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North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis Welcome to NCSCH Welcome to the website of the North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis, a component section of ASCH, the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Whether, you are seeking a practitioner of hypnosis, or a practitioner seeking to hone your skills, this is the place for you! For more than fifty years, NCSCH has been at the cutting edge of training, advocacy, and community for therapists, medical professionals, and scholars. We bring together a diverse group of practitioners of all levels to advance the use of Clinical Hypnosis, one of the world's oldest and most effective mental health treatments. We've just concluded our widely acclaimed 2026 Annual Conference featuring speakers addressing the question: "Is Artificial Intelligence the New One-Way Mirror: Ethically Integrating AI into Hypnotherapy." Each month we host one or more speakers for our free webinar, the Hypnotic Idea Exchange or HIE. It's open to anyone looking to advance their use of hypnosis. And we will soon be adding new ways to support and enrich the hypnosis community. So, look around our site and please let us know if you have any questions! Sincerely, Dana Lebo, PhD President, Board of Directors Details HIE Announcements Our next HIE takes place Monday, July 13th, 7:30 – 9:30 PM EST, featuring Roxanna Erickson-Klein, PhD, who will be presenting on “Anchors From Everyday Life to Therapeutic Hypnosis.” We hope you can join us! More on the Presenter Roxanna Erickson-Klein, PhD, is a licensed professional counselor and licensed chemical dependency counselor with a private practice in Dallas, TX. She has taught internationally, applied hypnosis principles to nursing, and been a member of both ASCH and the local North TX Component Society since 1981. Dr. Erickson-Klein began her formal education in hypnosis as a pre-teen, taught by her father Milton Erickson and has worked in a variety of nursing areas ranging from pediatric emergency, medical, surgical and home hospice care before becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in 2010. Internships both in substance abuse and in a liver transplant unit have shaped her current private practice. Her focus now is to digitize the Collected Works of Milton Erickson. Register Now Who We Are NCSCH has long been recognized as the premier organization for training in clinical hypnosis, for the quality of our education and training, as well as for the high caliber of professionals who comprise the membership of the organization. However, we also enjoy high membership retention because of our openness, friendliness, and support for the novice as well as the highly skilled and experienced clinician. Learn More Hypnotic Idea Exchange The HIE is a collaborative effort of the North Carolina, Northern Virginia, Eastern Society, and New Jersey components of ASCH. Learn More Annual Conference No events at the moment “It is really, really encouraging for me to see such established and well known people as yourselves who have such a big, big heart and are willing to make it shown in such a setting as this!” Simon Member “I am so glad that I attended this awesome learning opportunity. I always gain a great deal from these conferences and this exchange. Thank you for envisioning it, Dana and setting it up with John!” Christie HIE Attendee “I feel uplifted and honored to be part of this learning and sharing cohort. Not honoring my ego, my proud self, but to share the presence, the co-presencing of being hypnotic together, continuing to deepen the agency that embeds and empowers new learning.” Eric Member Benefits of Membership Access Training sessions for Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced certification for clinical hypnosis are scheduled throughout the year. These trainings, taught by experienced clinicians, certify clinicians for expertise in the field of hypnosis. Opportunity Membership provides opportunities leadership and teaching responsibilities, as well as eligibility for membership in, and certification by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and membership in the International Society of Hyposis. Networking NCSCH maintains an online directory enabling consumers to access information regarding clinicians trained in hypnosis. The online directory includes live links to email and website information for enrolled members. Reduced Fees Admission fees to our nationally recognized annual conferences is reduced for members. NCSCH offers two-day clinical conferences featuring many of the national leaders in clinical hypnosis. CEUs are included along with opportunities to network with professional peers from around the country. We welcome qualified professionals to our collegial society. "This is the best professional organization I have ever belonged to in my 32 years in practice." -Jean Olson, LCSW(retired) Become a Member Annual Membership $ 80 80$ Every year Buy Now Access to Training and Networking Discounted Annual Conference Fees Listing in the NCSCH Directory Student Affiliate Membership $ 40 40$ Every year Valid for 2 years Buy Now Access to Training and Licensure Pathways Discounted Annual Conference Fees Access to a Large Professional Network Annual membership will renew automatically until canceled or rescinded. Student membership will renew automatically until canceled, rescinded, or member is no longer eligible for student membership level. Eligibility is evaluated every two years during re-application. Donate NCSCH Scholarship Fund Frequency One time One time Monthly Monthly Amount $1 $1 $5 $5 $10 $10 Other Other 0/100 Comment (optional) Donate $1 Support for Hypnotic Idea Exchange Frequency One time One time Monthly Monthly Amount $1 $1 $5 $5 $10 $10 Other Other 0/100 Comment (optional) Donate $1 Get in touch Please feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or suggestions. Consider joining our organization to expand your experience with clinical hypnosis. contact@nchypnosis.org North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis. First name* Last name* Email* Subject Message Yes, please subscribe me to receive emails from NCSCH. * Submit

