Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility

Many difficulties can be successfully resolved

with effective & lasting short term therapy & often without medications

Utilizing Hypnosis, Self-Hypnosis, C.B.T., Biofeedback & Counseling

Introduction

For more than thirty-five years I am successfully helping women who have difficulties with a variety of obstetric and gynecological conditions often utilizing hypnosis and self-hypnosis.

As a specialist in medical and clinical hypnosis, I help patients to alleviate their discomfort and heal their medical conditions, while reducing or eliminating the need for medications and invasive medical interventions.

As a clinical and medical psychologist, I work in partnership with my patients’ physicians to help ensure that my patients’ medical treatments and treatment strategies are integrated and complimentary, effective and, efficient, and as non-invasive and comfortable as possible.

As hypnosis reduces the need for medical and medicinal intervention, hypnosis prevents iatrogenic complications, i.e. inadvertently induced consequences or side effects caused by medical procedures or medications, which are unwanted and sometimes dangerous to the patient.

In addition, I also help my patients to deal and resolve any psychological and/or emotional issues or difficulties which may be causing or contributing to the medical condition, as well as those that may be experienced as a result of the medical condition.

I work in a highly professional and caring manner. I help my patients to be and feel empowered by teaching them self-hypnosis and skills of self-help related to health, healing and general well-being.

A Menu of My Services
Childbirth preparation
Obstetric Conditions:
Treatment & Prevention
Post-Partum Treatment – (after birth)
Gynecological Conditions – Treatment
Psychogenic infertility & I.V.F. (invitro-fertilization) & Miscarriages
Psychological issues I treat related to Obstetrics
Sex therapy for Women
I provide sex therapy for men & couples
Introduction to my helping women in the treatment of OB/GYN conditions

For more than thirty-five years I am successfully helping women who have difficulties with a variety of obstetric and gynecological conditions often utilizing hypnosis and self-hypnosis.

As a specialist in medical and clinical hypnosis, I help patients to alleviate their discomfort and heal their medical conditions, while reducing or eliminating the need for medications and invasive medical interventions.

As a clinical and medical psychologist, I work in partnership with my patients’ physicians to help ensure that my patients’ medical treatments and treatment strategies are integrated and complimentary, effective and, efficient, and as non-invasive and comfortable as possible.

As hypnosis reduces the need for medical and medicinal intervention, hypnosis prevents iatrogenic complications, i.e. inadvertently induced consequences or side effects caused by medical procedures or medications, which are unwanted and sometimes dangerous to the patient.

In addition, I also help my patients to deal and resolve any psychological and/or emotional issues or difficulties which may be causing or contributing to the medical condition, as well as those that may be experienced as a result of the medical condition.

I work in a highly professional and caring manner. I help my patients to be and feel empowered by teaching them self-hypnosis and skills of self-help related to health, healing and feeling general well-being.

I help women who are experiencing obstetric difficulties or want to prevent them

I am a specialist in the use of hypnosis in obstetrics since 1983. The focus of my work in obstetrics is in helping women who have medical complications or difficulties with pregnancy, labor and delivery, and post-partum issues. I also help women (and their spouses) who are experiencing psychological, emotional or marital difficulties regarding pregnancy, labor and delivery (as well as other issues). 

Hypnosis can be utilized to stop or reduce premature contractions, thereby eliminating the need for medications which often have unwanted side effects, such as increased heart rate in the fetus.

Hypnosis and self-hypnosis (and other behavioral techniques which I use) can also be utilized for the treatment of hyperemesis (morning sickness, nausea, vomiting) premature labor, delayed labor, prolonged labor, back labor, pain reduction, anxiety relief, elimination of fear & phobias, pre-eclampsia, and other conditions. What is particularly important about a woman having the options of these kinds of treatments is that they facilitate self-empowerment, self-esteem, comfort and health without the concerns of the consequences of negative side effects which can accompany medications and medical procedures.

Hypnosis and self-hypnosis can often eliminate the need for any pain medications, as well as the need for epidural injections. For additional information, please refer to my web page Pain Reduction & Management. You can also read an article I wrote which was published in a magazine for physicians who specialize in the treatment of pain, entitled  “Pain” – . To read the original article in Hebrew Click Here. 

