SCEH Awards Recognize Achievements in the Hypnosis Community

On September 10, 2025, the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis held its Annual Awards Celebration, live online. The event recognizes achievements within the hypnosis community. Hosted by SCEH President Barbara McCann, PhD, the awards program acknowledges contributions to clinical hypnosis, education and training, hypnosis research and publication, and volunteer contributions that advance the organization’s mission to promote excellence and progress in the field.

Nominations were sourced via a member Call for Awards, then selected by the Society’s Awards and Fellowship Committee. The 2025 Awards Committee was chaired by Immediate Past President Ciara Christensen, PhD and included committee members Gary Elkins, PhD, ABPP, ABPH, Don Moss, PhD and David Reid, PsyD. (Committee members recused themselves from voting in certain categories if nominated for an award.) The SCEH Awards Program also includes Presidential Awards which are selected by the current SCEH President.
 
SCEH celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of this year’s award winners!

• Stanley Krippner Award for efforts supporting the field of hypnosis by students or early career professionals to Cassondra Jackson, MA.
  
  
• Crasilneck Award for the best first paper presented by a graduate student or young scientist at a SCEH meeting to Yeganeh Farahzadi, MS in recognition of her paper, Predicting Hypnotic Depth using Transfer Learning, delivered at the Scientific Program of the SCEH Annual Conference, October 2024.
  
  
• Roy M. Dorcus Award for the best paper in clinical hypnosis is presented to Nicolino Ramondo; Carmela F. Pestell; Susan M. Byrne & Gilles E. Gignac for their paper, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Hypnosis in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Control Trial. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 72(3), 229-253. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2024.2354722.
  
  
• Henry Guze Award for best research paper on hypnosis is presented to Charlie W. McDonald; Joseph P Green; Fiona G Sleight; Isabella T Seibert & Steven Jay Lynn in recognition for their paper, The Lynn Hypnotic Engagement Scale (LHES): A Multi-Study Validation. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 73 (3), 247-273. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2025.2508404.
  
  
• Reviewer of the Year Award for significant contribution to the Society's peer-reviewed quarterly, the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis to Joseph Green, PhD.
  
  
• Arthur Shapiro Award for the Best Book on Hypnosis to Amir Raz, PhD in recognition of his book, The Suggestible Brain - The Science and Magic of How We Make Up Our Minds. Balance Publishing. October 2024.
  
  
• Shirley Schneck Award to a physician who has made significant contributions to the development of medical hypnosis to Jessie (Kittle) Markovits, MD.
  
  
• Erika Fromm Award for excellence in teaching to Louis Damis, PhD, ABPP.
  
  
• Bernard Raginski Award, the Society's highest honor, for leadership in the field of clinical hypnosis to Zoltan Kekecs, PhD.

 
Presidential Awards

Singled out this year by President McCann for a Presidential Award were the following:

• Zoltan Kekecs, PhD for service as a valued member of our Executive Committee, and for continued and dedicated service as Treasurer, providing ongoing oversight and attention to SCEH finances, and helping to ensure the current and future financial sustainability of the Society.

• David Reid, PsyD for service as a valued member of our Executive Committee, serving as SCEH Secretary and Certification Chair.

• Ciara Christensen, PhD for service as a valued member of our Executive Committee, as Immediate Past President, and Chair of three committees: Awards & Fellowship, Student Trainee Affairs & Scholarships, and Nominations.

• Donald Moss, PhD for service as a valued member of our Executive Committee, as President-Elect, and as Chair of two committees, Education and Publications, and for continuing to develop an excellent Midyear Workshops event each year as well as a successful ongoing Webinar Series.

• Gary Elkins, PhD, ABPP, ABPH for his leadership and professionalism as Editor-in-Chief of our International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, delivering a highly regarded peer-reviewed publication that shares and highlights the latest research supporting the evidence base of hypnosis.

• Flavio Epstein, PhD for his continued dedication and service as Credentials and Membership Committee Chair, overseeing our member approval process and annual member retention campaign.

• Deanna Denman, PhD for service as 2025 Annual Conference Overall Co-Chair and Scientific Program Co-Chair, helping to grow our understanding of hypnosis, and for stepping into the role of Member-at-Large on the Executive Committee.

• Jillian Ballantyne, PhD, ABPP for serving as 2025 Annual Conference Advanced Workshop Co-chair, helping to advance the training of those who use hypnosis in their work; for service as a Member of the FOCUS Newsletter Team, in recognition of her efforts to create new content and publish relevant topics to keep our members informed and engaged, and for stepping into the role of Member-at-Large on the Executive Committee.

• Yeganeh Farahzadi, MS for stepping in to serve as the Student Representative on the Executive Committee

• Jessie (Kittle) Markovitz, MD for serving as 2025 Annual Conference Overall Co-Chair and Scientific Program Co-Chair, helping to grow our understanding of hypnosis.

• Cassondra Jackson, MA for continued service as a Member of the FOCUS Newsletter Team, in recognition of her efforts to publish relevant topics to keep our members informed and engaged.

• Kaitlin Seidenberg, BS for service as a Member of the FOCUS Newsletter Team, in recognition of her efforts to keep SCEH members informed and engaged.

• Victor Padilla, MSc for service as a Member of the FOCUS Newsletter Team, in recognition of her efforts to keep SCEH members informed and engaged.

• Vanessa Muniz, MA for serving as the Managing Editor of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis; and for advancing the field of hypnosis through the media attention received for her work on hypnosis, women, and hot flashes.

• Katherine Scheffrahn, BS for serving as Assistant Managing Editor of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis

• Ilyse Spertus, PhD for service as a member of the Education Committee, contributing to the recruitment of excellent speakers for the Midyear Workshop and the ongoing Webinar Series.

• Elizabeth G. Walsh, PhD for service as a member of the Education Committee, contributing to the recruitment of excellent speakers for the Midyear Workshop and the ongoing Webinar Series.

• Betsy Gaines, PsyD for service as a member of the Education Committee, contributing to the recruitment of excellent speakers for the Midyear Workshop and the ongoing Webinar Series.

• Eric Willmarth, PhD for service as a Co-Chair of the 2025 Midyear Introductory Workshop, helping advance the educational mission of SCEH

• Chandler Broadbent, PsyD for service as a Co-Chair of the 2025 Midyear Introductory Workshop, helping advance the educational mission of SCEH.

• Louis Damis, PhD, ABPH for service as a Co-Chair of the 2025 Midyear Intermediate Workshop, helping advance the educational mission of SCEH.

• Akira Otani, EdD for service as a Co-Chair of the 2025 Midyear Intermediate Workshop, helping advance the educational mission of SCEH.

• Shawn Criswell. PhD, LPC for serving as 2025 Introductory Workshop Co-Chair, introducing hypnosis to clinicians and researchers.

• Cameron Alldredge, PhD for serving as 2025 Annual Conference Intermediate Co-Chair, helping advance the educational mission of SCEH.

• Nicholas Olendzki, PsyD for serving as 2025 Annual Conference Intermediate Co-Chair, helping advance the educational mission of SCEH.

• Alexandra Chadderdon, PsyD for serving as the 2025 Annual Conference Advanced Workshop Co-Chair, helping advance the training of those who use hypnosis in their work.

• Anne Doherty Johnson for her continued work in supporting the Society through her role as Executive Director.

The Society congratulates all nominees and award winners, and we thank the Awards and Fellowship Committee.
 
The Call for Nominations for each year’s SCEH Awards Program is issued in the spring of the year. More information can be found at www.sceh.us/awards or by contacting the SCEH office.

#SCEHawards #hypnosisawards #hypnosisresearch #clinicalhypnosis