the milton h. erickson foundation newsletter · in december of this year the erick - son foundation...

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc.3606 N. 24th StreetPhoenix, Arizona 85016U.S.A.RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

T H E M I LTO N H . E R I C K S O N F O U N DAT I O N

NEWSLETTERSM

Vol. 32, No. 1 SPRING 2012

I n s i d e T h i s I s s u e

See INTERVIEW on page 24Visit Our Website:

www.erickson-foundation.org

Non-Profit org.U.S.Postage PaidKansas City, MOPermit No. 1932

INTERVIEWRobert Greenberg 1

THE POWER OF TWOC. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D. & Annellen Simpkins, Ph.D. 4

IN THE SPIRIT OF THERAPYInterview with Bernhard Trenkle,Dipl. Psych. 6

CASE REPORTBrief Therapy in a Taxi 8

INTRODUCING THE INSTITUTESThe Milton Hyland Erickson Institute of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil 9

CONGRESS REVIEWThe 11th International Congress on Ericksonian Approaches to Psychotherapy: Transforming Ericksonian Methods 12

See BRIEF THERAPY on next page

Brief Therapy: Lasting Solutions 2012www.BriefTherapyConference.com

Register Early for Low Rates!The 2012 Brief Therapy Conference will be held December 5-9 (Wednesday-

Sunday), at the Hilton Union Square, San Francisco, California. The Conferenceis sponsored by The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc. A Pre-Conference Law& Ethics Workshop will be held Wednesday, December 5. A Post-Conference Mas-ter Class Workshop with Erving Polster and Jeffrey Zeig is available on Monday,December 10.

At Brief Therapy 2012 you will expand your knowledge base, learn how toutilize brief therapy techniques in specific situations, improve observational skillsand clinical methods, and discover the uses of multi-level therapeutic communi-cation. Earn up to 43 continuing education hours.

Faculty for the Conference include: Steve Andreas, Ellyn Bader, Jon Carlson,Patrick Carnes, Frank Dattilio, Robert Dilts, Paul Ekman, Eve Ekman, Roxanna Er-ickso-Klein, Steve Frankel, Brent Geary, Stephen Gilligan, Robert Greenberg,

I N T E R V I E WRobert Greenberg

By Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D.

Dr. Robert Greenberg is Music His-torian-in-Residence with San Fran-cisco Performances. A graduate ofPrinceton University, Professor Green-berg holds a Ph.D. in Music Composi-tion from the University of California,Berkeley. He has seen his composi-tions—which include more than 45works for a wide variety of instrumen-tal and vocal ensembles—performedall over the world, including New York,San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles,England, Ireland, Greece, Italy, andthe Netherlands.

He has served on the faculties ofthe University of California, Berkeley;California State University, Hayward;and the San Francisco Conservatory ofMusic, and has lectured for some of themost prestigious musical and arts or-ganizations in the United States, in-cluding the San Francisco Symphony,

the Lincoln Center for the PerformingArts, the Van Cliburn Foundation, andthe Chicago Symphony. For The GreatCourses, www.thegreatcourses.com, hehas recorded more than 500 lectureson a range of composers and classicalmusic genres.

His many honors include threeNicola de Lorenzo Composition Prizes

and a Koussevitzky commission fromthe Library of Congress. He has beenprofiled in various major publications,including The Wall Street Journal; Inc.magazine; and the London Times.Jeff: What a pleasure to have the

opportunity to interview you. Part ofmy work as a conference organizeris to invite speakers who have some-thing unique to offer our audience.Often this means inviting someonefrom outside the field of psychother-apy. I find the best way to advanceour field, is to learn from those inother fields.I’ve been greatly impressed by

your ability to help your audiencelearn about music. I feel I’ve gottento know you through your programsfor The Teaching Company. I avidlytuned in to all 48 lectures of your se-ries,” How to Understand GreatMusic,” and have studiously listenedto your program on Beethoven sym-phonies. What I learned enriched meboth personally and professionally,and even led me to take music les-

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter2 VOL. 32, NO. 1

Executive Editor: Richard Landis, Ph.D.Review Editors: C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D.,

Annellen Simpkins, Ph.D.Institutes: Marilia Baker, M.S.W., Cecilia Fabre, M.A. Guest Editors: Betty Alice Erickson, M.S., LPC, LMFT

Eric Greenleaf, Ph.D. (Case Reviews)Production Manager: Karen Haviley

Power of Two: Roxanna Erickson Klein, R.N., Ph.D.In the Spirit of Therapy Editor: John Lentz, D.Min.

Guest Reviewers: Rubin Battino, M.S.; Kay Colbert, LCSW; Betty AliceErickson, L.P.C.; Roxanna Erickson Klein, RN, LCDC, Ph.D.; Maria

Escalante de Smith, M.A.; John D. Lentz, D.Min.; Nicole Ruysschaert,M.D.; Alex Simpkins Jr., Ph.D.; Ryc Strader, MFTI;Advertising Information: www.erickson-foundation.org

–Board of Directors–Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D.

Roxanna Erickson Klein, R.N., Ph.D.J. Charles Theisen, M.A., M.B.A., J.D.

Camillo Loriedo, M.D.Bernhard Trenkle, Dipl.Psych.

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc.3606 North 24th Street

Phoenix, Arizona 85016-6500U.S.A.

Telephone: (602) 956-6196FAX: (602) 956-0519

T h e M i l t o n H . E r i c k s o n F o u nda t i o n

NEWSLETTER

See COMMENTS on page 5

In December of this year the Erick-son Foundation will sponsor its annualBrief Therapy Conference in San Fran-cisco. It is one of my favorite confer-ences because it reconnects me with aspecial aspect of Dr. Erickson’s teach-ings.

The core of brief therapy from anEricksonian perspective is not the se-lecting of a specific technique to fit aspecific set of symptoms, it is the out-come of a symphony, engaging per-ception and intuition with patternrecognition and meaning. Experienceprovides vehicles; paradigm shiftsemerge; the “aha” moment can happen,but not always.

Intuition can be tricky. In his bookThinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kah-neman, the only psychologist to re-ceive the Nobel Prize (for hiscollaboration with psychologist, AmosTversky), showed how people’s intu-ition can lead them astray and is noto-riously inaccurate. He suggests thatintuition is based on the concept ofW.Y.S.I.A.T.I.--“What You See Is AllThere Is.” The accuracy or effective-ness of one’s intuitive understandingcan be greatly affected by how limitedinformation may be and/or the degreeof openness one has to the possibilities.This understanding is consistent withwhat Dr. Erickson once told me whenhe said I should trust my unconscious.However, he also added that I neededto feed the unconscious sufficiently inorder for it to be useful. I was to ob-serve human behavior from all possi-ble directions. The key was to observewithout expectations, to notice patternswithout being initially limited by try-ing to find meaning in them; under-standing would come later, afterconsidering all possibilities.

This issue of the Newsletter is ded-icated to the feeding of that intuitivesymphony. Given Dr. Erickson’s ad-monition to understand what it meansto be human by experiencing it “fromall possible directions,” I cannot thinkof a better way to start the journey thanwith our Featured Interview of Dr.Robert Greenberg, a brilliant composerand music historian. As Jeffery Zeigstates in his interview, “…music is anecessary aspect of human experi-ence…. [It] is part of our evolutionarybiology.” So it’s no wonder Dr. Green-berg has been invited to be a keynote

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

speaker at the Brief Therapy Conference.Our unconscious is fed by Marilia

Baker’s interview of psychologists, C.Alexander and Annellen Simpkins, inour Power of Two article. This prolificcouple has produced 26 books in 20languages, and there is no sign they areslowing down. Their partnership isself-orchestrated and multi-faceted.

John Lentz’s interview with Bern-hard Trenkle for our column In theSpirit of Therapy expands on the themeof feeding the unconscious as well asthe conscious. Trenkle is a mover andshaker in the field of psychotherapy,specifically with Ericksonian method-ology. His views on the function ofspiritual aspects of therapy are fasci-nating. Michael Hoyt and Michele Rit-terman continue the rhythm of theunconscious as problem-solver in theirarticle, Case Report, Brief Therapy in aTaxi, which offers an excellent exam-ple of the value of context and se-quence in brief therapy.

Marilia Baker introduces us to theMilton Hyland Erickson Institute ofCampo Grande in Mato Grosso do Sul,Brazil. The board-of-directors at thenew Institute particularly is qualifiedto treat the whole of an individual andis dedicated to considering all possi-bilities. In addition to understandingEricksonian methods, their fields ofspecialization include: Rogerian per-son-centered therapy, Viktor Frankl’sLogotherapy, Orthomolecular Pedi-atrics, Puericulture, Medical Nutrition,Biochemistry, Art Education, Art Ther-apy, and Gestalt Therapy.

In our media reviews, C. Alexanderand Annellen Simpkins provide a thor-ough overview of the December 2011International Congress on EricksonianApproaches to Psychotherapy. RycStrader shares his experience workingas a volunteer at the Congress andRoxanne Erickson-Klein, John Lentz,Nicole Ruysschaert, and the Simpkinsreview outstanding workshops andpresentations.

In two book reviews, John Lentzdiscusses the wide range of treatmentoptions available today. Margaret

Wehrenberg’s 10 Best-Ever DepressionManagement Techniques offers infor-mation on understanding the brain inaddition to practical solutions for treat-ing depression. C. Alexander and An-nellen Simpkins’ Zen Meditation inPsychotherapy: Techniques for Clini-cal Practice presents meditation as atruly effective therapy option. In hisnostalgic review of Jay Haley’s 1984classic, Ordeal Therapy: UnusualWays to Change Behavior (nowreprinted), Rubin Battino’s finds the

Kenneth Hardy, Michael Hoyt, Jeffrey Kottler, Harriet Lerner, Peter Levine,Camillo Loriedo, Lynn Lyons, Scott Miller, John Norcross, Bill O’Hanlon, Chris-tine Padesky, Esther Perel, Ervin Polster, Wendel Ray, Ernest Rossi, Janis AbramsSpring, Casey Truffo, Michele Weiner-Davis, Reid Wilson, Michael Yapko, andJeffrey Zeig. Keynotes will be presented by Patrick Carnes, Paul Eckman, RobertGreenberg, and Harriet Lerner.Register early for low rates! For complete information including online reg-

istration, hotel accommodation and reservations, Volunteer information, facultybios, accreditation information and more, visit the Conference Web site:www.BriefTherapyConference.com. To receive a brochure by mail contact TheMilton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc., 3606 N. 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016-6500;Tel, 602-956-6196; Fax, 602-956-0519; Email, [email protected]

The Hilton Union Square is offering special rates for attendees of the BriefTherapy Conference that will be valid three days before and three days after theConference. In addition, special offers are available to those making their reser-vations by July 31, 2012. Complete information is available from the Conferencesite: www.BriefTherapyConference.com. Click on Hotel Info.

