Comfort Talk ® is very much about awareness and subtle adaptations of language. The way you say things can make quite a difference in the outcome. Words are powerful and suggestive enough to shape a person’s subsequent experience. Considering that a medical encounter in itself already places a patient in a “trance” everything a healthcare professional says becomes a “hypnotic” suggestion whether the speaker is aware of it or not, and regardless of whether the wording is helpful or hurtful. Note that in this segment on “hypnoidal” language, the principles regarding word choices are equally applicable to everyday conversations.

The key is to develop a vocabulary and approach that works for you and for your patient/conversation partner.

R1.10.1  Let’s say you want your patient to close their eyes. What will you say? What will you say if the patient doesn’t follow your suggestion right away?  Please write your sentences in the box below.

R1.10.2  Your patient is moving around and you are not able to do what you need to do, or if you work in imaging, there is a lot of motion artifact. What will you say to elicit collaboration?  

• Session 1 Segments
  • 1.1 Welcome
  • 1.2 Introduction
  • 1.3 Confidence
  • 1.4 Science and Background of Comfort Talk
  • 1.5 Experiencing Confidence and Self-Hypnosis
  • 1.6 Rapport
  • 1.7 Sensory Preferences
  • 1.8 Sensory Preferences—Eyes
  • 1.9 The Study Script
  • 1.10 Hypnoidal Language
  • 1.11 Negative Suggestions
  • 1.12 Touching
  • 1.13 Comforting Words
  • 1.14 Encouragement
  • 1.15 Frank's Method
  • 1.16 Anxiety Management
  • 1.17 Ideomotor Signals
  • 1.18 Pain Management
  • 1.19 Pitfalls
  • 1.20 Conclusion Session 1
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