Trancework (3rd Edition) - Michael D Yapko 
Hardback 578 pages.
5/5
Trancework is an excellent and extremely thorough introduction and overview of clinical hypnosis.
The first part of the book gives an extensive theoretical overview of considerable breadth and depth, covering:
- What hypnosis is & what it can help with
- Myths about hypnosis
- Conceptualisations
- The brain in hypnosis
- Contexts of use
- Social psychology of human suggestibility
- Matters of mind
- Responsiveness to hypnosis
- Phenomenology of hypnosis
- Conducive conditions
Part 2 is concerned with outlining a practical framework for practicing hypnosis, which it does thoroughly and effectively. The following areas are covered in detail:
- Structuring hypnotic suggestions
- Helpful hints for performing hypnosis
- Formal, Informal and Conversational strategies of Induction
- Hypnotic phenomena
- Eliciting and utilising resources
- Designing and delivering hypnotic interventions
- Hypnotic patterns for psychotherapy
- Treatment dynamics
- Session transcripts for common problems
- Case study
- Dealing with non-ideal responses
- Hazards and ethical guidelines
Trancework is well written and well referenced, and credit must be given to Dr. Yapko for making this as readable as it is. Although the book is pitched as an introduction, it really is much more than this - it stands well as a reference work capable of stimulating the creative imagination within a few minutes of browsing. Well it does for me anyway. I really don't have any criticisms of this book. My only caveat being that Trancework is really only for the most serious of beginners. If you are looking for a good first text on hypnosis, just to get the juices flowing, then Trancework this one may be a little 'deep end'. That said. If you are a 'deep end' kind of person then go ahead and dive in.
