The first report of hypnotic treatment of traumatic grief: a brief communication.

In 1813 the Dutch physicians Wolthers, Hendriksz, De Waal, and Bakker reported the hypnotic treatment of a woman suffering from traumatic grief, in which the therapist had to deal directly with the patient's spontaneous reenactments of the circumstances surrounding the death. This report, summarized in the present article, has historical value, as it is probably the first known precursor of the uncovering hypnotic approach. The original authors' views on the case are discussed, and a modern view for understanding the patient's traumatic grief and its treatment is presented.