring hypnosis significantly broadened my capabilities as a clinician and consultant, especially in how I communicate with individuals. It is the language I use, and the impact those words have on others. Whether someone enters my office with anxiety, experiencing pain, or if it’s a company grappling with communication issues, somehow, hypnotic elements find their way into the consultation services I provide. Ultimately, for me, hypnosis revolves around enhancing people’s performance and capabilities in their lives, regardless of the problem they’re facing.
Typically, my approach involves pinpointing the goal or outcome first, starting from the end goal and working backwards. I aim to assist individuals, families, teams, or anyone I work with by utilizing my hypnotic language and abilities to enhance their functionality in life, irrespective of the issue.
Hypnosis acts as the glue that ties all of this together. In my career, it’s been instrumental in expanding both my practice and the consultation I offer. I consult with other clinicians, businesses, sports teams, individuals in my practice, and even hospitals. I’m particularly excited about the potential for hypnosis in the community hospital where I will be employed starting January 15th. It’s essentially located in the ‘Bible Belt,’ where skepticism about hypnosis runs high, mainly due to prevalent myths and misconceptions.
This is precisely why I’m grateful for the chance to talk to you. It’s an opportunity to shed light on what hypnosis truly is and dispel the myths surrounding it in the hopes of reaching out to those who may hold misconceptions about this practice.
Your book “Hypnosis for Behavioral Health: A Guide to Expanding Your Professional Practice” has received accolades for its practical guidance. Can you share a bit about the fundamental principles or techniques outlined in your book that you find particularly impactful in enhancing therapeutic modalities?
Well, it’s crucial to distinguish between two terms that often get mixed up but shouldn’t: hypnosis and trance. The American Psychological Association’s Division 30 on Psychological Hypnosis, where I served as past president, defines trance really well, but they surprisingly don’t provide a definition for hypnosis. Trance, well, we’re in it all the time. For instance, this morning at the gym, I was completely absorbed, in a trance-like state. It’s a fluid state of consciousness that we go through daily. When driving and getting lost in thought, missing a turn, or searching for something that’s right in front of us but somehow unseen, that’s trance.
Trances are natural occurrences, part of our everyday experiences that we might not always recognize. Like looking for mayonnaise in the fridge, having a song stuck in your head, or sensing something that isn’t actually there. Recently, our family’s 19-year-old cat passed away, and there are times I feel her presence, even though I know she’s gone. These moments are all examples of different trance experiences we encounter daily.
Hypnosis, on the other hand, involves using skills and interventions to facilitate these trance experiences. In my book, I delve into various aspects like working with athletes, enhancing pain management, anxiety, and depression. When clients come to my office for therapy, they’re already in a trance state. For instance, someone with an anxiety disorder demonstrates it through their voice, words, and non-verbal cues—they’re in an anxious trance.
My role as a clinician is to leverage hypnotic skills and words to influence or manipulate these trance experiences into more productive ones for my clients. Hypnosis, in a way, acts as an anti-inflammatory, which is interesting because many human ailments involve inflammation. By using hypnosis effectively, I’ve seen people coming in with pain without mentioning it, only to realize later that their pain has reduced after the hypnosis session.The book I’ve written expands on how to utilize hypnosis effectively in practice. It’s not a quick fix, but it’s a valuable starting point for any clinician interested in including hypnosis in their practice
As an Approved Consultant in Clinical Hypnosis for the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH), you offer consultation for professionals pursuing certification in clinical hypnosis. Could you elaborate on the distinction between consultation and supervision in this context and how your approach differs from traditional supervision models?
If you observed a recording of me providing consultation to someone and then compare it with me offering supervision to one of my students, they might seem quite similar. The primary distinction, though, lies in the responsibility involved. In supervision, I’m essentially an extension of the individual working with patients, which puts my license on the line.
During consultations, the approach varies based on individual needs. I always clarify that it’s not supervision; they are working under their own licenses, not mine. For instance, I might assist someone who needs to refine their skills. Recently, I provided guidance to a colleague regarding their tone during a session. The colleague’s voice came across as monotonous and too calm when encouraging a client to return to the gym. I suggested a change in tone to be more motivating—shifting from a monotonous delivery to an encouraging, uplifting one.
Sometimes, it involves working on inductions or focusing on establishing a better connection with the person they are working with. The relationship you build with someone when using hypnosis is pivotal. These aren’t strangers; they’re individuals you’re connected with and establishing a solid relationship before engaging in hypnosis is truly vital to helping anyone.
Your workshops and teaching engagements cover a broad spectrum of hypnosis-related topics, from anxiety disorders to pain management and even conversational hypnosis. What inspired this diversity, and how do these varied workshops contribute to enhancing therapeutic skills in professionals?
I’m passionate about teaching and seizing every opportunity to talk about or educate people about hypnosis. The diversity is really what hypnosis is about. Think of it like a toolbox filled with many different tools. It can be useful for treating many conditions. Just recently, a person I met sitting next to me on an airplane mentioned they had a needle phobia, and our conversation drifted towards hypnosis. I happened to have my book on the subject, which I handed to her, sparking an engaging conversation about her phobia and the potential of hypnosis in addressing it. Even though she lived quite a distance away, we managed a few remote hypnosis sessions which were very helpful for her. It was an opportunity to help someone else and also teach them about hypnosis and the many benefits it offers.
Teaching, consulting, writing—it all intertwines for me, especially when it comes to educating people about hypnosis. There is still much we don’t fully understand about why or how hypnosis works, but advancements in brain imaging studies have enhanced our comprehension. Hypnosis stands apart from other meditative experiences like vipassana meditation, loving-kindness meditation, or mindfulness. It influences the brain differently, turning on some areas and turning off others, depending on how words are articulated.
For me, hypnosis is a part of my daily routine, both professionally and personally. Trance, in a way, is always present; it’s how we engage with it that matters. People slip in and out of natural trance states throughout their day. When I work with someone, I leverage their natural abilities, guiding them through an intentional trance experience. It’s crucial to recognize that in hypnosis, I facilitate and enhance an experience that the individual themselves are creating. While some say “all hypnosis is self-hypnosis,” I respectfully disagree. Yes, the person is in control, but facilitation is necessary, even when making recordings for self-use—it still involves another person. As for the workshops, because hypnosis is so diverse, there is always something new to learn or teach someone.
Balancing a private practice, teaching engagements, and consultations seems demanding. What drives your dedication to these diverse roles, and how do they mutually reinforce each other in your professional journey?
Teaching and using hypnosis brings me immense joy and pleasure. It’s more than a profession—it’s a passion, almost like a hobby. I’ve always been someone who enjoys juggling multiple things; my brain craves stimulation, probably due to what my wife would call a touch of ADHD, though I’d argue it’s more than just a touch. Hypnosis becomes the thread weaving together everything I do—teaching, consulting, writing—whatever engages me at the moment.
Educating people about hypnosis is something I eagerly embrace whenever the opportunity arises. It’s not a chore; it’s a delight. Even sitting down to read a colleague’s book on hypnosis or drafting chapters for a recently published comprehensive book on the subject (with an unbelievable 63 chapters!) is an honor. The hypnosis community is such a warm and inclusive group, and being part of it makes finding time for teaching or engaging in hypnotic experiences effortless.
The real challenge lies not in the effort it takes to teach or immerse myself in hypnosis but in managing time—finding enough of it for writing, reading, learning, engaging, and teaching, given the multitude of activities that captivate my attention.
If you would like to find out more about Dr. David B. Reid, please visit https://drdavidreid.com/
