Past Awardees

The Benjamin Franklin Gold Medal 

The Benjamin Franklin Gold Medal, the Society’s highest award, is given to the ISH member honored for the most distinguished life career in promoting hypnosis worldwide clinically and experimentally. This award is given every three years; however, it was not given from 1985 to 1997. While it is usually given to members of ISH, notable exceptions can be made (e.g. Milton H. Erickson).

Awardees

• 1976 Milton H. Erickson, MD (USA) Innovator, outstanding clinician, and distinguished investigator whose ideas have not only helped create the modern view of hypnosis, but have profoundly influenced the practice of all psychotherapy throughout the world. (Philadelphia, 1976)
• 1979 Ernest R. Hilgard, PhD. (USA) Distinguished scientist and scholar whose outstanding research and lucid synthesis has advanced our understanding of hypnosis and helped establish the field as an accepted area of scientific inquiry throughout the world. (Melbourne, 1979)
• 1982 Martin T. Orne, MD and Emily Carota Orne (USA) At the completion of two decades of IJCEH excellence, these individuals’ distinguished leadership and scholarly achievements have established Olympian standards in the search for an understanding of hypnosis. (Glasgow, 1982)
• 1985 Josephine R. Hilgard, MD, PhD (USA) Distinguished clinician and scientist whose insightful research serves as a model for the integration of clinical sensitivity and scientific rigor. (Toronto, 1985)
• 1997 Per Olof Wikstrom, DDS (Sweden) Distinguished leader, creative educator, and thoughtful editor. Dr. Wikstrom’s many years of distinguished service to the worldwide promotion of hypnosis has built lasting bridges of understanding throughout the world. (San Diego, 1997)
• 2000 Graham D. Burrows, AO, MD (Australia) Distinguished leader, prodigious scholar, and innovative clinician, Dr. Burrows has profoundly influenced the administration, teaching, and professional practice of clinical and experimental hypnosis throughout the world. (Munich 2000)
• 2004 Peter B. Bloom MD  (USA) Distinguished leader, creative clinician, and respected teacher, in honor of Dr. Bloom’s leadership and unwavering support of international friendship and exchange of scientific thought and clinical experience. (Singapore 2004)
• 2006 Jack G. Watkins, PhD (USA) Distinguished scholar, prodigious author, creative author, creative clinician, and co-founder of ISCEH, Dr. Watkins’s exemplary teaching of Ego State therapy with wife, Helen Watkins, has influenced therapists around the world. (Acapulco 2006)
• 2009 Karen N. Olness MD (USA) Distinguished scholar, pioneering scientist, author, and advocate for the world’s children. For her far-reaching, tireless leadership and  model of research, teaching, and helping children help themselves. (Rome 2009)
• 2012 Camillo Loriedo, MD, PhD (Italy) Prolific author, creative therapist, distinguished leader. You have exemplified the highest achievement in promoting academic and clinical efficacy of hypnosis worldwide, while pioneering the use of hypnosis in couples and family psychotherapy. (Bremen 2012)
• 2015 Éva I. Bányai, PhD (Hungary) Distinguished scientist whose outstanding research, innovative ideas, and passionate commitment has advanced our knowledge and helped establish a bridge of understanding between mechanisms of hypnosis, and promoting its application in clinical work. (Paris 2015)
• 2018 Julie H Linden, Ph.D. (USA)  Distinguished leader, master clinician, effective teacher, respected colleague and reliable friend to the field. Your longstanding commitment, depth of knowledge, wisdom, creativity and humanity have advanced the practice of hypnosis worldwide. (Montreal 2018)
• 2022 Bernhard Trenkle, Dipl.-Psych. (Germany)  Distinguished leader, master clinician, effective teacher, respected colleague and reliable friend to the field. Your longstanding commitment, depth of knowledge, wisdom, creativity and humanity have advanced the practice of hypnosis worldwide. (Krakow 2022)

Awardees

1997 –  Kenneth S. Bowers, Ph.D. (posthumously) (Canada)
1998 –  Andre M. Weitzenhoffer, Ph.D. (USA)
1999 –  Peter W. Sheehan, Ph.D., A.O. (Australia)
2000  – Vladimir Gheorghiu, Ph.D. (Romania)
2001  – Helen Joan Crawford, Ph.D. (USA)
2002 –  David Spiegel, M.D. (USA)
2003  – Irving Kirsch, Ph.D. (USA)
2004 –  John Gruzelier, Ph.D. (Great Britain)
2006 – None
2009 –  Giuseppe De Benedittis, M.D., Ph.D.(Italy)
2012  – Elvira V. Lang, M.D. (USA)
2015 – Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville, MD (Belgium)
2018 – Pierre Rainville, Ph.D. (Canada)
2022 – Enrica Santarcangelo, M.D., Ph.D.

Pierre Janet Award for Clinical Excellence

The Pierre Janet Award for Clinical Excellence is given to an awardee whose lifetime of published clinical experience substantially advances the understanding of the uses of hypnosis in obtaining effective results in clinical practice.

Kay F. Thompson Award for Clinical Excellence in Dentistry (created 2009)

Is given to an individual whose lifetime of demonstrated clinical experience substantially advances the understanding of the uses of hypnosis in obtaining effective results in dental practice.     

Awardees
2009 – Albrecht Schmierer, Dr. med. Dent. (Germany)
2012 – Ali Eşref Müezzinoğlu, D.D.S. (Turkey)
2015 – Ashley A. Goodman, D.D.S. (USA)
2018 – Claude Verreault, D.D.S.(Canada)
2022 – Randi Abrahamsen, PhD (Denmark)

Jay Haley Early Career Award for Innovative Contributions to Hypnosis (created 2009)

To awardees early in the career stage whose writing, teaching, leadership and clinical/scientific work have shown substantive advances in the understanding and practice of hypnosis.

The Jay Haley Award

2009 – Claude Virot, M.D.(France) and Woltemade Hartman, Ph.D. (South Africa)
2012 – Amir Raz, PhD. (Canada)
2015 – Mark P. Jensen, Ph.D. (USA)
2018 – Katalin Varga, PhD (Hungary)
2022 – Zoltán Kekecs, PhD (Hungary)

Helen H. & John G. Watkins Award for Excellence in Teaching (Created and first awarded in Paris 2015)

To an awardee who exemplifies a lifetime of excellence in the teaching of hypnosis for use in clinical and research settings.

Watkins Award

Awardees 
2015 – Claire C. Fredericks, M.D. (USA)
2015 – Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. (USA)
2018 – Bernhard Trenkle, Dipl. Psych. (Germany)
2022 – Susy Signer-Fisher, lic phil (Germany)