These treatment modalities are also helpful in helping women (and their spouses) with related psychological, emotional, marital or family dynamics and challenges which are often present during the process of pregnancy, labor, delivery, and adding a child to the family. There are many factors and dynamics present during this important life process of giving birth – for both the mother, and those who are close to her. She is affected by physiological and hormonal changes which subsequently affect her emotional and psychological experience.

Please refer to the list of psychological and emotional issues I help patients with – listed on the side column. There are complete website pages which discuss some of the listed issues. Refer to the  menu on the top of the page.

Psychogenic Infertility & Repeated Fetal Loss  (miscarriages)

I have chosen to address both of these issues together because although they are obviously different conditions, the medical-psychological dynamics involved and the approach to treating these conditions have a lot in common.

The conscious mind is powerful and can accomplish many things for us. However sometimes the subconscious mind is even more powerful and is able to not only to affect the physiology of the body much more than the conscious mind is able to – the subconscious mind can affect physiology in important ways that the conscious mind simply cannot. This is particularly important and relevant to the two conditions under discussion here.

The subconscious can affect the physiology of women to prevent her from getting pregnant. It can also create a neuro-physiological situation which can trigger spontaneous abortions, i.e. miscarriages.

I usually (when appropriate) use hypnosis, an excellent, efficient, effective and safe diagnostic and therapeutic tool and process  tool to discover what thoughts, feelings, fears, reasons, secondary gains and motivations are present in contributing to the unwanted medical condition.

Hypnosis, self-hypnosis, and when needed, psychotherapy or counseling, is then implemented in order to resolve the unconscious contributing causes, thereby increasing the possibility of success in getting pregnant, and maintaining pregnancy to full term.

I will be writing more about this in the future.

I help women to alleviate and prevent gynecological conditions & difficulties

Many of the gynecological conditions and difficulties which women suffer from can be treated with safe, non-invasive techniques of behavioral medicine, including hypnosis, biofeedback, and C.B.T..  Conditions include: P.M.S., pelvic pain, dyspareunia (painful intercourse,), dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), vaginismus (vaginal muscle spasm and pain), herpes, menopausal symptoms, endometriosis, vestibulitis, amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), and others.

I help women with the psychological, emotional and relational issues related to the above medical conditions. Often gynecological conditions can be partly a result of psychological and emotional issues. Often the medical condition is the cause of psycho-emotional difficulties, as well as marital or social difficulties.

Read what experts in Obstetrics & Gynecology say about my work.

Below are excerpts of letters of endorsement and recommendation written by respected medical specialists (and hospitals) in the fields of obstetrics & gynecology. I have successfully treated patients referred to me by each specialist.

To read the entire letter of recommendation,

Click on the name of the physician or hospital.

Santa Monica Hospital (part of U.C.L.A.) Birth Place (Lynn H. Sullivan)

Edward Sheldon, Ph.D. (Simcha Sheldon) worked at Santa Monica Hospital …as a medical psychologist working in the Department of Labor and Delivery. Dr. Sheldon provided treatment for our patients including dealing with labor and delivery complications such as premature and delayed labor, severe experience of pain, loss of control, surgical preparation, anxiety, and depression. 

Dr. Sheldon’s work was excellent, effective, caring and appreciated by both patients and staff. He demonstrated true expertise in the use of hypnosis.

He also worked with our physician and nursing staff in integrating his treatment with our medical treatment.

Amy E. Rosenman, M.D., Fellow American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Assistant Clinical Professor, David Geffen, UCLA School of Medicine

I have referred patients to Dr. Sheldon… management of labor pain and anxiety, premature labor, delayed labor, hyperemesis and sexual dysfunction…(he) employed a mixture of hypnosis, self-hypnosis and guided imagery with excellent results…I highly recommend Dr. Sheldon as an excellent addition to any medical staff.

Charles E. Hamrell, M.D. F.A.C.O.G., Assistant Professor, UCLA School of Medicine (former head of Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Santa Monica Hospital)

It is my pleasure to recommend him highly as both a specialist in behavioral medicine and medical psychology.

