The Art of Therapy

Episode 26 closes Season 3 by bringing the integrative thread into focus. After exploring psychoanalytic, behavioural, humanistic, cognitive, systemic, narrative, hypnosis, EMDR, and common factors perspectives, this episode asks how therapists can understand the patterns underneath these modalities.

We explore key distinctions such as intra-psychic versus inter-psychic perspectives, and linear versus circular causality. These frames help therapists recognise what lens they are using, what that lens reveals, and how it guides intervention. The episode ends by pointing towards the next season: moving from modalities into techniques and application.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

Episode 25 explores the common factors that cut across different therapeutic approaches. We look at why outcomes are often shaped not only by the modality being used, but by how therapy is delivered: the therapeutic alliance, empathy, acceptance, congruence, hope, emotional processing, client motivation, therapist responsiveness, and a credible explanation for the work.

This episode also introduces the Dodo bird verdict and places common factors within the wider integrative lens. It offers a practical reminder that technique matters, but the way it is expressed through relationship, timing, responsiveness, and intention can make the work far more meaningful and effective.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

Episode 24 introduces EMDR as a structured therapeutic procedure used especially in trauma work. We explore Francine Shapiro’s discovery, the adaptive information processing model, and the idea that traumatic experiences may remain unprocessed when the system becomes overwhelmed.

The episode walks through the EMDR protocol, including target selection, desensitisation, positive belief installation, body scan, closure, and re-evaluation. It also looks at some of the questions and controversy around EMDR, including whether the therapeutic effect comes from bilateral stimulation, working memory taxation, suggestion, therapist skill, or a combination of factors.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

Episode 23 explores when hypnotherapy is indicated and when it may not be appropriate. We discuss hypnosis as one vehicle within psychotherapy, not a stand-alone answer for every client or presentation.

The episode focuses on safety, consent, readiness, therapeutic relationship, and clinical judgement. It also considers situations where clients may need grounding, presence, or connection more than hypnosis. This is a practical episode about using hypnotherapy wisely, ethically, and in the right context.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

Episode 22 continues the exploration of hypnosis by looking at the Esdaile state and waking hypnosis. We unpack how deep hypnotic states can support profound comfort and pain relief, and why waking hypnosis shows that suggestion can operate even without a formal trance state.

This episode focuses strongly on language, authority, and expectation. Whether in therapy, medicine, parenting, or moments of distress, the words used around a receptive person can shape their experience. It is a practical reminder that skilful communication is part of ethical care.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

Episode 21 explores the practical use of hypnotherapy in psychotherapy. We look at how hypnosis can support relaxation, pain management, trauma work, hypnobirthing, and other therapeutic goals by creating a state where learning, relief, and corrective experiences may become more accessible.

This episode also clarifies an important clinical distinction: hypnosis is not a therapeutic orientation on its own. It is an adjunct that can deepen and strengthen the therapist’s existing skills, when used ethically, safely, and with proper training.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

Episode 20 continues the hypnotherapy discussion by unpacking the live hypnosis demonstration from the previous episode. We explore how therapists can recognise signs of hypnosis, why clients may already be in hypnosis before they realise it, and how validation helps deepen the experience.

The episode also looks at post-hypnotic suggestions, wellness during emergence, and the importance of consent, communication, and safety. This is a practical bridge between observing hypnosis and understanding how it can be used meaningfully in therapy.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

A live Dave Elman induction with a first-time subject — recorded unedited in the Centre. No prior hypnosis experience. Full somnambulism reached on the first attempt.

Episode 19 of The Art of Therapy. Dr Warwick D Phipps demonstrates a rapid Elman-style induction with a member of the Treatment Works team experiencing hypnosis for the first time. Four convincers are shown within a single session: two in-trance (eye catalepsy, arm rigidity) and two post-hypnotic (a colour-anchored suggestion the subject continues to notice in the days that follow, and time distortion confirmed in the subject's own subjective report after emergence).

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

Episode 18 explores hypnosis and hypnotherapy as a therapeutic tool for accessing deeper levels of change. We look at the history of hypnosis, Dave Elman’s influential definition, and the role of the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind.

This episode also challenges common misconceptions about hypnosis, including the idea that people lose control or can get “stuck”. Instead, hypnosis is framed as a natural state of mind that can help soften the mind’s filter, allowing corrective and healing suggestions to be received more effectively.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links

Episode 17 explores Narrative Therapy and the value of working with the stories people tell about themselves, their problems, and their futures.

We look at how externalising the problem creates psychological distance, why problem-saturated stories can keep clients stuck, and how unique outcomes help uncover truths that may have been left out of the dominant narrative. This episode offers a hopeful and practical lens for helping clients move from shame and stuckness towards agency, meaning, and a different story.

🎧 Subscribe now and master the art of communication in therapy. Learn more about CPD-accredited, in-person training at Treatment Works: https://treatmentworks.co.za/links