The Nancy School was an early French suggestion-centred school of psychotherapy founded in 1866 by Ambroise-Auguste Liébeault, a follower of the theory of Abbé Faria, in the city of Nancy.

It is referred to as the Nancy School to distinguish it from the antagonistic Paris School that was centred on the hysteria-centred hypnotic research of Jean-Martin Charcot at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris.

Suggestive therapeutics

Whilst its work centred on the application of what they termed "suggestive therapeutics", they also maintained that hypnosis significantly amplified the efficacy of the suggestions so offered.

Ambroise-Auguste Liébeault delivered a sequence of suggestions in a monotonous but penetrating a tone regarding subjects' health, digestion, circulation, coughing, etc. He had hundreds of cures.

Initially sceptical of Liébeault's theories, methods and clinical results, the French neurologist, Hippolyte Bernheim eventually joined Liébeault and they conducted a clinic and further research together. In 20 years, they treated over 30,000 patients using suggestions under hypnosis.

Influence

People came from all over Europe to examine their methods and study under them (students included Émile Coué and Sigmund Freud).

See also

• History of hypnosis
• Hypnosis
• Hypnotherapy
• Post-hypnotic suggestion
• Psychotherapy
• Suggestibility
• Suggestion
• Subconscious mind