BRIEF THERAPY continued from page 1

http://brieftherapyconference.com/


C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D. &Annellen Simpkins,

Ph.D.Interviewed by Marilia Baker

Annellen and C. Alexander Simp-kins are psychologists based in SanDiego, who specialize in hypnother-apy, meditation, and neuroscience. To-gether they have authored 26 booksand written on topics including clinicalhypnosis, Eastern philosophy, medita-tion, psychotherapy, neuroscience, andthe martial arts. Their books, many ofwhich have become bestsellers, havebeen translated into more than 20 lan-guages; won numerous awards, and re-ceived high praise by both peers andthe public. Recent titles include Neuro-Hypnosis (Norton, 2010), The Dao ofNeuroscience (Norton, 2010), ZenMeditation in Psychotherapy: Tech-niques for Clinical Practice (Wiley,2011), and Meditation and Yoga inPsychotherapy (Wiley, 2010). Thisspring, Neuroscience for Clinicians(Springer) and The Mindful Waythrough Bipolar Disorder (New Har-binger), will be released.1

My interest in introducing An-nellen and Alex to the worldwide Er-icksonian audience for our series on“The Power of Two” is threefold: 1) Topresent the couple’s prolific writingand production--a hand-in-hand boun-teous collaboration that reminds me of the writing partnership of histori-ans/philosophers, Will and Ariel Du-rant; 2) Explore how they “make thingshappen” as a longtime married couplewith adult children, grandchildren,clinical work, and business interests,who are also in a constant pursuit ofknowledge and; 3) To learn about theirapprenticeship with the greatest mindsof the 20th century.

The Simpkins have been the Foun-dation Newsletter Book Review editorssince 2003, research editors for twoyears, and have been featured as Con-tributors of Note.2 The couple oftentravels in the U.S. and abroad to con-duct workshops, yet maintains an en-during presence in their family throughloving quality time. Their own wordsprovide insight as to how they are suc-cessful in both their professional and

personal lives.Marilia Baker: How did you

meet and become professional part-ners?Annellen & C. Alexander Simp-

kins: Our meeting was pure destiny.[Annellen was looking for an apart-ment in New York and Alex was work-ing in real estate.] At that time, findingan apartment was nearly impossible, sowe had continual conversations everyday. Dealing with practical matters, wediscovered a resonance between us andas a result, a deeply personal relation-ship evolved.

We learned early on that we shareda mutual interest in human potentialand the unconscious, so we decided todo our graduate training together. Wesought out greats in the field of psy-chotherapy and traveled to study withthem. We mentored with SidneyJourard, Arthur Combs, Jerome D.Frank, G. Wilson Shaffer, andLawrence Kubie. We also interned to-gether at Sheppard Pratt Hospital andat Johns Hopkins Phipps Clinic.

We began studying with Milton Er-ickson in 1976 and continued meetingwith him regularly until his death. Dr.Erickson always was warm toward ourchildren and the whole family and wealways looked forward to trips to seehim. Erickson helped us to recognizehow unconscious processes are naturalmechanisms of the mind, and taught us

not only his ingenious methods for fa-cilitating change, but also how to dis-cover the best ways to facilitate changein our clients. We also met regularlywith Ernest Rossi and discussed casesand theories; issues with our clients;and performing research, such as oneproject where we produced an accept-ance set in one group and in another,indirect hypnotherapy. Today we con-tinue to be closely aligned with Rossi’sapproach. MB: Tell us about your collabo-

ration style, shared values, andproblem-solving approaches. A & A: Just as we shared in our

training and had similar influencesover the years, we also developed the-ories together through dialogue. Wefeel strongly that you can collaborateclosely as a couple and still maintainyour inner strength and individuality.

We have a deep mutual respect forone another, so we make space for eachother’s interests, perspectives, andneeds. And often, we share a pursuit,initiated by one or the other, such aswoodworking, magic, photography,and martial arts.

We learned over the years that it ismore important to be true to each otherthan to be right. Truth, to us, is morethan just subjective perspective; it’sturning to each other in full sincerity. MB: How did you start writing

and publishing together? A & A: Spontaneous childhood in-

terests often are the seeds of talents forlater life, and we both started writingearly. [Annellen wrote a “Things-to-Do” book and Alex created his ownnewspaper.] We started on our firstbook, Principles of Self-Hypnosis,when we were in graduate school andfrom there never stopped writing.

Part of our success in writing andteaching involves a commitment tocontinued learning. We attend classesregularly at local universities to studypsychology, philosophy, neuroscience,engineering, and mathematics. We also

have delved deeply into the wisdom ofEastern philosophy. Our educationalinvolvement has given us new per-spectives and inspires us to create par-adigms for therapeutic change.

We believe staying fit is an essen-tial ingredient for endurance and disci-pline. We practice and teach martialarts. We jog and lift weights regularly.

But most importantly, what we cre-ate comes from the unknown--an open-ness-- paradoxically hidden, centeredin our unconscious, to which we allowourselves to respond.MB: Could you give us an exam-

ple of how you work together? A & A: With a great rapport in our

shared world, we simply collaborate.When writing our books, we researchtogether, let the topics incubate uncon-sciously, and then discuss ideas as theyare evolving. We each pick differentchapters to write, and then swap toweave them together. There comes apoint when the book tells us what itneeds, and we listen. If we havelearned something when we finish abook, we know it will probably helpothers.

We have incorporated our sharedstyle of work--of communication andflow--into our workshops. Also, wecollaborate with our grown childrenand are enriched by the adult-to-adultinteraction. Our daughter and her hus-band are architects who specialize ingreen architecture, and we have joinedthem on several woodworking proj-ects. Woodworking was how weearned our way through graduateschool, and even today we take pleas-ure in crafting wood. We have learnedso much from our two beautiful grand-daughters who are now 4 and 8, andhave enjoyed seeing them learn how towalk, write, and read. This is what Er-ickson invited us all to do –to be withfamily and to love to learn!

Our son has a PhD in engineeringand is a researcher at the University of

T H E P O W E R O F T W O

See POWER OF TWO on next page

...what we create comes from the unknown--an openness-- paradoxically hidden,

centered in our unconscious, to which we allow ourselves to respond.

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter VOL. 32, NO. 1 5

COMMENTS continued from page 2

book as relevant today as it was whenit was first printed.

Kay Colbert reviews Trauma Es-sentials: The Go-To Guide by BabetteRothschild, and The Trauma TreatmentHandbook: Protocols Across the Spec-trum by Robin Shapiro. Both booksprovide multi-directional understand-ing in trauma treatment. Complement-ing Colbert’s reviews is MariaEscalante de Smith’s review of TzipiWeiss and Roni Berger’s Posttrau-matic Growth and Culturally Compe-tent Practice.

Additional treatment perspectivesalso are discussed in Betty Alice Er-ickson’s review of The EmotionallyFocused Casebook edited by JamesFurrow, Susan Johnson, and BrentBradley. This an interesting book thatdemonstrates emotionally focused

Washington. He integrates cognitivescience, psychology, and neuroscienceto investigate motor movement in thebrain and in robotics. He has created arobotic hand that moves much like areal human hand and is now program-ming it to have the capacity for activesensing. He has made it manipulate anobject it never encountered before--learning algorithms! We have collabo-rated with him over the years but arenow doing so more formally in a jointresearch project on unconscious move-ment. MB: Tell us about your projects

and experiences studying, writing,and teaching together. A & A: We are enthusiastic about

our latest books in progress. Neuro-science for Clinicians reflects an ex-citing time for therapists, since manyof the things we have known intu-itively are now being grounded in neu-roscience research. When cliniciansunderstand how their techniques alterthe nervous system and know howmental disorders disturb the brain, theywill be more effective, and this bookexplains how. We also enjoy writingfor general audiences again as we didfor Tuttle Publishing, and we havelearned to write simply without beingsimplistic, which is a different chal-lenge than writing for professionals.Our Simple Series on Eastern philoso-phy (Simple Taoism, Simple Zen, Sim-ple Buddhism, Simple TibetanBuddhism, 1999-2001) remains popu-

of the

“And my voice goes everywhere with you and changes into the voice of your parents, and your teachers, your play-mates, and the voices of the wind and the rain…”

AA ffiillmm bbyy AAlleexxaannddeerr VVeesseellyy

SSeeee aa bbrriieeff cclliipp ffrroomm tthhee ffiillmm aatt www.youtube.com/user/CLIPWERKCREATIVE

Wizard Desert

Completion funds are needed for Alex Vesely’s documentary on the life and achievements of Dr. Milton H. Erickson. These funds are necessary to recreate moments in Dr. Erickson’s life.

Be a production angel…! Donate to the project by going online to the Foundation website EErriicckkssoonn--FFoouunnddaattiioonn..oorrgg and clicking on “Donate.”

Or send a check to the Foundation and mark it: WIZARD OF THE DESERT.

therapy for couples. Roxanna Erick-son-Klein reviews Addiction Essen-tials: “Go-to Guide” for Cliniciansand Patients, by Carlton K. Erickson--a pragmatic and easy to understandguide for addiction treatment. And ourmost recent reviewer, Alex Simpkins,Jr., shares his thoughts on Jeffrey Kottler and Jon Carlson’s CreativeBreakthroughs in Therapy: Tales ofTransformation and Astonishment.

I hope you enjoy this issue of ourNewsletter that beautifully embodiesthe spirit of brief therapy. I look for-ward to seeing you at the Conferencein December.

Rick LandisOrange, California

lar. Another new project-- The Tao ofBipolar Disorder: Using Meditationand Mindfulness to Find Balance andPeace --teaches meditation for bipolardisorder, which can be used in concertwith medication to bring balance to thenervous system for a powerful healingeffect.MB: How do you envision your

future? Are there many more books,workshops, and seminars on thehorizon? A & A:We envision that there will

be future learning through books,teaching, and research. We always willcontinue to write and have a number ofnew research projects, workshops andseminars scheduled this year in SanDiego, Carlsbad, and at the Esalen In-stitute in Big Sur. We hope our workinspires people to think in new waysand that it helps them to help others. MB: Thank you Annellen and

Alex for a delightful and informativeconversation. Your work has in-spired me for many years and I be-lieve it is also an inspiration forothers.

For more information, visit:www.simpkins.radiantdolphin.com.

1 For a complete bibliography, visit:www.simpkins.radiantdolphin.com

2 See: The MHE Foundation Newsletter, Vol. 23, Nº 3, p.4(Winter 2003)

POWER OF TWO continued from page 4


Interview withBernhard Trenkle,Dipl. Psych.

Interview by John D. Lentz, D. Min.

Bernhard Trenkle, Dipl. Psych., isdirector of the Milton Erickson Insti-tute Rottweil, Germany, and member ofthe Board of Directors of The MiltonH. Erickson Foundation, Inc. He isalso a member of the Board of Direc-tors of the International Society ofHypnosis (ISH) and past president ofthe Milton Erickson Society of ClinicalHypnosis, Germany (1996 -2003).

