Understanding Ericksonian Hypnotherapy

Book excerpt: This book is a collection of selected writings by Dr. Sidney Rosen that aim to demystify the work of the leading clinical psychiatrist, Dr. Milton Erickson, and illustrate Erickson’s unconventional and life-changing hypnotic techniques and strategic therapy. An essential reading for those who seek to learn essential elements of psychotherapy, this collection elucidates fundamental aspects of Erickson's approaches and outlines factors effective in all forms of psychotherapy. It contains core teachings of many central elements in psychotherapy and stresses the importance of techniques such as therapeutic trance and hypnosis. As a student and close friend of Dr. Erickson, Dr. Rosen shares his own personal insights about Erickson’s teaching methods in a direct and straightforward manner that allows readers easy access to Ericksonian philosophy and techniques. Many therapists, both psychoanalytic and others, will find both Rosen’s and Erickson’s approaches compatible with their own and far removed from their preconceptions about hypnosis. Providing guidelines for providers of individual and group therapy, this book is an excellent guide to Ericksonian hypnotherapy.