ASCH Webinar: Alternatives to Opioids: Self-Management and Hypnotic Pain Modulation Strategies

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ASCH Webinar

Alternatives to Opioids: Self-Management and Hypnotic Pain Modulation Strategies

Information

Date: 09/10/2025

Location: Virtual

Time: 7-9 pm ET / 6-8pm CT

Continuing Education (CE) Hours: 2*

*To receive credit for this webinar, you will be required to take a pre-test, post-test and an end of event survey. All items will be shared with you via email. 

Description: The incidence of opioid dependence and opioid use disorder in chronic non-cancer pain patients has been recently estimated to range from one in ten to one in three (Thomas et al, 2023). With the increased availability of synthetic opioids like fentanyl and the current opioid crisis, the need for moving patients to lower dosage levels and non-opioid alternatives is paramount.  This workshop will address non-hypnotic and hypnotic approaches to self-management of pain with an initial focus on motivational interviewing to optimize patient readiness and investment in change. Once patients are engaged in the change process, a range of pain self-management strategies will be reviewed, along with methods for generalizing and maintaining pain management skills. The workshop will also focus on instruction of multiple hypnotic techniques to be systematically applied to facilitate patient mastery and empowerment over chronic pain. This workshop is suitable for medical and mental health providers with or without experience in pain management. 

Learning Objectives 

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to: 

• Identify three motivational interviewing strategies and ways to incorporate MI into hypnotic approaches.  
• Describe a four-stage treatment approach for stable pain modulation. 
• List and apply four hypnotic and non-hypnotic pain modulation strategies. 
• Discuss the importance of desensitization and maintenance strategies for stable pain control.  

Speaker

This webinar will be presented by Louis Damis, PhD, ABPP, FASCH. Dr. Damis is a Diplomate with the American Board of Professional Psychology, a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology, the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance, and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. He is an Assistant Professor at the UCF College of Medicine, and an ESTI-accredited Ego State Therapist. Dr. Damis is a licensed psychologist with ASCH Consultant Status and Certification in Clinical Hypnosis. He is a Past President of the Florida and Washington DC Societies of Clinical Hypnosis and is currently the President of the ASCH. He has taught hypnosis for over 25 years for the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the Florida Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. Dr. Damis maintains a private practice and works as an instructor, author, and consultant. 

References

Bicego, Aminata, Floriane Rousseaux, Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville, Anne-Sophie Nyssen, and Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse. “Neurophysiology of Hypnosis in Chronic Pain: A Review of Recent Literature.” American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 64, no. 1 (October 15, 2021): 62–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2020.1869517. 

Caudill, Margaret A., and Herbert Benson. Managing Pain Before It Manages You. The Guilford Press, 2015. 

Crawley, Alex, Laura Murphy, Loren Regier, and Nora McKee. “Tapering Opioids Using Motivational Interviewing.” Practice. Canadian Family Physician 64, no. 8 (2018): 584–87. https://www.cfp.ca/content/64/8/584. 

Damush, T.M., K. Kroenke, M.J. Bair, et al. “Pain Self-Management Training Increases Self-Efficacy, Self-Management Behaviours and Pain and Depression Outcomes.” European Journal of Pain 20, no. 7 (2016): 1070–78. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.830. 

De Ridder, Dirk, Sven Vanneste, Mark Smith, and Divya Adhia. “Pain and the Triple Network Model.” Frontiers in Neurology 13 (2022). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.757241. 

De Ridder, Dirk, Divya Adhia, and Sven Vanneste. “The Anatomy of Pain and Suffering in the Brain and Its Clinical Implications.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 130 (November 1, 2021): 125–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.013. 

Du, Shizheng, Lingli Hu, Jianshu Dong, et al. “Self-Management Program for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Patient Education and Counseling 100, no. 1 (2017): 37–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2016.07.029. 

Gross, Douglas P., Joanne Park, Fahreen Rayani, Colleen M. Norris, and Shaniff Esmail. “Motivational Interviewing Improves Sustainable Return to Work in Injured Workers After Rehabilitation: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.” Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 98, no. 12 (2017): 2355–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2017.06.003. 

Higgins, C., B. H. Smith, and K. Matthews. “Evidence of Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia in Clinical Populations after Chronic Opioid Exposure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” British Journal of Anaesthesia 122, no. 6 (2019): e114–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2018.09.019. 

Hofbauer, Robert K., Pierre Rainville, Gary H. Duncan, and M. Catherine Bushnell. “Cortical Representation of the Sensory Dimension of Pain.” Journal of Neurophysiology 86, no. 1 (2001): 402–11. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.2001.86.1.402. 

Houzé, Bérengère, Anouk Streff, Mathieu Piché, and Pierre Rainville. “Spinal and Supraspinal Modulation of Pain Responses by Hypnosis, Suggestions, and Distraction.” American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 63, no. 4 (April 12, 2021): 329–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/00029157.2020.1863184. 

Kasimis, Konstantinos, Thomas Apostolou, Ilias Kallistratos, Dimitrios Lytras, and Paris Iakovidis. “Effects of Manual Therapy Plus Pain Neuroscience Education with Integrated Motivational Interviewing in Individuals with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study.” Medicina 60, no. 4 (2024): 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60040556. 

Langlois, Pascaline, Anaick Perrochon, Romain David, et al. “Hypnosis to Manage Musculoskeletal and Neuropathic Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 135 (April 2022): 104591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104591. 

Lin, Ting-Han, Ka-Wai Tam PhD, Yu-Ling Yang, Tsan-Hon Liou PhD, Tzu-Herng Hsu MD, and Chi-Lun Rau PhD. “Meditation-Based Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Pain Medicine 23, no. 10 (2022): 1800–1811. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnac037. 

