Bulletin: May 2020
Dear Colleagues
We trust that you’re all staying safe and sound and remain fully in the pink during these otherwise most grey of times.
We also hope that your client workload has not been too adversely affected but if it has suffered (and it may well have diminished significantly for many of you), that the following item will provide a certain level of encouragement.
Possibilities and Opportunities for Remote Therapy both during, and subsequent to, the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
With clients unable to physically attend therapy sessions as a consequence of the Government’s stay-at-home policy during the current crisis, significant numbers of practitioners have either reverted to, or have expanded upon, working from home by remote means. As these methods will undoubtedly become more prevalent with the ever-increasing advances in technology, however unwelcome the reason, this situation does nonetheless present the perfect opportunity for those who may have previously avoided doing so to familiarise themselves with both the process and the available resources for carrying it out.
Whilst the GHR would never seek to dissuade practitioners from engaging in the fundamental and most universally adopted approach of face-to-face therapy (i.e. with the physical presence of both therapist and client), we nonetheless cannot be immune to the fact that counselling, therapeutic and even medical advice and interventions of every type were becoming more wide-spread and accepted long before the onset of Coronavirus.
We are fully aware that many practitioners are concerned about the negative impact to their businesses that will result from the current situation and it would therefore be remiss of us not to emphasise the possibilities that offering therapy via remote means (e.g. Skype, Zoom, telephone etc.) can present, both now, whilst prospective clients will be essentially open to the idea, and also on into the future when there can be little doubt that more and more people will be utilising remote forms of communication as an accepted and normal part of everyday life.
With particular regard to therapy, there are clear and obvious advantages to both therapists and clients in engaging in such remote encounters:
For the practitioner, who would become immediately aware of cancelled appointments (and thereby enjoy greatly reduced inconvenience when clients fail to show); who would not be tied to offering therapy from a fixed location; who would have the potential to accept clients worldwide and thereby establish an International presence; who could potentially provide far more session slots during the working week etc.
For the client, who would save both time and money in not being obliged to travel to the therapist’s place of work; who could access their session at a place of their own choosing etc.
However, as stated above, we do not advocate remote therapy as a replacement for traditional
face-to-face sessions but rather as an adjunct to it. Nonetheless, the GHR’s observation is that with respect to remote therapy practice the future is already here and practitioners who avoid it do so at considerable potential loss and disadvantage.
Furthermore, it is entirely unclear when the current ‘lockdown’ restrictions will end, although from the ongoing daily Government briefings it looks very much as though they are set to maintain social distancing wherever possible (including within the work environment) for the foreseeable future; even more reason and justification for embracing the available technology in order to maintain a vital service to your clients and a healthy income for yourselves and your families.
N.B. For those not sufficiently conversant with remote technology, we strongly advocate seeking specific training in order to bring themselves up to speed.
For all GHR practitioners who engage in remote therapy, we would draw your attention to Clauses 32 – 40 of the GHR Code of Ethics (see https://general-hypnotherapy-register.com/code-of-ethics/ and scroll down to the section ‘Online & Remote Therapy’).
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Notes on Insurance Cover for Online & Remote Therapy
It is essential that practitioners who engage in remote therapy ensure that this practice is fully covered within their Professional Indemnity Insurance Policies. For its part, the GHR has been in communication with all four of its preferred insurance companies with particular regard to establishing their respective views on cover for remote therapy within their clients’ policies. Having now received responses from all four companies, we set out the salient wording below:
Balens
“The affinity scheme policy to cover GHR members will provide cover for the practitioner to practice the techniques noted on their insurance schedule online. The key considerations here are as follows:
The policy terms and conditions still apply. The key consideration here is that the record keeping condition that applies to face to face treatments also applies to online work.
The policy does not cover work with clients in the USA and/or Canada as standard. If this is required the policyholder will need to contact us for an extension to cover. This can usually be agreed for no additional premium.
Where an individual has had their policy extended to include cover for training resulting in the issue of a qualification or certificate of competency the policyholder will need to contact Balens.
Regarding Balens response to Covid-19 please see the following link to our full statement: www.balens.co.uk/covid “
Holistic
“Our policy does provide cover for working with clients over the telephone or by an online platform provided that they are working within the boundaries of their training, the method of communication is secure, their client is in a safe environment, they have a backup contact method in case the connection fails, confidentiality can be maintained, a normal consultation is done and records are kept as per our policy terms.”
Howden
“Our policy automatically covers clients to work not only face to face but also via telephone, skype, zoom, email, etc. As this cover is automatic no changes will need to be made to current policies.”
Towergate
“Underwriters confirm they will be happy to provide cover for remote working as detailed in Clauses 32 – 40 (Online & Remote Therapy) of GHR’s Code of Ethics (see https://general-hypnotherapy-register.com/code-of-ethics/) always providing that said Clauses are adhered to. Anyone wishing to do anything outside of this content should contact Towergate and who will then review on an individual basis.”
N.B. The GHR would advise Registrants that have their Professional Indemnity Insurance Policies via insurance providers other than the four listed above should contact their respective provider to ascertain their position in regard to online & remote working.
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The European Congress for Integrative Medicine – POSTPONED
New date: 26-28 February 2021
The GHSC & GHR are working with the European Congress for Integrative Medicine (ECIM) to promote its essential task in bringing together medical practitioners, healthcare professionals, scientists, researchers, therapists and health politicians from around the world.
