Dr. Gary Elkins is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the Director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor University - widely regarded as the world’s leading center for hypnosis research. His work focuses on the clinical applications of hypnosis for stress, sleep, trauma, smoking cessation, and hot flashes.
With an extensive research portfolio and numerous publications, Dr. Elkins is widely recognized as the foremost expert in hypnosis for hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and various other clinical applications. He developed an innovative hypnosis intervention specifically for managing hot flashes and related symptoms in women experiencing menopause undergoing breast cancer treatment. Over the past 25 years, his research program has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), culminating in an empirically supported treatment for a condition that affects millions of women annually.
One of his laboratory’s major studies—a large randomized clinical trial—demonstrated that participants receiving clinical hypnosis reported significantly greater reductions in hot flash frequency (74% vs. 17%) and hot flash scores (frequency × severity: 80% vs. 15%) compared to controls. Physiological monitoring further confirmed that hot flashes were reduced significantly more in the hypnosis group than in the attention-control group (57% vs. 10%). As a result, the North American Menopause Society has recognized this hypnosis intervention with the highest level of evidence (Level I) for efficacy.
(Elkins et al, Menopause, Vol 20 (3), 2013- linked above)
Dr. Elkins has authored over 100 publications, including several influential books:
- Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy: What You Need to Know
- The Handbook of Medical and Psychological Hypnosis
- Introduction to Clinical Hypnosis: The Basics and Beyond
- Mindful Hypnotherapy: The Basics for Clinical Practice
His work has been featured in leading journals such as The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Menopause, and Integrative Medicine Insights. His research has also been cited by major media outlets, including National Public Radio, NIH Radio, WebMD, Medscape, the American Psychological Association, The Menopause Society, and U.S. News & World Report.
As a recognized authority on complementary and integrative health approaches, Dr. Elkins has been invited to serve on more than 25 NIH scientific review panels. His contributions to the field have earned him prestigious awards, including:
- The Complementary and Integrative Medicine Investigator Research Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine (2012)
- The Award for Distinguished Contributions to Science from Division 30 of the American Psychological Association (2022)
- (Each of these awards is given to only one individual annually)
In addition to his research, Dr. Elkins has developed two hypnosis-based apps in collaboration with Mindset Health:
- Finito, designed for smoking cessation
- Evia, created for managing hot flashes and sleep disturbances in menopausal women and breast cancer survivors
For inquiries: Gary_Elkins@baylor.edu