Our Board of Directors The North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis is led by a volunteer group of professionals who give generously of their time and energy. Dana Lebo, PhD President Dana Lebo, Ph.D., is a psychologist based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Rick Goodling, LCSW Vice-President This is a shorter paragraph about Rick Goodling. Stacey Steck, MDiv, MA Secretary Stacey Steck is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as well as being a Presbyterian pastor. Marjorie Howe, LCSW Treasurer This is a shorter paragraph about Marjorie Howe. John Hall, PhD, ABPP Board Member Dr. John Hall is a clinical health psychologist with the Charlotte Clinic of the Salisbury VA Health Care System’s Whole Health Chronic Pain Team. Bette Freedson, LCSW, LICSW, CGP Board Member Bette Freedson is a clinical social worker, an ASCH Approved Consultant, and an author and speaker. Christina Vair, PhD Board Member Christina L. Vair, PhD is a lover of words, and believes deeply that how we speak to ourselves and the language we use in doing so holds tremendous power Tobi Goldfus, LCSW Board Member Tobi B. Goldfus, LCSW-C, BCD is a therapist, author and national/international speaker and trainer.

Tobi Goldfus, LCSW Board Member tobigoldfus@gmail.com Tobi B. Goldfus, LCSW-C, BCD is a therapist, author and national/international speaker and trainer. She is an ASCH consultant with over 30 years of clinical hypnosis experience and is a certified EST therapist and consultant, national and international. In her book, From Real Life to Cyberspace and Back Again: Helping Our Young Clients Develop a Strong Inner Selfie (2017) and 2023 article in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, she focuses on ego states being practiced, predicating factors that make young people on social media/gaming sites more vulnerable to negative or traumatic experiences, and those that build strong social networks, and provides assessment and psychotherapy techniques to promote balance between online and real life. She is a member and has presented frequently as faculty that includes the Milton H. Erickson Foundation conferences, ASCH (American Society of Clinical Hypnosis), ISH (International Society of Hypnosis), ESH (European Society of Hypnosis), MEISA (MHE Institute of South Africa), SCEH(Society of Experimental and Clinical Hypnosis), and faculty and key note speaker at NPHTI (National Pediatric Hypnosis Training Institute). She is a member of NASW and GWSCSW, and a Board Certified Diplomat. Tobi is in private practice in Germantown, Maryland. Next Previous

