Peter W. Gardner, MD

Peter W. Gardner, MD is a board-certified physician who practiced Gastroenterology and Hepatology for 30 years. Over the past 12 years, he has shifted his focus to hypnosis and hypnotherapy. Dr. Gardner is certified by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) as well as the American Board of Internal Medicine (in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology). He initially trained in hypnosis in 1990.

Dr. Gardner attended Georgetown Medical School and subsequently completed his residency and fellowship in Gastroenterology in New York City and at the University of Connecticut. He began full-time practice in Stamford in 1984. While practicing in Stamford, he served as the Chief of Gastroenterology at Stamford Hospital and remains on its staff. He is also on the staff of Greenwich Hospital and was formerly affiliated with Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Gardner has co-authored numerous papers, including several on Hepatitis C, and chaired the Quality Improvement Committee of one of Connecticut’s major healthcare plans.

Dr. Gardner is the President of the Clinical Hypnosis Association, an organization with members worldwide. He also helped develop and continues to assist with the Hypnotic Idea Exchange conference for practitioners, a monthly event that hosts between 75 and 150 attendees globally.

On a personal note, Dr. Gardner played tennis for the University of North Carolina, where he was Chairman of the Honor Court, wrote two honors thesis papers, and was a member of the ZBT fraternity. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with High Honors in Psychology, having conducted research within that department.

Dr. Gardner focuses on conditions that are amenable to hypnosis and supported by compelling evidence of its effectiveness. He employs a “skill-based” approach to address behaviors and thoughts contributing to challenges such as anxiety, habits, fears, phobias, motivational issues, and other life difficulties.

With his medical background, Dr. Gardner approaches issues from a unique perspective that differs from most other hypnosis practitioners. For instance, if he believes a patient would benefit more from medication or therapies other than hypnosis, he works to identify the medical cause and recommends that the patient consult their physician for further treatment. He practiced hypnosis alongside his Gastroenterology work—performing several colonoscopies with patients under hypnosis—and now focuses exclusively on hypnotherapy.

Dr. Gardner’s training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) further enhances his ability to design effective hypnosis sessions, expanding his therapeutic approach even further.

Dr. Gardner is currently accepting new patients.