ASCH 2026 Virtual ASMW
Explore cutting-edge topics and expert insights at the ASCH 2026 ASMW “New Frontiers in Hypnosis: Human Ingenuity, AI Innovation, and Ethical Boundaries” on Friday March 20th through Sunday, March 22nd, 2026, with Pre-Conference Sessions on Thursday, March 19th. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and knowledge while connecting with leading professionals in the field.
Registration is now open! See the link below for more details on the conference, including packages and schedules!
We are offering an early bird discount until January 23 (on or before) – Use the discount code: 50OFF
We’re thrilled to announce our lineup of pre-conference workshops, featuring expert speakers and unique sessions that dive deep into the applications of clinical hypnosis in a variety of clinical settings. To view and register for these exciting workshops, click here – https://asch.net/asch-annual-scientific-meeting-and-workshops-2/pre-conference-asch-asmw-2026/
Below is the schedule of our conference sessions. You can also access a pdf version of the simple schedule ASMW 2026 Schedule simple (1) and a detailed ASMW Program with conference session details – ASMW 2026 details conference sessions
We will update this schedule with other conference events soon!
Thursday, March 19 (Preconference Workshops - see registration link above)
10:00 AM ET – 12:00 PM ET (2 CE)
12:15 PM ET – 3:15 PM ET (3 CE)
3:30 PM ET – 6:30 PM ET (3 CE)
The Impact of AI Technologies on Patient Communication and Care
Mindful Hypnotherapy: The Basics for Clinical Practice
Explorations in Trauma Treatment Through Ericksonian Hypnosis, Mindfulness, and Core Creativity
Daniela Huetwohl, MD
Gary Elkins, PhD, ABPP, ABPH
Ronald A. Alexander, PhD
Friday, March 20 - Conference Sessions
Opening Plenary – 1 CE
10:30AM ET – 11:30 AM ET
Concurrent Sessions – 3 CE
12:00 PM ET – 3:00 PM ET
Concurrent Sessions – 1.5 CE
3:30 PM ET – 5:00 PM ET
Artificial Intelligence and its Growing Utility in Medicine
Clinical Hypnosis for Attachment Repair
“Minding Your Client’s Mind” Using Various Clinical Interventions across Clients of Differing Hypnotic/Imagoic Responsivity
A Gathering of Healers: How to work with clients who report paranormal/non-ordinary experiences such as clairvoyance, telepathy, mediumship, OBEs and NDEs.
Harnessing Utilization, Metaphor, and Visualization Techniques for Trauma Recovery
The Rhythmic Architecture of Hypnotic Communication
AI Applications in Clinical Hypnosis Publications: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
A collaborative approach for the development of an effective hypnotic strategy for patient mastery of an invasive medical procedure.
Utilizing AI as a Consultation & Training Resource in Ericksonian Hypnosis and Therapy
Matthew Wong, MD
Louis Damis, PhD
Ron Pekala, PhD
Paul Schenk, PsyD and Philip Accaria, PhD
Huaiyu Zhang, PhD
Anita Jung, LPC-S, LPA
David B. Reid, PsyD
Katie Simpson, Senior Health Psychologist
Dale E. Bertram, PhD
Saturday, March 21 - Conference Sessions
Plenary – 1 CE
10:30AM ET – 11:30 AM ET
Concurrent Sessions – 3 CE
12:00 PM ET – 3:00 PM ET
Concurrent Sessions – 1.5 CE
3:30 PM ET – 5:00 PM ET
Ericksonian Choice Architecture: Crafting Strategic Communication for Hypnotic Practice
Hypnosis in Dealing with Grief, Death and Spirituality
Organized Extreme Abuse: Terms, Complexities and Creative Strategies
Chronic States with Better Fates
Imagination as the Regenerative Time Machine: Healing the Past and Spontaneous Imaginal Life Experiences in Clinical Hypnosis
Becoming an ASCH Educator
Integrating Pain Reprocessing Therapy
Principles with Clinical Hypnosis for Chronic Pain
Hypnoanesthesia
Step-By-Step Guide to Using AI to Enhance Your Hypnosis Practice
Dan Short, PhD
Ran Anbar, MD, FAAP
Rachel Sage, LCSW-C
Bart Walsh, MSW
Marina A. Smirnova, PhD and Eric K. Willmarth, PhD
Mary Wells, PhD
Michael Spertus, MD
Brice Lemaire, PhD
Cameron Alldredge, PhD
Sunday, March 22 - Conference Sessions
Concurrent Sessions – 1.5 CE
10:30AM ET – 12:00PM ET
Concurrent Sessions – 3 CE
12:30PM ET – 3:30PM ET
Closing Plenary – 1 CE
3:45PM ET – 4:45PM ET