About NCSCH The North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis is a community of dedicated healthcare and mental healthcare providers committed to the competent, effective and ethical use of clinical hypnosis. NCSCH has long been recognized as the premier organization for training in clinical hypnosis, for the quality of our education and training, as well as for the high caliber of professionals who comprise the membership of the organization. However, we also enjoy high membership retention because of our openness, friendliness, and support for the novice as well as the highly skilled and experienced clinician. We welcome new participants and hope you will consider exploring membership, even as we celebrate the many enduring friendships and collegial relationships that have developed over the past 50 years. Providing superior training with national and internationally respected speakers and talented clinicians from NC as well, NCSCH is a volunteer-run grassroots organization founded in 1970 by Nicholas Stratas, M.D. and Vladimir B. Bensen, MD, as a component society of the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH), created by Milton Erickson, Kaye Thompson, and others. Meet the Board NCSCH is led by a volunteer group of professionals who give generously of their time and energy. Our Beginnings During the latter part of 1969, two early members of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, Nicholas E. Stratas, MD, Raleigh psychiatrist , and Vladimir B. Bensen, MD, a Raleigh family practitioner met in Dr. Bensen’s house to discuss organizing a North Carolina component of ASCH. Both had experienced the use and importance of the integration of hypnosis into the practice of primary care medicine, psychiatry and psychotherapy for simple symptom removal and/or substitution, behavioral change, treatment of medical/psychiatric problems and personal growth and self-management. Further discussions and interactions with ASCH led to an enthusiastic meeting February, 1970 in Raleigh of the then 15 North Carolina members of ASCH. Personal experiences with the use of hypnosis were shared as well as information about the experience of the founding of the Virginia component in 1958 where Milton H. Erickson, founder and President of ASCH and Editor of the Journal of ASCH had been present. It was decided to go forward to formalize plans for the 32nd component section of ASCH – The North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis. With the approval and authorization of the national executive committee of ASCH, a Charter Meeting was held in Boone, NC in May, 1970. Dr. Bensen was nominated President. Short anecdotal presentations were made and plans for educational meetings were discussed. The purposes of the Society were to bring together professional people who share investigative, scientific and clinical interests in hypnosis in order to provide programs to further, in every ethical way, knowledge and understanding of hypnosis; stimulate research and scientific publication; promote hypnosis as an important tool of ethical medicine; and cooperate with other professional societies that share mutual goals, ethics and interests. Frequently Asked Questions What is Hypnosis? Hypnosis is a natural state of selective, focused attention, and, even though it is 100% natural and normal, it remains one of the most fascinating phenomena of the human mind. Our ability to enter this unique state of consciousness opens the door to countless possibilities for healing, self-exploration and change. Hypnosis, called by different names in different cultures and times, has been recognized for thousands of years and used for many purposes. When we enter into the absorbed state of hypnosis, we can use our thoughts, talents and experiences in ways not usually available to us. With the help of a trained professional, we can develop innate, individual abilities that enable making desired changes in our thoughts, feelings and behaviors possible. For reasons that are as yet not clear, the focused state of hypnosis allows changes to intentionally be made “automatically,” changes that we could not ordinarily consciously make. Hypnosis has been used in the treatment of pain, depression, anxiety, stress, habit disorders, and many other psychological and medical problems. However, it may not be useful for all psychological problems or for all patients or clients. The decision to use hypnosis as a component of treatment can only be made in consultation with a qualified healthcare provider who has been trained in the use and limitations of clinical hypnosis. In addition to its use in clinical settings, hypnosis is used in research with the goal of learning more about the nature of hypnosis itself, as well as its impact on sensation, perception, learning, memory, and physiology. Researchers also study the value of hypnosis in the treatment of physical and psychological problems. It's not like what you see in the movies. How can treatment aimed at your mind affect your body? The body responds physically to thoughts. For example, when we think a frightening thought, we can experience increased heart rate, shortness of breath, “butterflies” in the stomach, muscular rigidity, sweating, shaking, and so on. Similarly, when we think a pleasurable thought, we can experience reduced heart rate, deeper breathing, relaxation of muscles, and so on. These are autonomic nervous system responses that are involuntary, but they can be utilized to promote health. When hypnotized, an individual is very open to suggestions that can enhance positive and diminish negative physical reactions. Can anyone be hypnotized? Some people find it easier to relax than others. By the same token, some people are able to go into trance more quickly and more deeply than others. About 85% of people can go into at least a light trance. For most therapeutic goals, light trance is enough to enable almost everyone to benefit from hypnotherapy to some extent. In a relatively small number of situations, (say, when hypnosis is being used instead of a general anesthetic, e.g., as in labor and childbirth), a deeper level of trance may be needed. For these purposes, it is helpful to determine the trance capability of a given person, before making a decision about the advisability of using hypnosis as an anesthetic. Even for those people (maybe 10-15%) who do not enter into even a light trance state, hypnosis may still be helpful to assist their relaxation and improve their suggestibility to constructive comments and suggestions. Can children be hypnotized? Because children are naturally imaginative, they naturally and easily engage in hypnosis and respond well to hypnotic suggestion for a wide variety of problems, e.g., self- esteem issues, anxiety, behavior problems, habit change, and certain medical issues. It is important that your child’s therapist be competent and experienced in dealing with your child’s particular issue or problem. Will I be asleep or unconscious? The word hypnosis comes from the ancient Greek word ‘hypnos’ meaning sleep, but it is mis-named. Hypnosis is NOT sleep. Sleep and hypnosis may seem similar since we may be relaxed and have our eyes closed (although not necessarily), but there are many differences. One main difference is that we tend to be in a relaxed state, but with heightened awareness! If a person were to fall asleep during a session, they would return to normal consciousness when asked to, or simply awaken after a short nap. They would feel refreshed, relaxed and would have no ill effects at all. “I don’t think I was hypnotized – I heard every word you said!” Some people, after a session of hypnosis, don’t believe that they were hypnotized at all. This likely comes from misconceptions about just what a ‘trance’ really is. There are differences between the brain waves of people who are asleep and those who are in trance. In practice, people who are hypnotized often talk with the hypnotist, and can both answer and ask questions, hear everything that is said very clearly, and are perfectly well aware. There is no mysterious feeling to being hypnotized and our minds are not taken over nor controlled. This expectation and perhaps a demand to have some mysterious experience beyond conscious control or awareness seems to leave some people disappointed and even denying they had any experience at all. These same people may actually have received substantial results and unconscious change. Will I lose control of myself? No, there is no loss of control. Hypnosis allows clients to be more focused and less distractible and more skillful in using their own mental abilities constructively. In this way, they can achieve more of their goals, and consequently, actually achieve more (not less) control of their personal comfort, health, and well-being. The ‘control’ misconception appears to originate from stage hypnosis which actually involves people doing what they want to be doing in a social agreement to be entertaining. Can I get stuck or trapped in the hypnotic state? No. At any time a client can re-alert or choose to ignore suggestions. No one stays hypnotized indefinitely – you will always “come out” of trance within a short time. Will hypnosis make me remember things accurately? No. Hypnosis can improve our recall of events that we believe happened to us. But hypnosis is not a way to find out the truth (whatever that may be) about events that are in dispute. That is, under hypnosis you may re-experience events, but there is no guarantee that you are remembering them correctly. Hypnosis only assists the subject in recalling perceptions, not truths. Courts recognize this, and sometimes take the position that being hypnotized influences your ability to later testify in court on those matters. You should get legal advice before attempting to use hypnosis to improve your recall of events when there are, or might be, court matters involved. Selecting A Qualified Professional: An Advisory Word to Consumers It is important to keep in mind that hypnosis is like any other therapeutic too: it is of major benefit to some people with some problems, and it is helpful with many other people. However, ASCH and NCSCH recommend that when you are selecting a professional to assist you with a particular symptom or goal, you choose a healthcare provider who is properly trained, licensed and credentialed. This means that the individual has graduate training and holds a currently valid license in a healthcare field, such as medicine, dentistry, psychiatry, psychology, social work, counseling, or nursing. In North Carolina, anyone can claim to be a “hypnotherapist.” There are no competency requirements and no accountability. Your plumber who has read a book on hypnosis can claim to be a “hypnotherapist.” For this reason, we highly recommend that you inquire about the training of any practitioner of hypnosis you intend to consult. Ask about their professional affiliations and background, and be sure you choose a provider who is properly trained, licensed and credentialed.

