2026 Leadership Election

Dana Lebo, PhD, LP 

I am honored to be invited to run for the President-Elect role with the Board of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. For the past five years, I have been President of the North Carolina Society of Clinical Hypnosis (NCSCH), a recent winner of the ASCH Component Section Award. At the outset of COVID, I founded the Hypnotic Idea Exchange (HIE) with the help and support of my NCSCH team and three component section partners (the Clinical Hypnosis Society of NJ, the Northern VA Society, and the Clinical Hypnosis Association).  

Over five years, we have seen HIE grow in outreach from less than 200 to over 2,000 clinicians who use hypnosis. Our mission to build community, camaraderie, connection, and collaboration via an easy-to-access virtual platform and the appeal of monthly, free-of-charge, compelling presentations by talented experts in the field appears to be a winning one. The lessons I’ve learned through HIE — that we can (a) virtually grow our personal and professional relationships, (b) evolve and sustain a helpful, meaningful, consistent, easy-to-access resource for ASCH members and colleagues who use hypnosis, and (c) regularly share and exchange hypnotic ideas, tools, methods, stories, metaphors, suggestions, etc., in creative ways — are ones I would love to have the opportunity to utilize in a President-Elect role.    

Karen Slaton, PhD 

I am honored to be nominated for the ASCH Treasurer position. I am a member of ASCH and an ASCH Approved Consultant. I have served the hypnosis community for more than a decade as Secretary/Treasurer and now President of the New Orleans Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Following in the footsteps of Dabney Ewin, Dov Glazer, and Joseph Tramontana has been no small task and one that I have accomplished under their loving mentorship.  

My dedication to the field of clinical hypnosis continues as I have served as a trainer in the VA Hypnosis Training program since its inception. I have provided consultation to clinical health psychology interns and residents in my position as Clinical Health Psychologist and Program Manager at the New Orleans VA and have mentored providers who have received ASCH training and are working on becoming certified. Further, I have taught medical providers, who are not trained in hypnosis, to use “hypnotic” language in their patient interactions to facilitate engagement, partnership, and feelings of safety, and to avoid giving “post hypnotic” suggestions that do not move patients in the direction of their goals. 

Ran D. Anbar, MD  

It is my honor to accept a nomination to run for the position of ASCH Member-at-Large.  I have been privileged to serve ASCH as a member of the Executive Committee in the roles of Member-at Large for Medicine, Treasurer, President, as co-Chair of the Education Committee, and as Advisory Editor and Guest Editor of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis.  I have been blogging regularly about hypnosis for Psychology Today and have offered an ongoing invitation for ASCH members to co-author blogs with me on that forum. These experiences have allowed me to gain a long-term understanding of the strengths and challenges of our Society.    

Samuel Kohlenberg, PhD, BCB, DipACLM 

I am honored to be nominated for the position of Member-at-Large for the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. I bring to this role a uniquely broad perspective with concurrent roles as faculty member, clinician, and student — an intersection that allows me to bridge the needs and strengths of established professionals, early career practitioners, and trainees alike. 

Ekaterina (Katya) Knapp 

I am excited to present my candidacy for the position of Member-at Large for the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a background in psychology, law, and business, I bring a multidisciplinary perspective to leadership, governance, and organizational strategy. My unique career path allows me to blend analytical rigor and systemic thinking with creativity and intuition — qualities that I believe can spark innovative initiatives within ASCH and help the society support and engage its members. 

Christian Skoorsmith, MAR, PsyD(c) 

I am excited to present my candidacy for the position of Member-at Large in the Board of Directors for the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). At the time of the election in November, I will be approaching my first year of involvement in ASCH. As a newcomer to the organization, I hope to bring a fresh perspective and enthusiasm for ASCH’s operations and mission. I envision my role on the board, as a new ASCH member and mid-career professional, to both support and shape ASCH in its identity and mission. I am already enthusiastically embracing the vision and what ASCH sets out to do and questioning why (as well as how) we do what we do. I also bring with me positive professional connections with other (“lay”) hypnosis organizations, which may be helpful in advancing the vision of building an interprofessional community transforming the healthcare landscape through ethical and evidence-based use of hypnosis. 

Note: The information above is excerpted from the full candidate statements. Be sure to check your ballot to review each candidate’s full statement.