Trenkle is author of the Ha HaHandbook of Hypnosis and Psy-chotherapy, a bestselling joke book inGermany. (The book is now translatedin English, Russian and Italian.) Hehas been a co-organizer of the Euro-pean Evolution of Psychotherapy Con-ference (1994) in Hamburg andorganizer of six International ChildHypnosis Conferences in Germany.Currently, he is organizing the ISHConference in Bremen, Germany. With

I N T H E S P I R I T O F T H E R A P Y

more than 1,200 people registered ayear in advance, it is shaping up to bea huge conference. His ability to or-ganize such events is amazing. Trenklerecently presented at the 11th Interna-tional Ericksonian Congress inPhoenix, Arizona.JL: Bernhard, you are a very ac-

complished person in the world ofpsychotherapy. How do you see spir-ituality as being a part of this field?

BT: I see it on several levels. First,it is useful in the form of utilizationone can address the patient’s problemthrough their religious ideation, if thepatient is religious. It also is useful tohelp people deal with tragedy, becausespirituality can aid in making sense oflife.JL: Would you give an example?BT: Peter Bloom M.D. had a pa-

tient who identified so much with Jesusthat she was sacrificing herself for herfamily. Bloom utilized her religious be-liefs to help her. He did so by tellingher she wasn’t allowed to redo whatJesus did, since Jesus had alreadymade a sacrifice, so she should just liveher life.JL: That is a wonderful example

of utilization. How about the spiri-tual aspect of hypnosis?BT:All hypnotic trances are some-

how getting people connected to an-other dimension. Sometimes thatmeans people are suffering and tryingto reach another dimension for relief.Sometimes in trance, people are deeplymoved and come to another dimensionthat is spiritual. JL: What do you mean by the

spiritual dimension?BT: (Grins big with a knowing

smile, eyes twinkling) I had a patientwho was a good hypnotic subject, whoafter having been in a trance, lookedright at me and said that my wife andher friend were all right. Now my wifehappened to be on a trip with her friendand there was danger near to where shewas. I had been worried about her. Mypatient hadn’t been told about the trip.He simply knew it being by in a trancein my presence. I have had lots of ex-periences like this one.JL: It sounds as if you are open

to experiencing spiritual things andhaving mystical experiences.BT: Part of my family wanted me

to become a priest. There are manygood metaphors that can come fromspiritual knowledge. I even consideredbeing a missionary.JL: You are a missionary! You

have promoted hypnosis and train-ing in hypnosis in more countries

than almost anyone else I know. Youeither arranged or helped arrangeconferences in a lot more places thanwhat is stated in your bio. You down-play your achievements. Your be-hind-the-scenes work and ability toarrange successful workshops is sim-ilar to the missionary accomplish-ments of St. Paul, who did goodworks wherever he went. I feel youdo the same. I will never forget thatyou helped me to achieve one of mylife goals a few years ago--to speakin Germany. You simply saw some-thing you could do that would bene-fit all concerned, and you made itpossible. You are a very decent per-son and certainly promote qualitytraining of hypnosis, something thatyou’ve been doing for almost 30years. BT:Well, I wonder what I am sup-

posed to say to this because much ofthe time I see our society dancingaround a golden calf that is defined bywinning on the stock market. JL: Every society and culture has

a way of worshiping a “golden calf.” BT: [Quiet for a moment, and then

smiling with his eyes dancing again.] Ihelped at a hypnosis workshop inPoland and discovered a painting that Iliked. The painter had lived for a shorttime in Germany. Later, I needed torent a space in Munich and looked allover to find the right place, Inside thehouse where I was living, I found apicture painted by the same Polishpainter whose work I liked so well. Hehad also rented space in the samehouse during the only time he was inGermany. I don’t know how to explainthat or other things that have happenedover the years. Is it a coincidence? Is ita spiritual connection? How come ofall the places in Munich, both of uswould have rented in the same house?JL: Those are experiences that I

don’t know how to interpret, but Ilove that they happen, and it is in-triguing to consider the possibilities.I want to thank you for your open-ness and your willingness for othersto know you better. Bernhard, it iseasy to like you, and I suspect manyothers feel the same way.

Join our Email Mailing List! www.erickson-foundation.org

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www.hypnosis-congress.com

XIX International Congress of HypnosisOctober 17-21, 2012 Bremen

Register now and be sure to attend what promises to be the largest hypnosis congress in history. There are already over 1300 reg-istrations, including 250 faculty from more than 25 countries. Join ISH in Bremen, one of the most attractive historic cities in Germany.

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We’re not asking for much. The Milton H. Erickson Foundation in the middle of a fund drive— • to support the build-out of our new headquarters • to start a Global Center of Excellence in Hypnosis and Psychotherapy • to create a museum in memory of Dr. Erickson in his Phoenix home • and to preserve Dr. Erickson’s papers and personal memorabilia.

That’s why we’re asking you to invest in the Foundation’s future by making a donation. Even a small one. Because if all our friends gave us a little something we’d have a lot to work with. Call us at 877-212-6678. Or log on to EErriicckkssoonn--FFoouunnddaattiioonn..oorrgg and click on “donate” so you can watch the video that shows you what we’re up to.

This is all we need.

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Brief Therapy in a Taxi

Michael Hoyt, Ph.D. & Michele Ritterman, Ph.D.

During the December 2011 Inter-national Congress, we took a taxi tovisit the Erickson home and on ourway had a conversation with ourdriver. At first it was pleasant chitchat,but then we engaged on a deeper leveland asked the driver how he came tolive in Phoenix. He told us about hisunhappy divorce--how several yearsearlier his wife, who he thought wasthe love of his life, had abandoned himin order to take a job in another state.When he admitted he felt “puzzled and

C A S E R E P O R Tsucker punched” the atmosphere in thetaxi became tense and quiet.

Michele asked the driver if heknew who Lenny Bruce was. He didnot. She then told a story in which awaiter in a Chinese restaurant who hadserved Lenny and his girlfriend foryears asked Lenny one night, “Where’smomma?” And the waiter also ravedabout her. When Lenny replied that shehad left him, the waiter said, “Oh, well,you’re better off without her.” Ourdriver chuckled a bit, but said he wasstill grieving his loss.

As we were driving, we saw SquawPeak Mountain in the distance.Michele asked our driver if he had everclimbed the mountain and he said,“No.” Sensing he would never do it on

Destination: Phoenix, Arizona

The Intensive Training Program: on the experiential learning path in the footsteps of Milton Erickson

By Antonella Monini, M.D.

IntroductionKnowledge and, more generally, human existence represent an experience, the

individual and unique nature of which has always been closely linked to inter-sub-jectivity, and thus, relational experiences. This article was written from personalexperience I intentionally wanted to record. This is my journey, to the crossing ofplaces; meeting and sharing with others; and a three-week total immersion intothe “Ericksonian thing.”

In 1948, Milton Erickson moved with his family to Phoenix, partly for healthreasons, which the hot and dry climate of Arizona would improve, because he suf-fered from allergies and persistent joint pain due to his bout with polio at age 17.The move to an environment so different from the Midwest (Eloise, Michigan)had a significant and positive impact, not only on his health, but also on his meth-ods of practice.

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation has been organizing Intensive trainingseminars for 24 years, with the goal of keeping Dr. Erickson’s teachings alive—teachings that during the last 60 years have directly and indirectly influenced ther-apists and professionals worldwide. The experience of the Intensive training inPhoenix was not just a visit to the Southwest to be more involved in Ericksonianhypnosis and psychotherapy, but an experience that has enriched my life in manyways. I returned home with pages and pages of notes and materials, provided bythe Foundation, including DVDs and CDs. I also had several group photos of newfriends and colleagues from many countries. I was contented and satisfied by thelevel of professionalism at the training program, as well as by the organizationaland teaching ability of the faculty. But, I also was deeply impressed with the kind-ness of everyone involved in the program and all that was offered to me. My thanksand appreciation goes out to the whole team at the Foundation whose work createda climate of efficiency and openness. I felt truly welcome, not only as professional,but also as individual. And there was something more …it was a pilgrimage. If

what many people have defined as a “pilgrimage,” setting aside the religious con-notations, means a journey to learn something outside of yourself, in a place or acountry far from your own where someone has left his mark -- a human paradigmthat deserves to be followed and studied, and may also evoke a particular emo-tional response-- then, yes, the Intensive program in Phoenix was, indeed, a pil-grimage! A journey like this, where one is exposed to other cultures and traditions,can be an exploration that can lead its participants to discover common roots ofknowledge. The Intensive program also can be a journey to test yourself in thefield and to share with other “pilgrims” from the furthest corners of the earth in aglobal training experience which, if you let yourself go, will surprise you beyondyour expectations. The countries that were represented when I attended the pro-gram were: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy,United States, Singapore and Spain; the official language spoken was English, ormore precisely, “Globe-ish!”

“When you see a new trail, or a footprint you do not know,follow it to the point of knowing.”

Uncheedah (The grandmother of Ohiyesa, Charles Alexander Eastman, 1858-1939)

Intensive Training Program: organization and issuesMilton Erickson had experienced in his private life, even before his clinical

practice, the importance of accepting and using the individual’s background to “in-vent” a tailored, effective therapy. Much of his teaching was dedicated to this issue-- to persuading his students to broaden their horizons, to find their own personalapproach based on observation, respect for others, and the use of patients’ resourcesin full respect of their culture and belief. An opportunity to broaden our horizonsand become more flexible is certainly exercised when encountering different cul-tures and meeting others. The Intensive Training Program (ITP) is one of theseopportunities since it brings together professionals from every part of the worldwith the same objective, building on their training experiences.

View the complete article online:www.erickson-foundation.org/newsletter/current-issue

his own initiative, she recommendedhe climb just for the view--an idea hestrongly rejected. (In brief therapy, al-ways offer an initial suggestion thatcan be rejected.)

As we were getting closer to thefreeway exit Michelle took advantageof the moment and asked, “Have youheard the one about the taxi driver?”

“No,” our driver predictably an-swered.

“Well,” she continued, “he wasdriving along when a cop pulled himover. The taxi driver begged the cop,‘Please don’t give me a ticket,’ and thecop said, ‘I’ll tell you what, if you cantell me a good story, I’ll let you go.’”

“The taxi driver replied, ‘My wiferan off with a cop. When I saw you, Igot scared you were him and you were

bringing her back!’”Now our driver laughed whole-

heartedly. The rejection he had feltfrom his wife switched to his relief.Despite the pain over losing her, he re-alized that he might not even want herback.

When we got to the Erickson homeand Michael was paying the fare, thedriver said, “I’m going to rememberthat story,” and laughed again. Michaelsmiled and gave him a $10 tip to re-member us and the joke.