Dr. Sheldon was often asked to treat women who were having unusual difficulties…helping women in premature labor stop having contractions without medication, and stopping pain when medication did not work…helped in circumstances of prolonged labor, post-partum depression, anxiety and fear…provided psychotherapy to fathers and couples.

He was of help to my patients as well as to several of my colleague’s’ patients.

Richard Frieder, M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. U.C.L.A. School of Medicine

I highly recommend my colleague Edward Sheldon, Ph.D. I have referred a number of my patients to him during the years 1984 – 1990 when he practiced in Santa Monica and Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Sheldon helped my patients with hypnotherapy and psychotherapy for hyperemesis, premature labor, smoking, obesity, and family therapy.

My patients were happy with his work. Many of my OB/GYN colleagues also referred patients to Dr. Sheldon, and were pleased with his work.

He also taught helpful courses for medical practitioners in hypnosis, holistic medicine, stress management, and other topics, and did fine work at Santa Monica and St. John’ s Hospitals.

I hope that you will give credit to Dr. Sheldon’s good reputation, many years of excellent work, and the good person that he is,

Feel welcome to discuss with me any questions that you may have regarding
how I can help you

My professional experience in Obstetrics & Gynecology

For many years I have successfully treated obstetric patients both as the director of Integrative Health Services (California) and in my private practice. A number of highly respected obstetricians in Los Angeles regularly referred their patients to me for treatment. Their endorsements and recommendations appear below. 

I worked in the Department of Labor and Delivery at Santa Monica-U.C.L.A. Medical Center with patients and the staff, especially when women in active labor were experiencing extreme pain or were out of control.

Having written my Doctoral Dissertation on the use of hypnosis for pain management during labor and delivery  (1983), along with many years of clinical experience, I  help patients who have difficulties with pain and severe pain, even when the medications they take are not helping or not helping enough.

Additional Resources
Endorsements

Additional Services

Links to a few of my articles

I presented a lecture on the use of hypnosis as intervention in pregnancy, at the ASPO/Lamaze Convention, San Diego, California, 1984.

Click here to read about it >>

DISCLAIMER:

Of course specific results cannot be guaranteed, and vary from client/patient to client/patient. Motivation and positive participation, as well as suggested homework are required of the patient. The work is a partnership between therapist and client/patient.

I want to give my patients the best treatment I can, and create the best treatment strategy for each patient. To do this, it is important for me to have the necessary information regarding their condition, medical history, and past and concurrent treatment, with other health professionals. I, therefore, request consultation with my patients’ medical doctors, when I treat them for medical or psychiatric diagnoses, or at least a copy of their medical report, so that I can offer the best services possible.              

At times hypnosis or another modality of therapy is not recommended or appropriate for a particular client/patient. Whether hypnosis or another modality is utilized in the treatment of my client/patient is determined after consultation and evaluation of the client/patient, the specific issues presented the preference of the client/patient, and the client/patient’s medical history.

Regarding hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy and hypnosis are usually very good treatment interventions. However, hypnosis is contraindicated under certain circumstances. For example, hypnosis is usually contraindicated for individuals who suffer from severe psychiatric disorders, such as psychoses and schizophrenia.

A proper diagnosis and evaluation of each client/patient must be made before hypnosis is utilized. It is only at the request of the client/patient and at the evaluation and discretion of Dr. Sheldon that hypnosis will be utilized.

Often Dr. Sheldon consults with other physicians treating his client/patient as part of the evaluation and the creation of the proper treatment strategies, as well as to ensure that there is safety, harmony, coordination and consistency among the health professionals treating the client/patient and the treatment modalities utilized. Dr. Sheldon will also ask the client/patient to provide information regarding any medications or other drugs taken.

Regarding Testimonials and Endorsements: Of course
what is written in testimonials and endorsements and professional
recommendations represents the author’s experiences and opinions.

All of the above is for the well-being of the client/patient,
and to make sure that all work is done with high ethical and
professional standards, legally, effectively. I want to give excellent
service and wants each of his clients/patients to be as successful as
possible.

If you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact me.