Harnessing Hypnosis for Effective Emergency Communication: Strategies for Engaging with Patients in Trance

“If you persuade yourself that you can do a certain thing, provided this thing be possible, you will do it however difficult it may be. If on the contrary, you imagine that you cannot do the simplest thing in the world, it is impossible for you to do it, and molehills become for you unscalable mountains.” ― Émile Coué

Hypnosis, a mental state and term that was developed in the late 1800s, has been a topic of controversy since its inception. And with Hollywood’s interpretation of hypnosis – swinging stopwatches, mind control, and unconscious acts – it's no wonder that hypnotherapists in today’s world have to work twice as hard to debunk myths surrounding hypnotherapy. 

Enter Bram Duffee Ph.D., a speech teacher, communication expert, and 25-year paramedic, who alongside hypnotherapist Don Trent Jacobs (Four Arrows) Ph.D., Ed.D, a former firefighter/EMT, co-authored “Hypnotic Communication in Emergency Medical Settings: For Life-Saving and Therapeutic Outcomes.”

Hypnotic Communication

Four Arrows and Duffee found each other during Duffee’s Ph.D. program and discovered that they had shared a similar interest in hypnotism.

“The book is about the fact that as paramedics we are walking into situations while recognizing that most patients are already in a trance-like state of hypnosis,” explains Duffee. “So if they’re already in this trancelike state, why can’t we learn to take advantage of that to help them? For these types of patients, I’m going to pay particular attention to the way that I communicate with them because the words that we use really do affect what happens to that person.”

Duffee’s experience in EMS started earlier than most at the young age of 19. He soon understood that his communication with patients during emergencies could make or break the outcome of the call. This inspired a lifelong passion for how we can learn to communicate effectively - especially in emergencies.

What Does Hypnosis Look Like for Patients?

First, it’s important to debunk what the patient has already been taught about hypnotism.

“You can’t talk someone into doing something they don’t want to do,” says Duffee. “You can influence someone’s mind but to get them there with you there has to be a partnership.”

He emphasizes the importance of eradicating any preconceived notions of what hypnosis is and focusing on communicating with patients in an already hypnotized state.

“Classic hypnosis looks like bigger eyes, mouth open, glazed face, and absent communication,” he says. “Some of the things that we do are paying close attention to the rapport-building stage of our patient interaction. For example, I will always introduce myself. Even if my patient is unconscious. While the patient may or may not hear that introduction, the family members do and they are already in a fearful state.”

Duffee explained that his co-author, Four Arrows, a skilled hypnotist, could enter emergencies and recognize that individuals were already experiencing a trance-like state induced by the ongoing emergency.

“What we are suggesting is that when we enter a state of fear it activates this trance that happens in hypnosis,” says Duffee.

He explains that EMS providers have only been taught how to address tasks rather than focus on communication.

“EMS professionals have never really been told how to give words of encouragement in a proper way that will allow the healing properties of hypnosis to activate. We want to know and recognize their pain, but with more positive words,” Duffee says.

He emphasizes that we need to pay close attention to how we use language around patients experiencing this vulnerable trance-like state. He avoids the use of the word pain or any language with a negative connotation and encourages the patient to tell them how they are feeling with more open-ended questioning.

A Passion for Communication

Duffee’s passion for this type of improved communication is not only evident in his book, but also in a bi-monthly podcast, published journal articles, and active studies. He is presently doing a research study that looks at the interaction between paramedics and management.

Incorporating communication strategies to help providers better support patients encourages Duffee to press forward – even when he is met with the same speculation he once had when he first learned about hypnotherapy. But both Duffee and Four Arrows have field-tested these techniques with great success.

Each chapter of the book represents one letter in the word credible, and each letter stands for a different step in the process of giving commands that are like hypnosis to patients. A lot of it is assumption language that helps patients feel comfortable and positive.

“The book talks about the fact that show that hypnosis, especially in the field of science, is real,” says Duffee. “Just that alone can be difficult for folks to wrap their head around, but with the use of a PET scan, they are able to see people’s brains light up in a certain way when they are under hypnosis. We are trying to take advantage of the self-healing properties that we have ourselves in the effort of helping medical problems.”

Hypnosis Command

According to Duffee, hypnosis command allows providers to empower the patient to make their own decisions while simultaneously ensuring that they follow the provider’s plan of care and can give the patient more control during a time they feel helpless.

“My study of hypnosis has shown that there isn’t really a world where people don’t know what they’re going through. Or what they’re doing. It is always a partnership between the EMS provider and the patient that helps guide the patient to a physical change. But, it’s a process,” Duffee explains.

The book also discusses how we communicate with vulnerable populations such as children and rape victims. For rape victims, Duffee and Four Arrows have outlined the things that you do not talk to them about versus the things that you do talk to them about. The same goes for trust-building and rapport-building with children. 

“As EMS providers we don’t really get a “how to” tutorial about communicating with patients who are scared and already in a state of hypnosis. My goal with this book is to ultimately change the way we teach lifeguards, paramedics, and other emergency responders how to best communicate,” says Duffee.