As Dr. Erickson so wisely taughtus, context and sequence are importantfor a brief intervention to have a max-imal chance to take hold.

After a session of brief therapy in ataxi, we visited the Erickson home, andit was lovely.


I N T R O D U C I N G T H E I N S T I T U T E SThe Milton HylandErickson Instituteof Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul,

Brazilby Marilia Baker

The newest Erickson Institute to beestablished in Brazil this year is alsothe second one in the country to bearthe full name of its eminent inspirerand clinical methodology guide--Mil-ton Hyland Erickson. The Institute isbased in Campo Grande, the prosper-ous, sprawling capital of Mato Grossodo Sul—Brazil’s westernmost statebordering Bolivia and Paraguay.Among many other distinctive mark-ers, Campo Grande is located within afew kilometers of the grand Pantanal,an immense marshland region, vasttropical wetland and one of the world’slargest swamplands. Its magnificentfloodplains harbor and nurture aplethora of unsurpassed aquatic life, abird sanctuary, and the most uniqueand exotic flora and fauna. The grandPantanal is certainly challenging andan interesting rich locale for metaphor-ical tasks.

The founding directors of the newInstitute are Denisval Pereira de An-drade, MA, Lic. Psych.; Daliana San-tos, M.D., and Christiane Polônio, Lic.Psych. These new directors have eachpursued other clinical specialties in ad-dition to Ericksonian approaches.

Andrade, a clinical psychologist,received graduate training in Rogerianperson-centered therapy and special-ized in Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapyamong other clinical training. He firstlearned of Milton Erickson in 1981,through the teachings of GilbertoCraidy Cury, pioneer and founder ofthe Brazilian Society of Neurolinguis-tic Programming. Santos, a pediatri-cian, specialized in OrthomolecularPediatrics and Puericulture, in additionto Nutrition and Biochemistry in Med-icine. Polônio is a licensed psycholo-gist in Art Education and Art Therapyand trained in Gestalt Therapy withseveral international luminaries amongthem Alejandro Spangenberg of Mon-tevideo, Uruguay.

The new MHEI Board of Directorsalso had previously worked togetherthrough their human potential institute:CrerSer is a play on words for the Por-tuguese word, crescer or “to grow,”and means “to believe and to be.”Founded by Andrade, and his physi-cian wife Daliana Santos, one of theobjectives of the CrerSer institute hasbeen that of studying in depth and dis-seminating the work and thought ofMilton H. Erickson, renowned Neo-Er-icksonians, and derivative schools. An-other objective has been studying thework of prominent Brazilian hyp-notherapists who developed their ownapproaches, such as Hipnoterapia Ed-ucativa, by psychologist, BayardGalvão, whose work was inspired byhis late grandfather, physician and pio-neer hypnotist, Victorio MachiavelloVelloso.

Denisval de Andrade established atraining partnership with directors, Ba-yard Galvão and João HumbertoVanin, from the Instituto Milton H. Er-ickson of São Paulo (1995), the oldestin the country. (Marilia Baker, whowrote this article, was one of thefounding directors.) With the profes-sional assistance and supervision ofGalvão’s Institute for HipnoterapiaEducativa, Andrade and his associateshave been offering year-long, intensivetraining (180 hours) targeting psychol-ogists, physicians, researchers, educa-

tors, and other health care clinicians. One notable psychologist invited to

attend, was Angela Cota, founder-di-rector of the MHEI of Belo Horizonte(also established in 1995), who hasbeen training Andrade’s students inhypnosis to work with children andadolescents. The MHE Institute ofCampinas with its director, RodrigoCazarotto Mateus, Lic. Psych. has beenproviding theoretical and clinical sup-port. Because of this well-organizednucleus of effort and highly respected,reputable cadre of professionals, An-drade, at the invitation of Jeffrey Zeig,

From left to right: Rachel Shipwash Wu, Erickson Foundation Faculty Coordinator; Denisval Andrade, MA, Lic. Psych., Co-Director of MHEI

Campo Grande; Susan Kavanaugh, Erickson Foundation Executive Director

From left to right: Christiane Polônio, Lic. Psych.; Daliana Santos, MD & Denisval Andrade, MA, Lic. Psych.

formally submitted his application toestablish the Milton Hyland Institute ofCampo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul in2011.

The basic objectives of the Instituteare, among others:

• Promote the study, research, de-velopment, and dissemination ofEricksonian approaches to hypno-sis and psychotherapy within thetenets and principles of Dr. Erick-son’s thought and practice.• Foster the application, teaching,practice, and integration of clinicalhypnosis - classic and traditionalapproaches-Brief Strategic Ther-apy, and others under the umbrellaof Ericksonian perspectives andmethodologies.• Hold systematic training andcourses, as well as supervisionwithin the clinical settings at the In-stitute; and actively promote andsustain these objectives. • Organize and promote regionaland national meetings, confer-ences, seminars, lectures andevents aimed at training and edu-cating behavioral health and healthcare professionals in Ericksonianapproaches; also educate these pro-fessionals in the transformation andevolution of Ericksonian methodsand derivative schools.• Maintain close contact and pro-fessional exchange of experiences

See INSTITUTES on next page


Lifetime Achievement Award to Teresa RoblesWritten by Roxanna Erickson Klein

At the December 2011 Erickson Congress, the Milton H. Erickson Foundation held a brief ceremonyto recognize work of Teresa Robles Ph.D. During its 32-year history the Milton H. Erickson Foundation hasgranted 12 Lifetime Achievement Awards in recognition of significant contributions to further the workbegun by Milton H. Erickson. Robles’s professional accomplishments include active positions in numer-ous international organizations as well as key roles in teaching and providing clinical services. She has au-thored more than 30 professional publications and is conversant in five languages. One of her greatestcontributions to the field of Ericksonian methodology has been to develop hypnotic/psychotherapeutic lan-guage specific to the Neo-Latin/Romance languages. Word-play and nuances, so characteristic of Erick-sonian hypnotic language, introduces sophisticated multi-level suggestion through careful employment ofhomonyms and other language qualities that are so often lost or misused in translation.

Dr. Robles is a dedicated individual who has worked diligently in the field for more than two decades.A founder of the Instituto Milton H. Erickson de la Ciudad de Mexico in 1989, in 2004 she founded Cen-tro Ericksoniano de Mexico. Her passion for giving to the community is complemented by an exceptionalskill in developing creative initiatives. Robles is proficient in laying supportive groundwork that has thepotential to expand into various forms of education and services. Talented in mentoring those around her,her modeling of ambitious dedication leaves a wake of promise for ongoing professional growth and ex-pansion. During the last decade there has been a proliferation of interest in Mexico that has rippled through-out Latin America. Robles is the first Latin American to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Scholarship AwardAn Elizabeth Erickson Scholarship Award was made at the 2011 Congress. While the Scholarship de-

rives its funding from several donated sources, this distribution reflected proceeds associated with a biog-raphical sketch of Elizabeth Erickson written by Marilia Baker. This sketch illustrates the dynamic influenceof the couple as integral to the contributions of Milton Erickson. Written in English, Baker’s: A Tributeto Elizabeth Moore Erickson. Colleague Extraordinaire, Wife, Mother, and Companionwas first publishedin Spanish in 2003 by Alom Editores, Mexico DF. That book is now printed in four languages. At the timeof publication, Baker consulted with Elizabeth Erickson and a decision was made that profits from thework foster education to underserved indigenous areas in Mexico. Royalties from these works are combinedwith those of a translation of a book of Ericksonian Strategies by Dan Short, and are further supplementedwith funds from the Centro Ericksoniano in Mexico.

The first scholarship was given in December, 2004 with Mrs. Erickson in attendance. The recipient,Diana Ruiz, used the funds to further her education as an Ericksonian psychotherapist. Now licensed,Diana practices in her native Patzcuaro, Michoacan and in surrounding indigenous and low-income com-munities. The current distribution also will be earmarked for ongoing work using Ericksonian approacheswith indigenous communities. The Centro Ericksoniano is now collaborating with the Institute of Chi-huahua on a school in Hermosillo, Sonora to establish a program that will facilitate adaptation of indige-nous areas while preserving the integrity of their cultural uniqueness. The utilization of traditional beliefs,rites, ceremonies, and the preservation of native languages are integral to the work.

Teresa Robles receives the Lifetime Achievement awardfrom Erickson Foundation Director Jeffrey Zeig.

News and Notes:Subscribe to the Routledge

Hypnosis JournalsThe American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, the official journal of the Ameri-

can Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH), is now available for purchase onlinethrough Routledge. Publication frequency is four times per year. Editor is StephenLankton, MSW, DAHB, LCSW. To view a sample or to purchase visit: www.tandfonline.com/UJHY

In addition, Routledge is offering the International Journal of Clinical and Ex-perimental Hypnosis (IJCEH) for purchase online. Publication frequency is fourtimes per year. Editor is Arreed Barabasz, Ph.D., ABPP, Ed.D. The IJCEH is theofficial journal of the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH),the Society of Psychological Hypnosis (APA Division 30), the International Soci-ety of Hypnosis (ISH) and the Canadian Federation of Clinical Hypnosis-AlbertaSociety. To view a sample or to purchase visit: www.tandfonline.com/NHYP

To request a free print sample copy: Email: [email protected] call 1-800-354-1420, press “4”

with other Erickson Institutes inBrazil and abroad as well as othermedical and psychological organi-zations that aim to provide excel-lence in clinical education,hypnosis, and psychotherapy.The new Institute will continue to

offer 180 hours of training per yearover a two-year span. It will be organ-ized and distributed into 15 modulesthat cover subjects such as ethics inhypnosis and psychotherapy; in-depthknowledge of the psyche; fundamen-tals of hypnosis; strategic vision inpsychotherapy; philosophical princi-ples and application in psychotherapyand hypnosis; the fundamentals of ed-ucative hypnotherapy; hypnotic phe-

nomena and its applications; languageof hypnosis; Ericksonian inductions;building metaphors and the introduc-tion of anecdotes and stories into ther-apeutic settings; Ericksonian strategiesand techniques; the principles of uti-lization and many other applications.The training uses case studies and ex-periential learning.

The Milton H. Erickson Founda-tion, Inc. welcomes the Milton HylandErickson of Campo Grande, MatoGrosso do Sul among its ever growingfamily of Institutes.

For further information please con-tact: [email protected] orconsult: www.institutocrerser.com.br

INSTITUTES continued from page 9

Talented in mentoring those around her, her modeling

of ambitious dedication leaves a wake of promise for ongoing

professional growth and expansion.


Did you miss the Erickson Congress? Did you miss the Erickson Congress? Did you miss the Erickson Congress? Were you there, but missed workshops Were you there, but missed workshops Were you there, but missed workshops

you wanted to attend? you wanted to attend? you wanted to attend?

You can now experience everything you missed, You can now experience everything you missed, You can now experience everything you missed, and all that you want and all that you want and all that you want to remember!to remember!to remember!