Milling, Leonard S., Keara E. Valentine, Lindsey M. LoStimolo, Alyssa M. Nett, and Hannah S. McCarley. “Hypnosis and the Alleviation of Clinical Pain: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis.” International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis 69, no. 3 (2021): 297–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2021.1920330. 

Nijs, Jo, Amarins J Wijma, Ward Willaert, et al. “Integrating Motivational Interviewing in Pain Neuroscience Education for People With Chronic Pain: A Practical Guide for Clinicians.” Physical Therapy 100, no. 5 (2020): 846–59. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzaa021. 

Patterson, David R., and M. Elena Mendoza. (2025). Clinical Hypnosis for Pain Control: A Comprehensive Approach to Management and Treatment. American Psychological Association. 

Rainville, Pierre, Benoı̂t Carrier, Robert K Hofbauer, M. Catherine Bushnell, and Gary H Duncan. “Dissociation of Sensory and Affective Dimensions of Pain Using Hypnotic Modulation.” Pain 82, no. 2 (1999): 159–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3959(99)00048-2. 

Sawamoto, Nobukatsu, Manabu Honda, Tomohisa Okada, et al. “Expectation of Pain Enhances Responses to Nonpainful Somatosensory Stimulation in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Parietal Operculum/Posterior Insula: An Event-Related Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.” ARTICLE. Journal of Neuroscience 20, no. 19 (2000): 7438–45. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.20-19-07438.2000. 

Thomas, K. H., et al. (2024). Prevalence of problematic pharmaceutical opioid use in patients with chronic non‐cancer pain: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Addiction. doi.org/10.1111/add.16616. 

Thompson, Trevor, Devin B. Terhune, Charlotte Oram, Joseph Sharangparni, Rommana Rouf, Marco Solmi, Nicola Veronese, and Brendon Stubbs. “The Effectiveness of Hypnosis for Pain Relief: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 85 Controlled Experimental Trials.” Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 99 (April 1, 2019): 298–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.013. 

Villatoro-Luque, Francisco Jesús, Daniel Rodríguez-Almagro, Agustín Aibar-Almazán, et al. “In Non-Specific Low Back Pain, Is an Exercise Program Carried out through Telerehabilitation as Effective as One Carried out in a Physiotherapy Center? A Controlled Randomized Trial.” Musculoskeletal Science and Practice 65 (June 2023): 102765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2023.102765. 

Watson, Estelle D., Paul W. Marshall, Natalie M. V. Morrison, et al. “Breaking the Cycle of Reoccurring Low Back Pain with Integrated Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to Facilitate Education and Exercise Advice: A Superiority Randomised Controlled Trial Study Protocol.” BMC Public Health 24, no. 1 (2024): 2415. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19930-8. 

Yang, David Z., Billy Sin, Joshua Beckhusen, Dawei Xia, Rebecca Khaimova, and Ilia Iliev. “Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia in the Nonsurgical Setting: A Systematic Review.” American Journal of Therapeutics 26, no. 3 (2019): e397. https://doi.org/10.1097/MJT.0000000000000734. 

Register Here!

Registration Instructions 

Online registration will take you to the ASCH site and require a new account set-up (non-members) or Member login.  If you are an ASCH member enter the email address associated with your ASCH Membership as our UserID; click Forgot Password to set a new password. 

Payments can now be made in a secure online environment.  The system DOES NOT save credit card information once the transaction has been completed and registration submitted. 

Continuing Education Hours 

Online attendance, full engagement and completion of a pre-test, post-test and daily program evaluations are required for a certificate of completion. Level 1 and Level 2 will be approved for 20-24 hours.  

Changing Dates 

ASCH will honor one registration transfer.  Transfer requests must be made in writing, to education@asch.net, by March 24, 2025.  Change requests after that date will be treated as a cancellation. 

Credit Card Payments 

Registration payments must be made online and received by March 24, 2025.  The ASCH Registrar will send reminders of the due date will in advance.  The Registrants seat will be relinquished if payment is not received by this date. 

Cancellations 

 Cancellations must be made in writing to education@asch.net. No cancellations will be taken by phone. Cancellations made by March 24, 2025 will receive a full refund minus a $50 administrative fee. No refunds will be made for cancellations made after that date unless the seat can be filled by a waitlisted person. 

Clinical Workshop Eligibility 

Registrants must be healthcare professionals licensed in their jurisdiction functioning within the scope of their practice. 

Students must have completed a minimum of one full semester of the program and must submit proof of full-time enrollment at an ACE-approved institution of higher education on school letterhead that clearly identifies the individual’s program of study, area of concentration (if applicable), level of degree pursued and date of intended graduation. 

Full-time residents or interns participating in a recognized residency or internship program may also register to attend at a reduced rate. Residents/interns need to submit correspondence from their supervisor on official letterhead explaining the nature of the residency/internship and the date of intended completion of the program. 

Workshop CME & ASCH Continuing Education (CE) Credits 

This program has been approved by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis Standards of Training Committee to be used toward Membership and Certification requirements.  

The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis-Education and Research Foundation (ASCH-ERF) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis-Education and Research Foundation (ASCH-ERF) designates this live activity for a maximum of 22.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.  

This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (886386995-7390) for 22.50 continuing education contact hours.  

This course is approved by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and as such is an approved continuing education course per Florida’s AC-Rule 64B-4-6002 American Society of Clinical Hypnosis-ERF is designated as an Approved PACE Program Provider.  

The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis Education & Research Foundation Nationally Approved PACE Program Provider for FAGD/MAGD credit.  Approval does not imply acceptance by any regulatory authority or AGD endorsement. 10/1/2021 to 9/30/2027.  Provider ID#217022