[Above: Dr Daniel Kwek, head of psychiatry at TTSH who uses hypnotherapy techniques]

By Hedy Khoo

SHE thought it was hocus pocus. How could hypnotherapy work when psychiatric treatment and medication failed to end her suicidal tendencies?

Urged by her father to try it out, Christine is today convinced that hypnotherapy helped end her nine-year battle with clinical depression.

Her hypnotherapist is not a healthcare professional.

Christine is not the only patient turning to hypnotherapy. While there are no official statistics, hypnotherapists say it is gaining popularity.

Doctors interviewed also said more patients are enquiring and requesting for it.

With even the medical field recognising hypnosis as a clinical tool, it is no longer a question of whether hypnotherapy works. The issue lies with the credibility and credentials of those practising it.

Take the case of the 11 hypnotherapists who sued another hypnotherapist last month for course fees they paid him when his claims of having a Phd in psychology and 25 years in hypnotherapy did not check out.

Currently, hypnotherapy is not regulated by the Ministry of Health (MOH), which raises the question: Should it?

The ministry advises that clinical hypnosis, like any medical treatment, should only be conducted by healthcare professionals who are properly trained in its use.

The MOH spokesman added that clinical hypnosis is governed by existing professional and ethical codes in the respective healthcare professions.

But what about hypnotherapists who are not healthcare professionals?

Doctors trained in clinical hypnosis are hoping for more regulation to allow only those with healthcare training or qualifications to be allowed to practise as hypnotherapists.

This will allow healthcare professionals to identify any other medical issues a patient may have and decide if hypnosis is suitable to be used.

They added that patients currently have little recourse against hypnotherapists who are not healthcare professionals should problems arise.

Dr Hoili Lim, a clinical psychologist and president of the Singapore Society of Clinical Hypnosis (SSCH), said while hypnosis has been found effective in treating anxiety, depression and pain management, it does not treat all conditions or all individuals.

Dr Daniel Kwek, 43, who heads the department of psychological medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, said it is better to take a strict and conservative approach when regulating its use in treating clinical conditions.

Dr Kwek said: "The technique of hypnosis may be straightforward, but we're often dealing with people with psychological issues, sometimes without obvious psychiatric symptoms.

"When you go into their subconscious, you may chance upon past trauma or suppressed memories.

"A hypnotherapist not trained in healthcare and without psychological training may not be equipped to handle such situations and the person receiving the hypnotherapy may end up worse."

Dental surgeon Dr Tony Thong, 70, a founding member of the Singapore Society of Clinical Hypnosis, cautioned that people with no knowledge in psychology and not in healthcare should not hypnotise someone who is suicidal, in depression or who is psychotic.

Make things worse

He explained that a suicidal person may lack the willpower to kill himself. But hypnotherapy may inadvertently motivate the person into doing so.

Hypnotherapists who are not healthcare professionals interviewed said while they think that formal training in psychology or counselling may enhance the practice of hypnotherapy, they do not feel being in healthcare is a necessary prerequisite to training or practising as a hypnotherapist.

Ms Linda Damara, 52, who has been practising hypnotherapy since 2004, said during training, hypnotherapists are taught a code of ethics to abide by.

She said: "We are not doctors. We do not dispense medicine. Our clients are not our patients. We do not advise them to stop medication. Our objective is to help patients."

Another hypnotherapist, Miss Eldhi Yandi, 33, usually rejects clients who are on medication.

Both hypnotherapists pointed out that government regulation may not be viable as the field of hypnotherapy is an alternative therapy which does not involve medication.

But they hope for self-regulation in the industry.

Said Ms Damara: "A local association for hypnotherapists can set a standard by requiring all members to take a test and offer accreditation."

This article was first published in The New Paper