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THE FULL CONFERENCE AUDIO This 2 DVD set, for use in your computer, contains audio recordings of nearly every presentation at the Congress—more than 270 hours! When you open the discs, you will see clearly labeled folders for mp3s and handouts, as well as a PDF of the entire Syllabus. $299.00

OR… DOWNLOAD WHAT YOU WANT! You can download individual MP3 audio programs for only $14.99 each. Buy only what you want

PLUS— DVDs of clinical demonstrations and keynote addresses. Only $59.00 each

Everything you want, the way you want it, is at the EricksonFoundationStore.com

Amazing Growthfor Capital Campaign

Many people respond to plea for support

The Milton H. Erickson Founda-tion initiated a public capital campaignin the fall of 2011and the response hasbeen positive. The campaign is de-signed to help raise funds for a numberof reasons: to build The EricksonGlobal Center for Excellence in Psy-chotherapy and Hypnosis, (which willserve our new headquarters), to installan elevator for the new building; to es-tablish our precious archives ; and forthe creation of a museum in the homeof the late Dr. Erickson. Located onHayward Avenue in Phoenix, thishome is where Dr. Erickson lived andworked for the last decade of his life.

Donations from Friends of theFoundation, the Erickson family, andDr. Jeffrey Zeig have been generousand provided a strong base for accom-plishing our mission. We received asignificant $10,000 donation from Dr.Scott Miller who had mentored withDr. Zeig when he was younger, and ap-preciated the support that was offeredto him. What a wonderful and primeexample of “paying it forward!” TheFoundation also received $50,000 froman “angel” who would prefer to remainanonymous, but wished to give out ofgratitude because of his associationwith Dr. Zeig.

Many of you responded to ouremail request to donate funds for theelevator and we almost have enough toinstall it. The elevator would have beennecessary for Dr. Erickson to visit thenew headquarters and we believe hewould appreciate our efforts in makingour offices welcome to everyone.

We are thrilled with the donationswe have received thus far. We stillneed, however, to raise $250,000 to re-

alize our vision. To date we havereached only 28 percent of our mone-tary goal. We hope you will join us inmaking history by your donation ofany amount, which will be deeply ap-preciated.

We wish to thank the followingFounding Members for their signifi-cant donations of $500 or more. Thedonors include:

Jeffrey Zeig, Ph.D.Susan Kavanaugh, MA, CLCJerry PiagetScott Miller, Ph.D.Kevin and Yolanda McAuliffeMarilia and Michael Baker (Marilia Baker, MSW)Other donors who provided gifts of

$100 or more include:Climeni Maria SerraBernard S. Siegel, M.D.Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFTStina C. NelsonMichael and Diane Yapko(Michael Yapko, Ph.D.)Ronald A. Alexander, Ph.D.Daniel E. Harkins (Harkin’s Theaters)Owen R. FitzgeraldJoan NeehallRichard Hanson, Ph.D.Christopher WrightStephen ChinlundThe Covington GroupFrancine Shapiro, Ph.D.Concorde DentalFrank Dattilio, Ph.D.Helen Adrienne-Spur LCSWVincent TravorminaWe are grateful to many others who

have given generously, and in our nextissue will print an up-to-date list ofdonors.

Our new website offers secure on-line donation. Enter http://erickson-foundation.org/donate/ into your URL,or contact Susan Kavanaugh by calling602-956-6196.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN •••UPDATE•••

The Newsletter is Online! www.erickson-foundation.org

http://www.ericksonfoundationstore.com/


Phoenix, Arizona, December 8-11, 2011

Available as MP3 Audio & Slides DVD-ROM 2-Disc Set

Milton Erickson Foundation – www.EricksonFoundationStore.com

Copyright: 2011

Reviewed by Annellen M. Simpkins,Ph.D.; C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D.;

Roxanna Erickson-Klein RN, Ph.D.; JohnLentz, D.Min.; Nicole Ruysschaert, M.D.;

Ryc Strader, MFTI

The 11th International Congress onEricksonian Approaches to Psy-chotherapy was held in Erickson’shometown of Phoenix, Arizona at thePhoenix Hyatt Regency, December 8-11, 2011. The Congress attracted morethan 700 participants from around theworld. An expert faculty of 74 invitedand 60 short-course faculty presentednew innovations that offered multipleopportunities to experience the latestEricksonian methods.

Erickson often said, “Your uncon-scious is a lot smarter than you are,”and this Congress addressed that innerintelligence, inviting it to grow and de-velop to its fullest potential. With cre-ative individualizing of presentations,indirect interventions that used sophis-ticated words to elicit new possibilities,and methods that summoned a creativeunconscious search, this Congresselicited new learning naturally and au-tomatically.

A pre-conference provided an all-day “Law and Ethics” workshop alongwith classes to introduce Ericksonianhypnosis, and ways in which to workwith children with anxiety through sto-rytelling methods and advanced hyp-nosis.

The Congress officially began witha convocation and keynote from HelenErickson. Three more keynotes fromErnest Rossi, Stephen Gilligan, andJeffrey Zeig gathered everyone to-gether at intervals during the confer-ence. Varied formats invited learningin many forms. There were 34 ninety-minute short courses, 68 two-hourworkshops, and 64 hour-long interac-tive events. Threaded throughout thewhole event was a Fundamental Hyp-nosis Track, consisting of eight classes

to provide a firm foundation in Erick-sonian methods, which lead to receiv-ing a certificate. In addition, MichaelYapko and Jeffrey Zeig gave a specialpost-conference all-day master class.

Learning happens best when peo-ple are enjoying the experience, andthe happy attendees were well accom-modated in a beautiful environmentwith enjoyable social events. A danceparty, as well as an author book signingand reception gave everyone opportu-nities to meet, chat, and celebrate.

For those who were unable to at-tend, the entire Congress, pre-and post-conference sessions along withhandouts, are available as a two-discDVD set through The Milton H. Erick-son Foundation. We recommend it foranyone who hopes to have a deep andlasting experience that will continue togrow over time.

OVERVIEWSCongress Reflections

Reviewed by Roxanna Erickson Klein

One highlight of the Congress wasthe overall growth-oriented atmos-phere. A poll at the opening ceremonyrevealed that dozens of audience andfaculty members were returning par-ticipants. The welcoming ambiance fornewcomers, combined with the expec-tation for ongoing professional devel-opment makes the FoundationCongresses particularly successful. Al-though it was only a few short monthsago before the Foundation lost its keyorganizer, Susan Velasco, the Congressproceeded with few apparent wrinkles.This organizational precision is testi-mony to the well-integrated relation-ships among the Foundation’s smallstaff and is a way to honor the memoryof Velasco who had served in that rolefor more than 10 years. The current Ex-ecutive Director of the Foundation,Susan Kavanaugh brings a new skillset, and has helped smooth the transi-tion. Though a few events could havebeen better publicized better, most as-pects of the Congress worked out ex-ceedingly well. Meetings to recognizeNewsletter volunteers and to welcomeInstitutes enhanced networking and co-

hesion. An evening event also was heldto inform those interested about emer-gent plans for the creation of The Er-ickson Global Center of Excellence forPsychotherapy and Hypnosis and toexpress renewed commitment of theFoundation to accelerate availability ofarchival materials. Four stellarkeynotes at the Congress focused par-ticipants on the work of Milton H. Er-ickson; the evolution of his ideas sincehis death; the epigenetic perspective ofhis work; and an exciting promise forcreative investigation that addressesartistic aspects of his techniques.

The Joys and Experiencesof Serving as a Volunteer

Reviewed by Ryc Strader MFTI

Choices…we all have them, andoften times, more than we can count,and serving as a Congress volunteer al-lows others to count on you. That wasthe source of my joy, and the payoffwhen I volunteered at the 11th Interna-tional Congress. Oh I’ll admit it, I hadhoped to sit in on all eight of the Fun-damentals of Hypnosis workshops, butwhat I got as a bonus was the opportu-nity to meet new faces, attend all of thekeynotes (and this alone was worth theprice of admission), and participate inseveral of the Short Courses. And mostimportant of all, I got to contribute to-ward an exciting and successful event:The Milton H. Erickson Foundation’s11th International Congress. And I re-ceived all of this, plus so much more atless than a fraction of the cost.

So, if you have the opportunity toserve as a volunteer at any functionsponsored by the Milton H. EricksonFoundation, you will be making a wisechoice to do so!

“To be the greatest, be the servantof all,” (Jesus, 34 AD)

PRECONFERENCEPC 4 The Erickson Way:Telling Stories Where theyBelong, Betty Alice Erick-son and Eric Greenleaf Reviewed by John D. Lentz D. Min.

This all-day workshop was worththe price of the entire conference. BettyAlice Erickson and Eric Greenleaf pro-vide usable tools that are practical andimmediately applicable. I have heardabout storytelling for therapeutic use,but when these two professionals pre-sented, the material absolutely camealive because of their openness andgenuine willingness for you to learnand know what they know. And al-though both are strong presenters indi-vidually, together they shine brighter,perhaps because they seem to reallylike one another. I will admit I am notusually a fan of group exercises, but Ifound the group exercises to be won-derful. The exercise I did with anotherparticipant was so powerful that in twominutes the other person was cryingwith relief and joy. She said she was sotouched by the experience and that ithelped her immensely. And I did onlywhat we were instructed to do. Whenwe reversed roles, I was surprised athow deeply I too was touched by theprocess, even though I had anticipatedthe feelings.

WORKSHOPSWS15 Trans-Altering In-terventions by John LentzReviewed by C. Alexander Simpkins,Ph.D. and Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D.