Choose a membership plan Annual Membership $ 80 80$ Every year Buy Now Access to Training and Networking Discounted Annual Conference Fees Listing in the NCSCH Directory Student Affiliate Membership $ 40 40$ Every year Valid for 2 years Buy Now Access to Training and Licensure Pathways Discounted Annual Conference Fees Access to a Large Professional Network

John Hall, PhD, ABPP Board Member John.Hall7@va.gov Dr. John Hall is a clinical health psychologist with the Charlotte Clinic of the Salisbury VA Health Care System’s Whole Health Chronic Pain Team. He previously served five years in Salisbury with the VISN6 CVT PTSD EBP Hub (non-government translation (NGT): regional hub to provide evidence-based therapies for veterans with PTSD through telehealth) after two years serving as Health Behavior Coordinator (NGT: coach for primary care staff on how to help veterans adopt healthier behaviors) for the Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System. Dr. Hall is one of the Whole Health National Education Champions for Mental Health and a VISN6 Whole Health Network Wide Education Faculty for the Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation (OPCC&CT) (NGT: he teaches a lot of classes to help the national office trying to change the VA’s culture to one where we ask “What matters to you” before trying to figure out what’s the matter with you). He is a fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology, an approved consultant and President-Elect of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and a subject matter expert for both the Clinical Hypnosis and Guided Imagery rollouts of OPCC&CT. He served as Salisbury’s inaugural LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator, as well as both Salisbury and Fayetteville’s LGBT Special Emphasis Program Managers (NGT: he works to get LGBTQ+ veterans and staff a healthy environment within the VA). The Transgender Treatment Team he founded in the Salisbury System won the 2017 VA Secretary’s Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award. With NCSCH, he leads the effort to secure continuing professional education accreditation for the annual conference and he is also the Zoom-whisperer for both the NCSCH annual conference and the HIE. He also maintains a small private practice in Charlotte. Outside of work, Dr. Hall has cultivated a robust set of post-apocalyptic skills leading to his unique hashtag of #AppalachianGrandmotherInGayBearBody , fortunately without gender dysphoria. He lives in Charlotte with his husband and a small pack of dogs. Next Previous