The February Man Revisited: Milton H. Erickson, MD’s Deep Trance Phenomena
Integrating Acupressure & Traditional Chinese Medicine Meridians with Clinical Hypnosis: A Practical Workshop
Power of Words
Panel Discussion: When New Minds Enter Care: AI, the Unconscious, and the Future of Clinical Presence
Hypnosis Applications to the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Altered States of Consciousness Experiences Related to Spiritual and Religious Aspects of Skin and Skin Disorders
Hypnotic Biohacking: Therapeutic Utilization of Embodied Communication for Enhancing Vitality and Longevity
Collaborative Storytelling in Pediatric Hypnosis: Integrating AI-Assisted Creativity to Foster Safety, Mastery, and Healing
Brave New World: Navigating AI in Behavioral Health
Kathryn Rossi, PhD and Jan Dyba, MA
Michael Spertus, MD and Prachi Garodia, MD
Linda Thomson, PhD, MSN, APRN, ABMH, ABHN, FASCH
Panel: Anita Jung, LPC-S, LPA; Ran Anbar, MD, FAAP; Daniela Huetwohl, MD; and Ronald Alexander, PhD
Kaloyan Tanev, PhD and Carolyn Daitch, PhD
Philip Shenefelt, MD, ABMH
Marina A. Smirnova, PhD and David B. Reid, PsyD
Samantha Silverberg, PhD
Trina Histon, PhD
Highlights: ASMW 2026 Plenary Sessions
Artificial Intelligence and its Growing Utility in Medicine
Opening Plenary, Friday, March 20 10:30am – 11:30am ET | Speaker: Matthew Wong, MD
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly visible in medicine, yet its real-world clinical value is often misunderstood. This session provides a clear, non-technical overview of AI in medicine, explaining key concepts such as machine learning, deep learning, and large language models using clinically relevant examples. It reviews how AI in medicine has evolved from early rule-based decision systems to modern tools for imaging analysis, clinical decision making, and clinical documentation, while also highlighting important limitations and well-documented failures. Emphasis is placed on why many AI systems struggle in real clinical environments, including issues of bias and poor validation. Attendees will leave with a balanced understanding of where AI may genuinely support clinical practice today.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the various definitions of artificial intelligence used in medicine and technology.
- Differentiate between artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning.
- Identify the major challenges and barriers to implementing artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Speaker: Matthew Wong, MD is a clinical neurologist and Clinical Assistant Professor specializing in neurology and epilepsy care at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and completed his neurology residency as well as a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology and epilepsy at the University of Virginia. In addition to his clinical work, he has a practical interest in the application of large language models in medicine. Before medical school, he worked as a software developer, with his first role focused on expert systems for complex hardware configuration.
Ericksonian Choice Architecture: Crafting Strategic Communication for Hypnotic Practice
Saturday March 21st, 10:30-11:30am ET | Speaker: Dan Short, PhD
This plenary introduces Ericksonian Choice Architecture (ECA), a framework that extends Milton H. Erickson’s legacy by framing hypnotic communication as the strategic design of preconscious choice. Participants will learn how ECA differs from traditional directive approaches by emphasizing autonomy, context sensitivity, and indirect influence (“nudges”). Practical examples will illustrate how ECA enhances engagement, deepens hypnotic responsiveness, and is supported by newly emerging research. Attendees will leave with clear, applicable concepts for shaping communication that honors client agency while increasing the precision, flexibility, and effectiveness of hypnotic interventions in contemporary clinical practice.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Define the core principles of Ericksonian Choice Architecture (ECA) and distinguish how they differ from traditional directive models of hypnotic communication.