Lentz draws from years of experi-ence working as the chaplain and headcounselor for a women’s prison inKentucky and sensitively describes ex-periences with hardened, convictedmurderers. One of the premises of theworkshop, is that people take on nega-tive trances, and that therapy can helpthem to create a positive trance, orsometimes come out of trance alto-gether. Lentz’s stories show a deep andinsightful compassion and understand-ing of how abuse can bring someone tocommit a horrible act, often not againstthe person who caused the abuse, butmore often by killing an innocent.Lentz learned to work indirectly sinceformal hypnosis was not allowed at theprison. He developed subtle ways tobring people out of their negative

C O N G R E S S R E V I E WThe 11th International Congress on Ericksonian Approaches to Psychotherapy:

Transforming Ericksonian Methods

See CONGRESS on next page


Esblygiad Seicotherapi S ti n hoá c a tâm lý Psikoterapi Evrimi

Utveckling av psykoterapi Mageuzi ya Saikolojia Evolución de la Psicoterapia

Razvoj psihoterapije Vývoj psychoterapie Evolu ia de Psihoterapie Evolução da Psicoterapia

Ewolucja Psychoterapii Evolu-tion of Psyko- terapi

Evoluzzjoni tal- Psikoterapija Evolusi Psikoterapi

Psichoterapijos evoliucija Evolutione Psychotherapy

Evoluzione della Psicoterapia Éabhlóid Síciteiripe Evolusi Psikoterapi

Evolution pszichoterápia Evolisyon nan Sikoterapi Evolution de la psychothérapie

Paglaki ng Psychotherapy Evolu ia de Psihoterapie Evolução da Psicoterapia Ewolucja Psychoterapii

Evolution of Psykoterapi Evoluzzjoni tal-Psikoterapija Evolusi Psikoterapi Psichoterapijos evoliucija

Evolutione Psychotherapy Evoluzione della Psicoterapia Éabhlóid Síciteiripe Evolusi Psikoterapi

Evolution pszichoterápia Evolisyon nan Sikoterapi

The World Comes Together 12/11/13

MASTER CLASS in BRIEF PSYCHOTHERAPY “In the home and office of the Master”

This course is designed to improve your clinical skills through direct experience. During the four-day course you will be exposed to an abundance of clinical practice that will take you to next level in terms of your own personal and professional development. There will be very little didactic teaching. This Class is structured so each member partici-pates in four roles: therapist, supervisor and client (twice). You will be a client for one session with Dr. Jeffrey Zeig and Lilian Zeig, LPC and one session with a

Register at EricksonFoundationStore.comEricksonFoundationStore.comEricksonFoundationStore.com Call or email us if you would prefer a mail-in registration form sent to you.

FAX: 602-956-0519 • VOICE: 602-956-6196 [email protected]

MMAASSTTEERR CCLLAASSSS SSEESSSSIIOONNSS && FFEEEESS March 3-6 May 24-27 July 28-31

$800 $800 $800 Half of your registration is applied to the preservation of the Erickson House.

MMEENNTTAALL HHEEAALLTTHH PPRROOFFEESSSSIIOONNAALLSS:: OOnnllyy ttwwoo ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess lleefftt tthhiiss yyeeaarr!!

peer therapist. You will be able to see others practicing in front of the group in a very safe environment. The unique format of this group will help you integrate learnings in powerful ways. This pro-gram is held at the actual Erickson home, purchased by the Erick-son Foundation to preserve this historic site.

The environment is inti-mate and supportive. The learning experience is rich and fertile. This program is an opportu-nity to advance clinical skills no matter what your professional orien-tation.

trance, teaching them to forgive them-selves and put their efforts into a posi-tive and meaningful life, even while inprison. Hearing how the women’s’lives changed so profoundly, you sensethat certainly Lentz’s methods will beinvaluable for your clients as well.

WS23 StoryPlay.Reawaken the ResilientChild Within. Joyce Mills,Reviewed by Nicole Ruysschaert, M.D.

A little bag filled with funny toysand a warm welcome can stimulate cu-riosity and can open a mind for learn-ing. Play has a tremendous effect onbrain development and can stimulatelearning. Mills’ StoryPlay workshopreinforces that idea, and reminds usthat we, as therapists, can create the“playroom” for our patients.

StoryPlay as developed by Mills, isbuilt on nine roots: creativity, the natu-ral world, trans-cultural wisdom andhealing philosophies, principles ofMilton Erickson, everyday life, myth,stories, metaphors, and play therapy.

Each root is like a creative steppingstone--a stimulating, indirect commu-nication style that promotes rapport,personal creativity, and releases aworld of resources.

In the workshop, we learned wecan create a story surprisingly easilyand convey an experience of resilience.Elements of nature that have symbolicmeaning can be utilized. You mighthear examples such as a tree growingstronger after surviving a storm or theHawaiian story about a bowl of light,which is a symbol of innate and uniqueabilities. Following the story, we areasked to take part in an imaginary ex-ercise to “release the light,” and the ex-perience is reinforced by drawing it onpaper. Through StoryCrafts we can ex-pand the storytelling metaphor intophysical forms through artistic expres-sion.

Metaphors are interspersedthroughout the whole workshop, con-veying ideas, research data, and sharedexperiences. Participants were givenwell-designed exercises to integratelearning in immediate practice. By the

CONGRESS continued from page 12




end, we were well prepared to designa ritual ceremony to help one of theparticipants in the smaller group inte-grate this new information. Also, ourinner child was nurtured when all of usmade bubbles and discovered the funof doing so!

StoryPlay is useful in working cre-atively with individuals and communi-ties after traumatizing events. Thismethod of therapy can be expanded topromote health and well-being for all.

WS 27 OM UP! Therapeutic Mind-BodyTransformations throughYoga, Kathryn Rossi

Reviewed by C. Alexander Simpkins,Ph.D. & Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D.

Yoga is an ancient method for uni-fying the mind, brain, and body. Rossishows how the art and science of yogacorresponds to Ernest Rossi’s Four-Stage Creative Process and Buddha’sFour Noble Truths. But, rather thansimply intellectualize the insight, Rossiled group members in yoga so that theymight experience the point. By activelyengaging in the treatment we learnedto take personal responsibility andtranscend limits. With stories, a warm,lively style, and dynamic, engagingroutines, Rossi had the entire roombending and swaying together in har-mony, overcoming discomforts boldlywith symbolic warrior actions.

WS 36 Ericksonian Psychotherapy for WomenExperiencing Unplanned

Pregnancy Maria Escalante de Smith

Reviewed by Annellen M. Simpkins,Ph.D. & C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D.

Escalante de Smith gave sound ad-vice for working with unexpectedpregnancy, and she also provided cre-ative alternatives in psychotherapy.

One of the hallmarks of Escalantede Smith’s methods is what she calls,“The Singing Trance.” She has a beau-tiful voice, and broke into song to il-lustrate how she worked with a mutechild who was the result of an un-planned pregnancy and had been re-fusing to eat. Together, therapist andchild sang about eating veggies and en-

joying meat. The singing trance can bedone by anyone, and Escalante deSmith expertly instructed how to dothis. She also taught other creativeways to reach people who are in themidst of difficulties.

WS 42 Ideomotor andIdeosensory Expressionsin Waking Self Hypnosis

Sidney Rosen, M.D.

Reviewed by John Lentz D.

Sidney Rosen is a master. He uti-lized his years of experience to elicitparticipants to creatively think aboutself-hypnosis. I had the opportunity tosee Rosen present his self-hypnosis ap-proaches, and this workshop againconfirmed that he is masterly. Begin-ning with the historic, and moving tocreative styles of using Ideomotor andIdeosensory expressions, Rosen offerswhat few others are willing to do be-cause he is so open about his personalhistory. He also inspires by explaininghow he uses self-hypnosis and Ideo-motor or Ideosensory approaches withhimself, as well as clients.

WS 47 Advanced Techniques of Hypnosisand Therapy Jeffery

Zeig Ph.D. Reviewed by John Lentz D. Min.

Jeffrey Zeig outdid himself withthis advanced techniques class. Be-cause he had slight difficulty withplaying a piece of music, Zeig impro-vised and utilized the situation andmade it much more memorable. Play-ing the Irish tin whistle, he showed thedifference between embellishment andplaying the notes on impact. His talentas a teacher and grasp of techniques, aswell his ability to help improve our tal-ents is remarkable. He demonstratedseveral techniques and alluded to onesin his handouts that I believe will helpmy students, as well as myself. I par-ticularly liked Zeig’s challenge to useone line repeated with emphasis on dif-ferent words to induce a trance. I willbe learning from this workshop foryears to come. It will enhance myskills at offering trance inductions. Itteaches powerful lessons, and does soeasily and practically. I found it to bebrilliant; it gave participants more than

what was advertised.

WS2 Finding the Fertilityin Infertility Helen Adrienne LCSW

Reviewed by John D. Lentz D. Min.

Adrienne was amazingly knowl-edgeable of infertility issues and theways in which to help couples andwomen facing infertility. She gavesound, useful, and practical conceptsand did so with wit and sensitivity.This workshop was well-designed andoffered practical tools for dealing with,and understanding, the journey thatcouples go through when they arestruggling with infertility. It gave op-tions to helping those facing infertility,as the title suggests. And yet, that was-n’t what was most wonderful about thispresentation… it was Adrienne’s sen-sitivity to the issues and her empathyfor those coping with infertility.

INTERACTIVEEVENTS

Dialog 12 Neurosciencefor Clinicians AlexanderSimpkins Ph.D. and

Annellen Simpkins Ph.D. Reviewed by John D. Lentz D. Min.

In discussing the subject materialfor a book on progress about neuro-science written for clinicians, TheSimpkins presented in their almostseamless manner of shifting from oneto the other, and displayed not only thedepth of their relationship and respectfor one another, but their knowledge aswell.

I believe their book will become avaluable resource for many cliniciansbecause of its use in understanding thedifferent parts of the brain and howhypnosis, meditation, or medicationcan impact it.

CD8 Clinical Demonstra-tion with Camillo LoriedoM. D. Hypnosis andFamily Therapy


Loriedo powerfully demonstratedhis approach to family therapy withrole play that demonstrated his genuineability and talent. The conflict pre-sented in the demonstration was onethat many of us has seen in our prac-tice-- when grown children do not

leave home and parents are conflictedover what to do and wind up doingnothing but complaining.

Loriedo had each person in thefamily talk about their passions, thenwove together a masterful inductionand hypnotic session that associatedthe family members’ strengths withtheir problems. It was elegant, simple,and yet profound, revealing that thefamily members have strengths theyare not using to solve their problems.While this was only a demonstration,this approach is what Loriedo typicallyuses with his patients. After seeing thisdemonstration, I felt as if I could easilyapply this approach with my clients.

SHORT COURSESSc 9 Utilizing Hypnosis in

SupervisionDale Bertram Ph.D., and Mike Rankin M. A.

Reviewed by John D. Lentz D. Min

Bertram and Rankin have devel-oped an Ericksonian approach to su-pervision where they also haveincluded hypnosis as a means of as-sisting the supervisee. Their style ofsupervision is based upon the utiliza-tion principle. As you would expect,hypnosis is only a tool, and isn’t theformat for supervision; the format isbased upon utilization of what the stu-dent brings.

Bertram and Rankin both havestrong marriage and family therapybackgrounds and often teach this ap-proach to people around the country.They have an extremely sensitive na-ture to both the learning style of stu-dents, as well as the law. Therefore,they are careful and yet on target inwhat they teach and encourage.

SC 30 Slumber: TuckingThe Day’s Pain Away

Deborah Beckman MS


Beckman’s workshop was amaz-ing. She introduced the course objec-tives and then asked for a volunteerwho was experiencing pain that inter-fered with sleep. She then demon-strated her creative and well-informedstyle of decreasing the pain. She gavethe volunteer a way to achieve thatsame state at night. Beckman wasworking on the volunteer’s experienceof pain even while she did the assess-




ment. By the time she began the actualtrance, she knew exactly where shewas going. She made this session lookso easy because she is knowledgeableabout sleep and reducing the pain thatgets in the way of sleep.