Bette Freedson, LCSW, LICSW, CGP Board Member bjfreedson@gmail.com (207) 384-5538 Ext. 2 Board member Bette Freedson, LCSW, LICSW, CGP is a clinical social worker, an ASCH Approved Consultant and an author and speaker. Bette’s most recent book is Other Realms, Other Ways: A Clinician’s Guide to the Magick of Intuition. Her first book Soul Mothers’ Wisdom/Seven Insights for the Single Mother received high praise from the Midwest Book Review. A frequent faculty member and moderator of conferences of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Bette is also a contributing author for ERICKSONIAN THERAPY NOW: The Master Class with Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD. Professionally trained in hypnosis, Bette incorporates Ericksonian hypnosis along with the wisdom of intuition into her clinical social work practice. Bette Freedson has also conducted workshops for a variety of other clinical venues including Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, AdCare of Maine, The Sweetser Training Institute of Maine, and The National Association of Social Workers along with various state chapters. She served for two years as a contributing member and author of two articles for the NASW specialty practice section on Children, Adolescents and Young Adults. (CAYA) Bette has also co-presented a weekend program at Kripalu entitled A Woman’s Sacred Journey. Bette’s dual interest in hypnosis and intuition infuses the content of her clinical work, her writing, and her teaching. Her current project consists of a series of workshops entitled The Psychic Studio. In these seminars, open to clinical as well as lay participants, members explore the nature of intuition and how accessing and utilizing this innate ability can enhance both work and life. Bette Freedson lives and practices in Southern Maine. Next Previous

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Dana Lebo, PhD President info@nchypnosis.org Dana Lebo, Ph.D., is a psychologist based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For close to 30 years, she has applied her extensive background in psychologies of performance, leadership, sports, and the mind and body to help hundreds of leaders, elite and retired professional athletes, teams, creative artists and individuals in organizations to improve and enhance their performance as well as their balance in work and life. As a grandmother, Boston Marathoner and triathlete who in the past decade competed on the U.S. Triathlon Team at the Age Group World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, Dr. Lebo has learned firsthand how to apply hypnosis to boost the performance of the older athlete! Dr. Lebo is President of the North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis, an approved consultant and Board Member for the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and founder of the Hypnotic Idea Exchange (HIE). She earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University and Master’s degrees from Columbia’s Teachers College and Georgetown University’s School of Graduate Studies. She authored the book, Ace the SAT Essay: How to Master the Writing Process , published by Zeig and Tucker, and contributed to the volume, Ericksonian Therapy Now: The Master Class With Jeffrey K. Zeig . In addition to her private practice, Dr. Lebo works as a performance coach/psychologist with the Brain and Body Health Team at the University of North Carolina, an executive coach with a leadership consulting firm, and clinical psychologist with the UNC THRIVE Team serving military veterans and first responders. Next Previous

Rick Goodling, LCSW Vice-President info@nchypnosis.org This is a longer paragraph about the board member. This section is Rich Content and can be individually formatted. Preferred length is 3 paragraphs of 2-4 sentences roughly following the format below: Paragraph One: Credentials and introduction to most relevant professional work, including but not limited to: other society membership, works of the author, and currenlt professional status. Pragraph Two: Continuing to describe professinoal endeavors, past experience including but not limited to any legacy work, foundations, or projects of interest. Pragraph Three: Personal background and details that one might want to display publicly. Family, hometown, or an anecdote. Next Previous

Christina Vair, PhD Board Member info@nchypnosis.org Christina L. Vair, PhD is a lover of words, and believes deeply that how we speak to ourselves and the language we use in doing so holds tremendous power -- though this consideration is so often outside our own awareness. Dr. Vair earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado. She completed her pre-doctoral internship and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship with an emphasis in integrated care and geriatrics at the VA Western New York in Buffalo, where she also worked for several years as a clinical researcher. Currently, she serves as the Director for Whole Health at the Salisbury VA Health Care System, in Salisbury, NC where her efforts are focused on leading the implementation of a person-centered approach to care that helps empower and equip Veterans and VA employees to live their lives to the fullest. Throughout her training, Dr. Vair has expanded her thinking and learning beyond traditional evidence-based psychotherapy approaches. Having trained in practices such as health and wellness coaching, clinical hypnosis, reiki, and Healing Touch, she integrates a variety of mindfulness-oriented and intuitive approaches in her work both professionally and personally. Next Previous

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