- Identify and analyze at least three ECA strategies that enhance client autonomy, engagement, and responsiveness during hypnosis.
- Apply ECA principles to a clinical vignette by formulating at least one intervention that demonstrates choice-centered communication and strategic framing.
Speaker: Dan Short is a practicing clinical psychologist who also serves as Co-Director for the Milton H. Erickson Institute of Phoenix, adjunct faculty for the Milton H. Erickson Foundation Intensive training program and the originator of the training program in Ericksonian Choice Architecture (ECA). Dr. Short also teaches medical hypnosis for Sonoran University of Health Sciences. Dr. Short has published four books, served as guest editor for American Journal of Hypnosis (AJCH), and authored dozens of scholarly articles and book chapters. Dr. Short’s research interests have focused on Ericksonian hypnosis resulting in a research-based treatment manual for Ericksonian therapy (ET), which is used by training institutes around the world.
Brave New World: Navigating AI in Behavioral Health
Closing Plenary – Sunday March 22nd, 3:45-4:45pm ET | Trina Histon, PhD
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology continues to evolve rapidly in the behavioral health space. This presentation will provide a historical overview of the evolution from rule-based to generative models and discuss how AI-based digital tools are being considered for behavioral health care, both for assessment and interventions. Finally, strategies to balance innovation with ethical considerations to optimize therapeutic value while reducing risks will be discussed.
By the end of this 60-minute plenary session, participants will be able to:
- Understand different AI-based behavioral health models and the pros and cons of each.
- Differentiate between rule-based artificial intelligence systems and generative AI models, including their mechanisms, capabilities, and limitations in behavioral health settings
- Understand how AI technology currently supports clinical assessment and interventions in behavioral health care in clinical and wellness settings.
- Describe at least three evidence-supported applications of AI in behavioral healthcare, including conversational agents, clinical decision support, and documentation of augmentation.
- Understand strategies to optimize clinical value while minimizing risk.
- Apply practical evaluation criteria to assess whether an AI tool is clinically appropriate, safe, and aligned with professional standards, including questions related to evidence, data governance, crisis management, and bias mitigation.
Speaker: Dr. Trina Histon is a health psychologist and digital health strategist with a decades-long career at the intersection of behavioral science, healthcare innovation, and technology. A former Vice President of Clinical Product Strategy at Woebot Health and a longtime leader within Kaiser Permanente, Trina has spearheaded national initiatives that have scaled evidence-based digital mental health tools across complex health systems to reach hundreds of thousands of users. Their work has shaped the design, deployment, and reimbursement strategies for digital mental health treatments (DMHTs) through various roles at the Digital Therapeutic Alliance. They are also published contributors to the field, co-authors of the 2025 Digital Mental Health Treatment Implementation Playbook and Equity in Digital Mental Health Interventions in the United States.
As Director of Percolating Health, Trina now advises start-ups and organizations on partnering with US-based clients (payers, health systems, employer groups, D2C) to enable clinical use, define deployment strategies, and implement digital therapeutics and AI-enabled digital mental health tools in real-world settings. They are frequent speakers and moderators at international forums—from the Society for Digital Mental Health and ISRII to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences—and serve as co-lead of the Society’s Special Industry Group. Trina serves on the Board of the Society for Digital Mental Health and serves as co-lead for the UK’s Digital Adoption Workgroup of the Mental Health Goals Programme. Trina brings a uniquely practical lens, grounded in behavioral psychology, implementation science, and lived system experience. This makes them a trusted partner to those seeking to build effective, equitable, and scalable digital mental health ecosystems. Trina completed their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at University College Cork, Ireland, and has recently relocated to Ireland after several decades in the USA.