Canadian Society of Clinical Hypnosis (B.C. Division)

Clinical Hypnosis for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma

with Dr. Louis Damis, PhD, ABPP

Dates: November 21–22, 2026
Format: Virtual
Eligibility: Open to individuals who have completed Level 1 training (Level 2 recommended). Membership is not required; however, all applicants must meet the established training criteria.

Overview

Join us for a highly experiential, two-day virtual workshop exploring the use of clinical hypnosis in the treatment of developmental trauma.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Louis Damis, a Diplomate with the American Board of Professional Psychology and Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology, for this in-depth training designed for clinicians seeking to deepen their trauma-informed practice.

This workshop focuses on working safely and effectively with attachment wounds, early relational trauma, and complex developmental injuries. Participants will gain practical tools grounded in clinical experience—moving beyond theory into applied skill development.

What Makes This Workshop Unique

Unlike lecture-based trainings, this workshop emphasizes experiential learning. Participants will actively practice techniques, engage in structured exercises, and receive direct feedback and supervision from Dr. Damis.

Core Learning Areas

1. Understanding Developmental Trauma Through a Hypnotic Lens

  • Distinguishing developmental trauma from single-incident trauma
  • How early attachment disruptions shape implicit memory and self-organization
  • The role of state-dependent learning and dissociation in symptom formation

2. Attachment, Ego States, and Developmental Fixations

  • Working with attachment trauma in hypnosis
  • Identifying and engaging developmental ego states safely
  • Repairing internalized relational patterns through hypnotic processes

3. Stabilization and Resource Development

  • Building ego strength before trauma processing
  • Hypnotic techniques for affect regulation and containment
  • Developing internal secure attachment representations

4. Working with Dissociation

  • Differentiating adaptive vs. maladaptive dissociation
  • Recognizing subtle dissociative phenomena in trauma survivors
  • Gentle integration strategies without overwhelming the nervous system

5. Corrective Emotional and Somatic Experiences

  • Using imagery and hypnotic re-experiencing to facilitate repair
  • Reparenting interventions in hypnosis
  • Accessing somatic shifts to support trauma resolution

6. Managing Trauma Responses in Session

  • Recognizing signs of flooding, shutdown, or fragmentation
  • Titration and pacing within hypnotic work
  • Maintaining dual awareness and therapeutic safety

Experiential Component

Participants will:

  • Practice induction and stabilization protocols
  • Work with attachment-based imagery interventions
  • Engage in structured dyads and small-group exercises
  • Receive direct supervision and feedback from Dr. Damis

Who Should Attend

This workshop is ideal for clinicians who:

  • Work with complex trauma or developmental attachment injuries
  • Want to integrate hypnosis into trauma-informed psychotherapy
  • Are seeking practical, skill-based training rather than theory alone
  • Are looking to deepen their clinical skills in hypnosis

We look forward to offering a rich, clinically grounded learning experience.

Fees:

  Early-Bird After September 15th
CSCH Member $455 $520
Non-Member $555 $595
Full-Time Student $265 $265

Payment:

By e-transfer to admin2@hypnosis.bc.ca or credit card.

register here