Developing Ericksonian Therapy: State of the Art

Section I of this volume introduces the reader to the fundamental principles underlying Ericksonian psychotherapy. It includes chapters examining what makes this therapy so effective, the power of hypnosis, the utilization approach, and strategic therapy. This section also provides overviews on the psychobiology of mind-body healing, motivation and the multiple states of trance, and the role of language in therapy. In addition, a number of contributors offer their personal perspectives on becoming an Ericksonian. An important area of Ericksonian thinking - individuation - is amply discussed. Section II focuses on practice, including the newest therapy techniques - logical and paradoxical assignments, therapeutic metaphors for children and adolescents, and the phenomenological approach to hypnotic induction. Treatment is discussed in its various ramifications - for example, short-term intervention, naturalistic techniques, and marital and family therapy. Firsthand accounts of training with Erickson are vividly described. Section Ill consists of an enlightening panel discussion with Lance Erickson, Robert Erickson, and Betty Alice Erickson Elliott on how Erickson encouraged individuality in his children. In Section IV, Virginia Satir delivers a moving keynote address on the "tools of the therapist."