: Not enough clinicians have a realistic understanding of and appreciation for clinical hypnosis, often dismissing it as merely a gimmick. To the contrary, for training in clinical hypnosis encourages sensitivity to the unique and subjective aspects of human experience as well as a deeper awareness for the inevitable role of suggestion in every form of treatment. Furthermore, hypnosis allows hidden resources we all possess to be more readily accessible, greatly empowering individuals in the process. And isn’t empowering our clients a primary goal of treatment? Can you imagine what it's like, for example, when someone in pain discovers an ability to manage their pain naturally with less medication or possibly none at all? What a privilege to be able to work in this impactful way! In this respect, hypnosis may well be regarded as the original applied positive psychology, for anyone who practices hypnosis recognizes that people have many more resources than they consciously realize. Connecting people to their strengths, empowering people to use more of their skills in new and diverse ways, and helping people acquire new skills are all fundamental to the practice of clinical hypnosis. This overview lecture will introduce attendees to the rich and complex world of modern clinical hypnosis and its relevance to effective therapies. We will explore how focused attention and well-structured suggestions can give rise to dramatic shifts in perception and how the mind can influence the brain. In addition to the information to be presented, a short video of a hypnosis session will be shown to illustrate the merits of applied clinical hypnosis. As the empirical evidence clearly indicates, the use of hypnosis – the power of words to heal – can empower people in multi-dimensional ways and truly should be a skill set each therapist takes the time to learn.