After the demonstration, Beckmanoffered tips that could deepened thetrance and gave the attendees evenmore tools for helping clients; shetaught both directly with Power Pointand with a handout, as well as indi-rectly by deepening the trance with thevolunteer. It was an impressive demon-stration.

FUNDAMENTAL HYPNOSIS TRACK

Reviewed by C. Alexander Simpkins,Ph.D. and Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D.

The eight sessions in this series,present Ericksonian hypnosis funda-mentals from some of its most influen-tial and prolific contemporary masters.Brent Geary introduces the series withPrinciples of Hypnotic Induction, Fun-damental Hypnosis 1 (FH1) and de-fines hypnosis through the A.R.E.model: Absorb, Ratify, and Elicit. Trueto Erickson’s approach, Geary showshow to take simple observations, stringthem together, and then link them to asuggestion that elicits trance. He re-mains faithful to Erickson’s innovativeidea that hypnotizability scales are notdeterminers of hypnotic capacity. In-stead, for clinical purposes, expectancyis more indicative of success. Anyonewho can pay attention for a few min-utes and close their eyes without hav-ing a psychotic reaction can behypnotized.

Stephen Gilligan presents the Phe-nomenology of Hypnosis (FH2) wherehe carefully lays out the appearance ofpsychological process in trance. Heshows how a trance, when done in asupportive therapeutic relationship, al-lows people to let go of fixed patternsand symptoms. In a sense, problemsare a form of negative trance; the con-scious mind is organized, goal di-rected, and often rigidly fixed, whilethe unconscious is open, creative, andfree. Hypnotherapy uses both con-scious and unconscious, which givespeople a way to find a better identityby delving deeply into the creative un-conscious process, and then emergingas someone completely new, free of theproblem.

Michael Yapko presented InductionFrame Work II: What Makes for a

Good Induction (FH3), in which he in-structs on the classic Ericksonian hyp-notic induction methods. Hemasterfully teaches how to facilitatehypnotic experience from the simplestand subtlest cues, through both struc-tured methods and through more indi-rect conversational approaches. Youlearn how to elicit dissociation andother hypnotic responses by appealingthrough multi-level processing and uti-lizing responses that occur automati-cally and naturally. Yapko expertlycommunicates through voice tones,spacing, and emphasis, not just withwords so you learn the mechanics ofinduction, and also how to guide yourclient gently and effectively.

Dan Short’s Language of HypnosisI: Working with Complex Resistance(FH4) provides an essential componentfor which Erickson was famous-- howto help people to respond even in theface of resistance. We all have timeswhen clients cannot, or do not, respondand Ericksonian resistance techniquesgo around, through, and beyond con-scious limits by activating unconsciousresponsiveness. Short, gently and sub-tly guides the participant in using someof Erickson’s most intensive princi-ples. His instruction is clear and youleave with tried-and-true methods thatdefinitely get results.

Jeffrey Zeig leads Language ofHypnosis II: Working with ComplexResistance (FH 5). In a sense, all prob-lems have an element of resistance,and Zeig teaches how to use hypnoticlanguage to influence the client’s emo-tional and intellectual state. He showshow we can use innate cognitive ca-pacities. Zeig builds the therapist’s ar-senal by using such devices as truisms,yes sets, and implied causatives, all im-plicitly directed toward eliciting hyp-notic responsiveness. Zeig is alongtime master of these methods, andhe draws upon a rich store of examplesfrom Erickson himself that bring multi-textured dimensions to the learning ex-perience.

Lillian Borges-Zeig provides Uti-lization in a Trance Induction (FH6).Utilization is a hallmark principle ofEricksonian hypnosis. Throughdemonstrations and exercises, thisworkshop shows how to recognize theclient’s own repertoire of skills, inter-ests, and experiences and then how todraw upon them to help the client acti-vate his or her own inner resources tofacilitate change. Borges-Zeig makes

THE MILTON H. ERICKSON FOUNDATION Presents

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For the past 25 consecutive years, thousands from around the world have come to Phoenix to learn the principles, applications, and techniques of Ericksonian Hypnosis. The Intensives program is comprehensive, yet the incre-mental structure facilitates progressive acquisition of competence. Focused, tailored, and goal-directed—The small class size and one-on-one instruction make this a remarkable learning opportunity. The

Ericksonian model maintains a respect for the individual while allowing practitioners to effectively respond to mandated treatment guidelines. This steadfast attention to the uniqueness of each person will help you put

the care back into managed healthcare delivery. Each week utilizes a lecture-demonstration-practice format. You will spend the majority of time in direct experiences, deriving extensive familiarity with hypnotic processes in both clinician and subject roles.

Topics covered include—

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Sessions fill up fast! Register early and save $250 or more.

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• Observational Process • Language of suggestion • Induction approaches • Hypnotic phenomena • Indirection • Tailoring • Habit control

• Pain management • Anxiety & depression • Individualizing Treatment • Habit control • Utilization • Metaphors • Treatment planning

• Sequencing • Hypnotic assessment • Therapist development • Difficult patients • Uses of amnesia • Symbols & anecdotes • Confusion techniques




CONFERENCE NOTESThe 44th Annual Conference of the Southwestern School of Behavioral Health Studies, Embracing Recovery and Wellness, will be held August 20-23, 2012 at Loews

Ventana Canyon, Tucson, Arizona. A Pre-Conference will be held on August 19. Faculty include: Michal Gorman, LPC, Kenny Miller, ACSW, Mel Pohl, M.D., Kath-leen Reynolds, ACSW, Tony Redhouse and Mona Polacca, MSW, John Briere, Ph.D., Shelley Uram, M.D. Brian Sims, M.D. and Tonier Cain, James Duffey, M.D., andRavi N. Chandiramani, N.D. For complete information visit www.azsws.org ; SWS of Behavioral Health Studies, Michele Brown, Conference Director, 1232 E Broad-way Rd, #120, Tempe, AZ 85282; Tel, 480-784-1514 x 1508.

Brief Therapy – China will be held October 2-7, 2012, in Beijing, China. The Conference includes a large international faculty including Jeffrey Zeig, Stephen Gilli-gan, Waiyung Lee, Xudong Zhao, John Banmen, Esther Perel, Reid Wilson, Valent Lee, Maria Gomori, Arthur Freeman, Tucker Feller, Vasu Hancock, Tsungchin Lee,Xijuan Wu, Xin Fang, James Ye, Jianjun Zhu, Lifeng Zheng, Li Li, and many more. For information visit the Conference web site www.ChinaBFC.net

The Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH) will hold the 63rd Annual Workshops and Scientific Program October 10-14, 2012 at the Delta ChelseaHotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For preliminary information visit www.SCEH.us or contact: The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, PO Box 252, South-borough, MA 01772; Tel, 508-598-5553; Fax, 866-397-1839; Email, [email protected]

The 19th International Hypnosis Congress of the International Society of Hypnosis (ISH) will be held October 17-21, 2012 in Bremen, Germany at the CongressCenter of Bremen. The Congress includes a large international faculty representing a wide range of hypnotic skills, theoretical orientations and research interests. Or-ganizer for the Congress is Bernhard Trenkle, director of the Milton Erickson Institute Rottweil (Germany). For complete information visit the Congress Web site:www.hypnosis-congress.com ; Email, [email protected]

Celebrating the 30 years, the German Society for Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy (DGH) will hold their 2012 Congress entitled, Hypnose – das Tor zum Unbewussten,November 15-18, 2012. The Congress will be held at the Best Western Park Hotel, Bad Lippspringe, Germany. For more information visit their web site: www.dgh-hypnose.de . Office contact: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hypnose und Hypnotherapie e.V., Daruper Str. 14, 48653 Coesfeld, Germany; Tel, 02541-88 07 60;Email, [email protected].

The Brief Therapy Conference: Lasting Solutions will be held December 5-9, 2012 at the Hilton Union Square, San Francisco, California. The Conference is spon-sored by The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc. Faculty include: Steve Andreas, Ellyn Bader, Jon Carlson, Patrick Carnes, Frank Dattilio, Robert Dilts, Paul Ekman,Eve Ekman, Roxanna Erickso-Klein, Steve Frankel, Brent Geary, Stephen Gilligan, Robert Greenberg, Kenneth Hardy, Michael Hoyt, Jeffrey Kottler, Harriet Lerner,Peter Levine, Camillo Loriedo, Lynn Lyons, Scott Miller, John Norcross, Bill O’Hanlon, Christine Padesky, Esther Perel, Ervin Polster, Wendel Ray, Ernest Rossi, JanisAbrams Spring, Casey Truffo, Michele Weiner-Davis, Reid Wilson, Michael Yapko, and Jeffrey Zeig. Keynotes will be presented by Patrick Carnes, Paul Eckman,Robert Greenberg, and Harriet Lerner. For complete information including online registration, hotel accommodation and reservations, Volunteer information, faculty bios,accreditation information and more, visit the Conference Web site: www.BriefTherapyConference.com. To receive a brochure by mail contact The Milton H. EricksonFoundation, Inc., 3606 N. 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85016-6500; Tel, 602-956-6196; Fax, 602-956-0519; Email, [email protected]

these methods clear and easy to inte-grate into trance work.

In Hypnotic Phenomenon (FH7),Bill O’Hanlon presented some of thefundamental hypnotic phenomena thattrance experiences elicit. The feeling ofautomaticity and dissociation, alter-ations in sensations, distortions in time,and ability to see and not see things area few of the many changes that peoplecan undergo in hypnosis. This work-shop teaches what these changes areand how to develop them in clients.O’Hanlon has an upbeat presentationstyle and keenly developed expertise,which made this presentation both apleasant and productive learning expe-rience.

Betty Alice Erickson provides An-ecdotes and Metaphors: Easy, Effec-tive, and Engaging (FH8) and provesto be a charming master of these indi-rect methods as she works easily and

naturally using her unconscious as herguide. This final workshop in the seriesteaches how to create helpfulmetaphors and stories that will bemeaningful to clients and allow themto elicit their own solutions uncon-sciously and naturally. Erickson has away of communicating calm, empathiccaring that radiates outward. The learn-ing from this series comes together inmulti-layered metaphors making hyp-notic change something you and yourclients can use productively together.

POST-CONFERENCEThe Post Congress Masters Session

Reviewed by Roxanna Erickson-KleinRN, Ph.D.

