Hypnosis has not been fully appreciated in the treatment of trauma, largely due to it being implicated in the creation of false memories, which have previously led to false allegations of child abuse. This has led to a lot of misunderstandings about hypnosis. There is now a strong argument that the educated and professional use of hypnosis may be beneficial to the field of trauma, particularly in facilitating the resolution of trauma and processing of traumatic memories.

This book re-introduces the importance of hypnosis in the field of trauma, with particular reference to survivors of child abuse. It covers theories of traumatic stress, theories of hypnosis and theories related to the long term effects of child abuse. As well as providing recent research in these areas, it offers practical therapy guidelines and case illustrations to assist qualified practitioners in treating their clients. The treatment described is predominately cognitive-behavioural, and uses hypnosis as an effective and powerful adjunct to this approach.