Level 4 Case Studies
Case Study Guidance
Your case study clients should be fully briefed and understand that this is part of your qualification assessment, that you are still in training and have not yet qualified.
Case study clients can be identified as soon as you commence the course, however you are asked not to start any sessions until stage 1 is completed and you have attended an initial call with your supervisor to discuss volunteer suitability.
If you prefer, you can start your case studies once you have completed all three stages. You will have one year from the completion of stage three to submit your case studies.
You will need to complete 8 therapy sessions across the three case studies as follows:
Case study 1 – you should conduct 2 therapy sessions with your volunteer. The first session will be your assessment & conceptualisation session, you will complete the relevant forms i.e. health questionnaire, and gather information about your volunteer’s issue. The session may include a convincer and / or introduction to hypnosis. The second session should be something you learned in Stage 1 i.e. ego strengthening or script writing exercise. You will discuss this in advance with your supervisor.
Case study 2 – you should conduct 3 therapy sessions with your volunteer. The first session will be the assessment & conceptualisation session described above. The subsequent sessions should be something you learned in stages 1 & 2 and relating to behaviour therapy. You will have discussed this with your supervisor as part of your pre-planning session.
Case study 3 – you should conduct 3 therapy sessions with your volunteer. The first session will be the assessment & conceptualisation session described above. The subsequent sessions should be something you learned in stages 1, 2 & 3 now bringing in cognitive therapy. You will have discussed this with your supervisor as part of your pre-planning session.
If you are waiting until you complete Stage 3 before commencing your case studies you can include both behavioural and cognitive elements in your case study sessions.
If you would like a client assessment form guide document for your sessions please click here. Remember to download and save this document to your own computer.
Important Guidance
Your case study volunteers should be seeking help for sub-clinical, low level issues such as:
- Performance improvement; sports, exam, driving, public speaking etc
- Mild anxiety associated with phobias e.g. animals or heights
- General stress; work related, lack of assertiveness
- Mild anxiety associated with social anxiety e.g. speaking in meetings or presentations, expanding friendship groups, dating, networking
- Habit change; nail biting, hair pulling
If, once the initial assessment is completed, it becomes apparent that there are more complex issues, you should refer the individual and not proceed further.
Similarly, if it becomes clear that exposure to your case study volunteer’s issue could negatively impact shared relationships in the future, either refer or defer their participation.
Referrals should always be discussed with your supervisor before being discussed with the volunteer who may accept or reject any recommendations accordingly. Referrals may be made back to their GP or to a qualified therapist, the appropriate routes will be part of the discussion with your supervisor.
It is important that you stay within your sphere of competence, and in particular, refer any volunteers that present any contraindications.
These include, but are not limited to, volunteers diagnosed with schizophrenia, depression, psychosis, severe clinical presentations, suicidal ideation and under 18’s. You should also seek advice if your volunteer suffers epilepsy, migraines or is pregnant.
Referral of these volunteers extends to those volunteers seeking assistance for an issue that isn’t related to their pre-existing condition i.e. smoking cessation for a volunteer diagnosed with depression.
It is important to discuss the suitability of your volunteers with your supervisor at your pre-planning session before commencing any sessions. Confidentiality should be maintained at all times.
Your case study notes should be completed with a reference number and no personal information such as address, email address etc., included in your assessment submission.
No payment should be taken for these sessions and case study volunteers should be aware that you are not yet fully trained or established in business.
The interventions you will be using are safe and harmless, however they should be aware that you are still learning, and they should disclose any underlying issues honestly and promptly, including any that develop during the case study period.
You will therefore refer any issues you believe are contra-indications for your current level of knowledge. If you are in any doubt as to whether to proceed with a case or have any concerns that arise during the case study, please contact your supervisor to discuss.
Your supervisor is your coach and will be advised that you can commence your pre-planning sessions once you have paid for your assessment.
It is advised that close friends or relatives are not invited to be case study volunteers. We advise that you ask your network for referrals of people you could work with. If you do decide to work with an individual you already have a relationship with (family, friend, social network etc) be very clear about confidentiality at the outset and agree to remain focused on their low-level issue as outlined above. You should be aware that the therapy may lead to the sharing of highly sensitive information which may change the nature of your relationship, and you should carefully consider your acceptance and comfort with this fact before commencing. If you have any doubts about the impact on your relationship you may wish to select someone else, outside of your immediate network to work with.
You need to apply for student Professional Indemnity insurance before commencing your case studies. Most insurers provide this type of insurance. Public liability insurance should also be covered as part of your professional indemnity insurance, please check that this is in place.
Once you have decided which organisation to insure yourself through, contact them to see if they provide student insurance.
The College can’t make any recommendations for insurers, however you can find a list of insurers here as a download.
Ensure you have a private, safe, confidential and suitable place to conduct the case study sessions. Conduct a health & safety risk assessment to satisfy yourself that the space is suitable. Ensure that the premises are covered by public liability insurance.
Case Study Process Flow
STEP 1
The first step is to pay for your assessment. Once you have paid you will be sent a link to complete your case study administration form. You can pay for your assessment here: https://www.ukhypnosis.com/pay-for-assessments-andqualifications/
STEP 2
Once you have completed the case study admin form and confirmed your insurance is in place your supervisor will be contacted to confirm you are approved to start your case studies. You will recieve 3 hours supervision for Level 4. Up to 1 hour for the pre-planning discussion with your supervisor, 30 minutes reflective supervision after each case study and 30 minute for the Risk Management role play.
STEP 3
In the email that confirms your case study administration form has been approved will will find the links to the ‘Case Study Preplanning forms. You should complete one per case study volunteer. On completion these will be sent to your supervisor and you can arrange a call with supervisor to discuss your volunteers and how you plan to structure your sessions. Your supervisor will provide you with a supervision contract.
Before attending this session complete the Risk Management & Risk Assessment workshop and read the brief for the role play. This role play will take place with your supevisor during your first call with them.
STEP 4
For each case study you will need to provide your volunteer with a “Case Study Agreement” and “Privacy Notice”, both of these documents can be found and downloaded via these links.
STEP 5
When you have completed the required sessions with your volunteer ask them to complete the Therapist feedback form. You can now submit your case study. Complete the supervision review form via the link that is sent to you. Contact your supervisor to arrange the session. Repeat this step for each of your case studies.
STEP 6
Once you have completed all your cases studies and supervision sessions your supervisor will email to confirm you have completed the case studies
Case study marking criteria
You will need to demonstrate the following:
- How did you explain the rationale for hypnotherapy and formally agree a treatment plan and goals?
- How did you complete the assessment phase?
- How did you explain informed consent and confidentiality?
- How did you plan and prepare a therapy session or series of sessions.
- How did you select the treatment interventions?
- How did you assess your ability to build relationships and use effective communication techniques of questioning, listening and giving feedback?
You will discuss these aspects with your supervisor as part of your reflection sessions.
