A Message from Our President
A New Chapter for CSCH
Davidicus Wong, MD
President
Canadian Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BC Division)
Our Canadian Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BC Division) was founded 64 years ago by our friend and mentor, psychologist, Lee Pulos and dentist, Ralph Yorsh. Our non-profit society continues their mandate to provide high quality and ethical training in clinical hypnosis, and to promote clinical hypnosis as an important tool in clinical medicine, psychology, counselling, dentistry and other health care professions.
We have been inspired and taught by great clinicians and teachers, including Lee Pulos, Mavis Lloyd, Heather Fay and Marlene Hunter. Their tradition of clinical excellence, teaching, leadership and mentorship has continued with our current board members and teaching faculty.
I would like to recognize five members of our current Board and teaching faculty who have continued on the Board to this day. Each of them are among my greatest teachers, and I feel honoured and privileged to learn and work with them and count them as my friends: Leora Kuttner, Saul Pilar, James Stabler, Lance and Bianca Rucker.
I would like to thank and acknowledge the commitment and contributions of our other great board members (and friends): Shelley Ugyan, Jack Sniderman, Kourosh Edalati and Reza Nouri. Each have generously volunteered hundreds of hours of their time, energy and expertise through the work of the Board including our training workshops.
On behalf of the board, I would like to thank past board members, David Bowler, Harry Stefanakis and Elaine Drysdale who continue to share their time and wisdom as teaching faculty.
Together we continue the founding mission of the Society.
Today, we welcome to the board, longtime Society member, Sebastian Di Cesare. He is an excellent clinician and teacher. His presentation at our monthly members meeting was exceptionally informative and insightful. We look forward to his leadership and teaching. Welcome, Sebastian.
All of us appreciate Leona Cullen for her tireless work supporting our organization. She has provided seamless support to our workshops, and brings her warm, kind and generous spirit to all that she does. Thank you, Leona for being such a pleasure to work with.
We have continued to provide high quality clinical training in a warm, safe and collegial environment through our training workshops and monthly members meetings.
On September 13th and 14th, 2025, we ran another successful in person combined Level 1 and Level 2 Workshop at SFU Harbourside. It was wonderful meeting many of you in person.
We ran a successful online Level 1 workshop in February 2026 and welcomed new members to our Society and in April 2026, our online Level 2 workshop. Leona was invaluable in facilitating these Zoom workshops.
This fall, we will be teaching an online Level 1 workshop on October 24th and 25th, 2026 and we are all looking forward in seeing all of you at the much-awaited online trauma workshop led by the pioneering, American psychologist, Dr Louis Damis. Mark your calendars for the November 21st and 22nd, 2026 weekend.
Finally, I express my appreciation to each of you as faithful members of the Society. Thank you for being such active members of our organization, for sharing your clinical experience and expertise to our monthly meetings and workshops, and for giving your patients and clients the benefit of your guidance, professional skill and compassion. You are very special people and you each make this world a better place. Thank you for all the good that you do.
As members of the Society and clinicians with knowledge and skill in clinical hypnosis, your care is informed and enriched. I encourage you to continue your practice and inspire your colleagues who may not be familiar with the power of clinical hypnosis to learn more and enhance the care they give to those they serve.
Together, we can transform health care and counselling!
