North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis

Grief is an altered state of consciousness in search of creating a new reality. Each grief and loss are unique to the person, place and time. Nature builds in resiliency if we simply learn how to tune sensitively into our whole selves. When all goes well, we can be propelled into a peaceful state of higher consciousness. How then can we build in resiliency to help mend broken hearts from the loss of ones so dear? Milton Erickson, MD, while training medical students said, “You have to look at the whole patient, not just where you think the problem is.” This is how he developed brilliant, innovative and effective therapeutic hypnosis treatments. As embodied minds include dimensions of social, cultural, cognitive, behavioral, physical, emotional, spiritual and philosophical factors, can we learn to interweave them into an enlightened progression of peace and hope to live a better life? In grief, we realize that each of these dimensions are independent and can operate uniquely. Focused attention and expectancy are hallmarks of therapeutic hypnosis and can be used for a positive momentum and integration to become whole again. We pair hypnosis with the effectiveness of Rossi principles: To be in the present moment, using the observer/operator, the Novelty, Numinosum, Neurogenesis Effect (NNNE), to find comfort in “not knowing,” appreciate the seeds that are planted through psychological shocks and surprises, embrace emerging quantum consciousness, cultivate an open mind that includes trust, honesty, art, beauty and truth. Applying the effectiveness of how time heals—spacetime, trance-time and clock time—offers the real possibility to bring and resolve grief into the realms of brief psychotherapy. This can pave the path to directly face and resolve whatever the worst fears and pains are by simply knowing it is, by nature, time limited (~20- 90 minutes) according to the robust sciences of chronobiology and ultradian rhythms. Together, let us fearlessly face our truths and embrace turning loss into living and grief into peace.

Educational Objectives:

After the presentation, participants will be able to—

1. define eight dimensions of grief.
2. describe the 3 dimensions in which time heals grief.
3. use the 4-Stage biological-dynamics that underlie hypnosis, grief, and all healthy life processes during practice sessions as part of their trance deepening language.
4. describe how to incorporate the 4-Stage biological-dynamics that underlie hypnosis, grief, and all healthy life processes as part of trance deepening language.

Kathryn Rossi, PhD is an internationally recognized contributor to the fields of clinical hypnosis and neuroscience. She currently serves as Professor of Psychotherapy at The International Center of Psychology and Psychotherapy, La Nuova Scuola Di Neuroscienze Ipnosi Therapeutica (The New School of Therapeutic Hypnosis) and l’Istituto Mente-Corpo (The Mind-Body Institute) in Italy and is the Founding Director of the Milton H. Erickson Institute of the California Central Coast.

She and her husband, Ernest Rossi, MD developed the field of Psychosocial Genomics, an interdisciplinary field of mind-body medicine. She has pioneered and expanded neuroscience approaches to yoga, energy and consciousness. Among her achievements are the 2019 Achievement in Science Award from the Austrian Society of Medical Hypnosis for her Ernest Rossi’s contributions to the RNA/DNA Psychosocial Genomic Theory of Cognition and Consciousness.

Publications include editing Creating Consciousness: How Psychotherapists Can Facilitate Wonder, Wisdom and Self-Care (2012), The Breakout Heuristic (2007), and A Dialogue with Our Genes: The Psychosocial Genomics of Therapeutic Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (2004). She is a co-editor of the 16 volumes of The Collected Works of Milton H. Erickson, MD, and has written more than 50 scientific articles and 10 book chapters.