American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) certification in clinical hypnosis is distinct from other certification programs in that it ensures that the certified individual is a health care professional who is licensed in his or her state to provide medical, dental, or psychotherapeutic services. Certification by ASCH distinguishes the professional practitioner from the lay hypnotist. There are two levels of certification, each is simply called certification, which requires, among other things, a minimum of 40 hours of ASCH-approved workshop training, 20 hours of individualized training, and a minimum of 2 years of independent practice using clinical hypnosis. An advanced level, called approved consultant, recognizes individuals who obtained advanced training in clinical hypnosis and who have extensive experience in using hypnosis within their professional practices. Certification at this level requires a minimum of 60 additional hours of ASCH-approved workshop training and 5 years of independent practice using clinical hypnosis (14).
Meditation is a self-directed practice that can relax the body and calm the mind. Most meditative techniques came to the West from religious practices in the East, particularly India, China, and Japan, but it can be found in all cultures of the world. A National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel in 1996 concluded that mind–body and behavioral techniques were effective in the treatment of stress-related conditions and insomnia, and since then evidence for their effectiveness has continued to grow. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), based on Vipassana meditation from India, is promoted in this country. This technique is based on the cultivation of mindfulness, an intentional, focused awareness of nonjudgmental attentiveness to experiences in the present moment. Vipassana meditation, one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation, was taught more than 2,500 years ago as a remedy for universal ills.
Transcendental meditation (TM) is a simple, natural, effortless procedure practiced for 15 to 20 minutes in the morning and evening while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. During this technique, the individual experiences a unique state of restful alertness. Transcendental meditation is useful in the treatment of hypertension.
The relaxation response, which can be elicited by any number of techniques, is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress (e.g., decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension). If practiced regularly, it can have lasting effects when encountering stress throughout the day.
Meditation rarely may lead to a “spiritual emergency,” defined as a crisis during which the process of growth and change becomes chaotic and overwhelming as individuals enter new realms of spiritual experience. It is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic category “religious or spiritual problem.” Types of spiritual emergency include but are not limited to loss or change of faith, existential or spiritual crisis, experience of unitive consciousness or altered states, psychic openings, possession, near-death experience, kundalini, shamanic journey, or difficulties with a meditation practice.
There is no nationally recognized licensing or certification procedure for teachers of meditation. Many mental health care professionals are trained in a variety of stress reduction techniques.
Acupuncture is a therapeutic intervention that is used in many Asian systems of medicine.
It is based on the theory that there are energy channels called meridians that run throughout the body, and that disease results from blockages of this energy. Acupuncture is used as one approach to release these blockages. It involves stimulating specific anatomic points in the body along these meridians by puncturing the skin with a very fine needle (32 gauge or smaller). There are many distinct styles of acupuncture, which include traditional oriental medicine, Japanese manaka style, Korean hand acupuncture, and the Worsley five-element method.