Tag Archives: psychotherapy

Taking Placebos on Purpose

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Brief discussion of a curious 1965 study in which placebo pills were administered to 15 “neurotic” psychiatric patients, who were explicitly told that they were being given “sugar pills” with no therapeutic ingredients and nevertheless appeared to benefit from them. Continue reading →

Pavlov and Soviet Hypnotherapy

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This short article reviews some of Pavlov’s comments regarding the implications of his animal research for the development of a conditioning theory of hypnosis and their influence upon subsequent cognitive-behavioural hypnotherapy in the Soviet Union. Continue reading →

Hypnotic Sleep Therapy: Some Basic Instructions

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This short excerpt from the Coping with Noise project self-help manual, provides very simple advice on using relaxation techniques and hypnotic methods to overcome insomnia and other sleep-related problems. Continue reading →

The Hypnotic Symbol Suggestion Technique

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This short piece outlines the self-hypnosis method of “symbol suggestion” as found in hypnotherapy and developed by the followers of Emile Coue. Continue reading →

Evidence Against the Doctrine of Symptom Substitution

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This short article reviews the debate surrounding the psychodynamic doctrine of “symptom substitution” and some of the evidence which led to its widespread rejection, beginning in the 1950s. Continue reading →