Final answer:
The APA supports the use of hypnosis in empirically backed therapeutic scenarios such as for pain relief, mental health support, smoking cessation, and weight management. Hypnosis must be conducted by a clinician within a controlled, professional setting, and its therapeutic application should be distinct from entertainment portrayals, ensuring patient memory and control are intact.
Step-by-step explanation:
Scenario Supported by the American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) supports therapeutic uses of hypnosis that are grounded in empirical research. An example of a scenario where hypnosis is supported by the APA involves its application for pain management, treatment of depression and anxiety, smoking cessation, and weight loss. These approved uses are based on data suggesting that hypnosis, when used in conjunction with other therapeutic techniques, has shown effectiveness in these areas.
For hypnosis to be considered a viable treatment option, several criteria should be met:
- The clinician must utilize the state of extreme self-focus and relaxation techniques to influence the patient's thoughts and perceptions positively.
- Hypnosis must be approached as part of a broader treatment plan, which could include other behavioral or medical interventions.
- The process involves guiding the participant to focus on specific elements such as the clinician's words and encouraging a state of openness and suggestibility.
- Empirical evidence such as brain imaging studies defending the effectiveness and genuine changes in brain function during hypnotic states should be considered.
- Hypnosis for therapeutic purposes should be distinct from its portrayal in entertainment, emphasizing that individuals retain control and memory of the experience.
The two primary theories explaining how hypnosis works are the dissociation view, which sees hypnosis as a dissociated state of consciousness, and the social-cognitive theory, which regards it as the fulfillment of social role expectations.