The Congress has been taking place at various European cities since 2008 and at this forthcoming event the ECIM Committee of experts are including GHR Practitioners, GHSC Affiliated Training Providers and Students in training within an invitation to submit abstracts for consideration for presentation at Europe’s cutting-edge integrative medicine event to be held for the first time in the UK.
However, the organisers of the 13th European Congress for Integrative Medicine in collaboration with the European Society for Integrative Medicine (ESIM) have jointly announced that they have made the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 congress to February 26 – 28, 2021.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the increasing strain on healthcare professionals from across the world, the congress organisers, as well as the ESIM, felt it would be widely welcomed to hold the congress in early 2021.
Professor Benno Brinkhaus, president of the European Society for Integrative Medicine comments “With the Covid-19 pandemic we are facing a global health crisis and we feel it would be to the benefit of the entire Integrative Medicine community to postpone the congress to a date which better suits the needs of the community.”
The decision to move the dates of the congress comes with the support of the Congress Presidents and wider community. Joint President Dr Elizabeth Thompson comments “The decision to postpone the congress has not been taken lightly as we have already secured an unprecedented line-up of keynote speakers and international supporters. We are confident that this new date will not only enable more healthcare professionals to attend but it may also provide us with an opportunity to share some of the emerging research that demonstrates the role that Integrative Medicine has played in dealing with the pandemic.”
The congress is highly anticipated within the Integrative Medicine community and the hope is that by February 2021 the world will be in a better place. Dr Michael Dixon from The College of Medicine comments “It is a difficult time for all healthcare professionals at the moment, whilst they focus their attention on the Covid-19 pandemic. Moving the congress to February allows everyone a little more time to recover and reflect and the new dates in February have my full support”
The congress will continue to take place at the QE2 centre in London and the format will remain the same. However, with the extended dates the organisers have also extended the call for abstracts deadline and anyone who is interesting in presenting results of their latest research and/or clinical application now has until 28 August 2020 to submit a paper.
With the shift towards a more integrative approach to healthcare gaining momentum, the ECIM Committee encourages all those working in the field of integrative medicine to play a part in this movement by contributing an abstract for oral or poster presentations.
For more information and to submit an abstract on or before 28 August ’20, please visit:
www.ecimcongress.com/submit_abstract
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Relaxation Protocol to Improve Sleep and Reduce Anxiety for Patients with COVID-19 – by Tod Cury
GHR practitioner and founder of a clinical mind body therapeutic training organisation, the International College of Clinical Hypnosis (ICCHP), Tod Cury, has submitted the following item of significant relevance during these unprecedented times of global pandemic:
Contracting the Novel Coronavirus is a horrific time for people and associated stress and anxiety surrounding this disease can dampen down the body’s natural immune response. Can tried and tested ways of relaxing help to keep patients more relaxed, enable them to reduce anxiety levels, sleep deeper and thereby fight the infection from a stronger place?
In January and February this year, a randomised controlled trial in Hainan General Hospital in Wuhan with COVID-19 patients treated in isolation found that progressive relaxation techniques improved patients’ sleep quality and reduced their levels of anxiety. On hearing about the study, I subsequently developed a therapeutic hypnosis and mindfulness-based healing support protocol both for patients with COVID-19 and for people self-isolating as a consequence of suspected COVID-19 symptoms. All that needs to be done is to simply listen to the recording, available on the ICCHP website or YouTube, on a daily basis. As it is a hypnotherapy and mindfulness-based protocol it doesn’t even matter if the listener drifts off into sleep as it is the subconscious that listens and takes on board positive suggestions for de-stressing, healing and relaxation.
No previous experience in meditating, mindfulness or self-hypnosis is required. All people have to do is simply listen to the recording on a daily basis for as long as symptoms or isolation last. Hundreds of people have listened to the recording and many have given us positive feedback, saying that they find themselves easily drifting off into sleep, whilst the recording continues to communicate with their subconscious mind; and indeed, it is the subconscious mind which can be so helpful in stimulating the immune response, reducing levels of anxiety and fighting this infection.
The ICCHP’s team in Singapore has taken its protocol and translated it into Mandarin, enabling the original research team in Wuhan and other hospitals within Asia to have access to the protocol within their own clinical settings. The ICCHP team in Malaysia has set up a Psychological First Aid support programme for healthcare workers and first responders dealing with COVID-19 patients, introducing the service and protocol to all hospitals in Malaysia.
The Hypnosis and Mindfulness Healing Support Protocol is available to listen to on the ICCHP’s website at https://www.icchp.com/ or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35Rw0VURyg4
Further information about the protocol is available at https://www.icchp.com/13-featured/74-a-proposedevidence-based-therapeutic-hypnosis-healing-support-protocol-for-the-usewith-covid-19-patients
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Online Hypnosis TV Streaming Portal Launched
We have been requested to bring to the attention of our Registrants the launch of a new initiative that may well prove of interest.
It is a subscription service, described as “A Professional Service for Professional Hypnotherapists Worldwide”, and provides access to numerous videos of relevance.
Visit: www.hypnoflix.tv
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Chronic Snoring & Sleep Disorders Video
GHR practitioner and well-known trainer, Nick Davies, has brought to our attention his video on chronic snoring and sleep disorders which was recently featured on ITV News.
Nick describes it as a short piece but hopes that it will assist Hypnotherapy in becoming far more popular and in being taken much more seriously in certain quarters.
To view, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v6XoVBTJmk&feature=youtu.be
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The Administration Team
Views expressed within GHR published material and any conclusions reached are those of the authors
and not necessarily shared by other individuals, organisations or agencies
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