The use of Eriksonian Hypnosis to improve patient outcomes in pharmacy practice: A novel communication skill for pharmacists

Motivational Interviewing, pharmacist-based health coaching and traditional patient counseling techniques all show merit in improving communication between patients and health care providers. However, in order to effectively utilize these techniques one should have the ability to draw upon internal cognitive and psychological resources. Some patients have difficulty obtaining optimal health outcomes due to an unconscious inability to learn and connect with psychological resources. When this is the case, other methods of communication may need to be considered. With the appropriate training, Eriksonian Hypnosis or the use of techniques such as hypnotic language patterns (HLP) have the potential to be implemented into pharmacy practice settings and assist those patients who have previously failed to make positive behavior changes and act upon their health issues.