This post-Congress session gavethe audience a rare opportunity to see a

real-life sample of therapeutic man-agement by two well-known presen-ters, Jeff Zeig and Michael Yapko, whoinvited volunteers from the audience totake the client chair on stage and de-scribe a problem that might beamenable to a single-session hypnoticintervention. Done in complete ab-sence of usual pre-screening measures,Zeig and Yapko embraced the opportu-nity for coping with the unexpected ina format that closely resembles dealingwith clients who walk into their of-fices. These two expertise practitionersworked well impromptu, showing whattheir work is really like, and how togracefully cope with outcomes thatmay not be expected. After the 60-minute session between client and ther-apist, the co-presenter overviewedhighlights of the session, pointing outsalient directions and commenting howconcerns may have been approacheddifferently. It was acknowledged thatin a group as large as this, there arelikely hundreds of different approaches

to the resolution of any presentingproblem. The subject also was askedwhether or not the session was usefuland whether or not it had addressedtheir needs. In all four demonstrations,subjects replied that the session hadbeen useful to them. Detailed ques-tioning of the subject by the audiencewas discouraged, allowing for the ther-apeutic suggestions to “set.”

The four problems that were pre-sented by the subjects were: Drowsi-ness during trance induction; excessiveself-expectations related to work per-formance; pain management; and ex-ercise fatigue. The contrast ofapproaches between practitioners wasboth clear and useful to observe. Eachof their abilities to generate creative di-rections in the service of moving be-yond concerns was fruitful. Thedemonstration was not only remark-able to watch, but worthy of consider-able contemplation. It was a mostinspiring session!



UPCOMING TRAININGDATE TITLE / LOCATION / LEADER CONTACTS5/3-6 Intensive Supervision Workshop in Ericksonian Clinical

Hypnotherapy - Master Class / New York City, NY / Jeffrey Zeig, Ph.D. 1.

5/6 ASCH Approved Advanced Training: Hypnotic Approaches toMind-Body Disorders and Anxiety: Integrating Psychodynamic and Buddhist Approaches to Growth and Healing (3.5 CEUs) / Pacific Palisades, Calif. / Charlene Williams, Ph.D. 2.

5/24-27 Brief Psychotherapy Master Class / Phoenix, Ariz. / Lilian Borges Zeig, LPC; Zeig 3.

6/6-10 Ericksonian Psychotherapy – Hypnotic Patterns / Guangzhou,CHINA / Zeig 4.

6/14-17 Ericksonian Psychotherapy – Hypnotic Patterns / Beijing, CHINA / Zeig 5.

7/9-13 Intensive Training in Ericksonian Approaches to Brief Hypnotic Psychotherapy - Fundamental / Phoenix, Ariz. / Brent Geary, Ph.D, Zeig and Invited Presenters 6.

7/16-20 Intensive Training in Ericksonian Approaches to Brief Hypnotic Psychotherapy - Intermediate / Phoenix, Ariz. / Geary, Zeig, and Invited Presenters 6.

7/23-27 Intensive Training in Ericksonian Approaches to Brief Hypnotic Psychotherapy - Advanced / Phoenix, Ariz. / Geary, Zeig, and Invited Presenters 6.

7/28-31 Brief Psychotherapy Master Class / Phoenix, Ariz. / Borges Zeig; Zeig 3.

9/6-9 Intensive Supervision Workshop in Ericksonian Clinical Hypnotherapy - Master Class / Victoria, BC, CANADA / Zeig 7.

9/10-14 Intensive Training in Ericksonian Approaches to Brief Hypnotic Psychotherapy - Fundamental / Phoenix, Ariz. / Geary, Zeig and Invited Presenters 6.

9/13-16 Intensive Supervision Workshop in Ericksonian Clinical Hypnotherapy - Master Class / New York City, NY / Zeig 1.

9/17-21 Intensive Training in Ericksonian Approaches to Brief Hypnotic Psychotherapy - Intermediate / Phoenix, Ariz. / Geary, Zeig, and Invited Presenters 6.

10/2-5 Brief Therapy Conference: China / Beijing, CHINA /Invited Faculty 8.

10/17-18 International Society of Hypnosis (ISH) Conference / Bremen GERMANY / Invited Faculty 9.

10/19-24 Ericksonian Psychotherapy / Graz, AUSTRIA / Zeig 10.

10/27-28 Trilogue – Ericksonian Hypnosis and Psychotherapy / Arezzo, ITALY / Zeig 11.

12/5-9 Brief Therapy Conference: Lasting Solutions / San Francisco, Calif. / Invited Faculty 6.

Contact Information:1. Stacey Moore; E-mail, [email protected]

2. Southern California Society for Clinical Hypnosis (SCSCH): Web,www.scsch.camp7.org ; Email, [email protected] ; Tel, 1-888-32SCSCH/(888) 327-2724

3. The Milton H. Erickson Foundation. Register at www.EricksonFoundationStore.com ; Tel, 602-956-6196; Fax, 602-956-0519; Email, [email protected]

4. Email, [email protected]


6. The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc., 3606 N. 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ85016-6500; Tel, 602-956-6196; Fax, 602-956-0519; E-mail, [email protected] ; Web, www.erickson-foundation.org; Brief Therapy Conference, www.BriefTherapyConference.com


8. Web, www.chinabfc.net

9. Bernhard Trenkle, Email, [email protected]


11. Camillo Loriedo; Email, [email protected]

To submit a listing for Upcoming Trainings, please send dates, title of workshop, venue (city/state/country), list of presenters, and complete contact information ONLY. Information must be sent in the format above. A $25 fee perlisting is required. Deadline for the 2012 Summer/Fall Issue (mailed August) is June 1, 2012. All workshop submissions are subject to approval by the Erickson Foundation. For more information, please contact Karen Haviley – [email protected]. Insertion form including rates and ad specifi-cations is available online: www.erickson-foundation.org/pdfs/adrates.pdf

The Southern California Society for Ericksonian Psychotherapy & Hypnosis30101 Town Center Drive, Suite 201, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

Voicemail: 949-495-1164 Fax: 949-249-5681 Email: [email protected]

for information on this and other training materials Including books, CD and DVD formats, log onto

www.SCSEPH.org

SCSEPH accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and PayPal®

Now You Wanted A Trance Demonstrated Todayby Milton H. Erickson, M.D.

Teaching Video Tape/DVD Erickson demonstrates and describes his philosophy of psychotherapy and hypnotic approaches to:

Accompanying Annotated Transcript contains:

to give you what Erickson said as well as the rhythm and the way he said it

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Zen Meditation inPsychotherapy:Techniques forClinical PracticeBy C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D. &

Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D.

John Wiley and Sons, Inc.258 pages

ISBN 978-1-118-15568-4 2012

Reviewed by John D. Lentz, D.Min.Shepherdsville, KY

This book is life-changing; there isno other way to describe the powerfuleffect it had on me. From the begin-ning, I was impressed with the clearlywritten chapters both on the psychol-ogy of meditation and neurosciencefindings and about meditation’s effecton the brain. The material is so benefi-cial that I wanted to rush out and en-courage some of my clients to beginmeditation immediately. It takes an in-credible knowledge of meditation to

simplify traditions, philosophy, andpractices and make it understandable.The authors of this book succeed in theprocess when they describe complexaspects of the history of Zen medita-tion with seemingly little effort.

However, the Simpkins’ expertiseon this subject really begins to shinewhen they are discussing ways inwhich clients can overcome difficultiesby utilizing meditation. They explainhow meditation can help with anxiety,eating disorders, and depression, andalso explicitly discuss how it can helpwith trauma and addictions. Then, theyprovide clinical examples. At this pointin the book, their enthusiasm for med-itation was so contagious, I wanted tostop reading and meditate immedi-ately!

The authors also offer ways inwhich to meditate for specific goalsand include examples and guided med-itations that are well thought out, ef-fective, and useful. There are variety ofstyles and methods of meditation, aswell as treatment for specific issues,

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thereby making this a book that willhave lasting power and, no doubt, be-come a resource for therapists for yearsto come.

Zen Meditation in Psychotherapyoffers the usual types of stylizedmetaphors, called “koans,” suchmetaphors one would expect to find ina book on meditation. Yet, it also goessteps beyond. The Simpkins drawcomparisons with Erickson, and illus-trate how koans have impacted a ther-apist’s way of thinking in the same waythat Milton Erickson’s work has. If thatwas all they did, it would be useableand practical work, but the Simpkinsalso use a style of writing that is hyp-notic, which demonstrates how deeplythey have thought about themetaphoric process. The wording is

positive and invitational and has amaz-ing, understated power for the readerto go to a therapeutic place.

Overall, this book is destined to bea classic because of its practicality. Itis also an important and powerful re-source for therapists dealing with diffi-cult clients. The book changed the wayI think--not just because of its conciseexplanations, but because of the expe-rience it invites you to have, in formingyour own conclusions. I felt as if I hadbeen searching for some of these in-sights for a long time and didn’t evenknow it. I am already putting what Ihave learned into practice and will notonly recommend this book to my stu-dents, but will encourage others to readit as well.

At this point in the book, their enthusiasm for meditation was so contagious, I wanted to stop reading and meditate immediately!

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The Trauma Treatment Handbook:

Protocols Across the Spectrum

By Robin Shapiro, MSW, LICSW

W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.978-0-393-70618-5

235 pageswww.wwnorton.com

2010

Reviewed by Kay Colbert, LCSWDallas, TX

Robyn Shapiro, with many years ofexperience working in the trauma field,is the author of two volumes on EMDR(Eye Movement Desensitization andReprocessing). She serves on the boardof the EMDR Humanitarian AssistanceProgram. Her newest book, with aforeward by Dan Siegel, is a practicalresource for those needing a compara-tive overview of the various traumatreatment methods available.

Shapiro explains, in a condensedmanner, what it means to have unre-solved trauma; how it may affectclients; and what the healing processmight entail. The author defines traumaand how PTSD develops along a spec-trum, according to the extent of the ex-periences and a person’s temperament.She suggests ways to assess and pre-pare a client, using scripts and check-lists, which would be helpful for thepractioner who is new to the field.

Just as each client has a uniquestory of trauma, Shapiro emphasizesthat there is no one-size-fits-all solu-tion. A skilled trauma worker will needa synthesis of different techniques andmay have to be able to modify them insession depending on the particular sit-uation of each client. The book brieflyexplores 17 therapies for trauma andcomplex trauma. Although not all sci-entifically proven, these therapies maybe integrated to help create an individ-ualized treatment plan. This is not ateaching tool, but rather a resourcefrom which the clinician can pursuefurther education and training. Some ofthe theories presented are well estab-lished and some less well-known.There are resources listed at the end ofeach chapter, but more extensive refer-

ences and supportive research findingswould have been a helpful addition forthe clinician.

Mindfulness, psychodynamic ther-apies, exposure therapies, CBT, hyp-notherapy, EMDR and other protocolsare summarized. Shapiro is straight-forward about the benefits and disad-vantages associated with any particularmethod. She warns, for example, thatexposure therapy on its own may re-traumatize survivors. She also statesthat cognitive processing therapiesmay not be successful at eradicatingsymptoms, particularly if a client iscurrently ovewhelmed with emotionsand flashbacks. Shapiro describesEMDR as a therapy for the entire spec-trum of traumas, both large (big “T”)and small (little “t”). EMDR focuseson the past event(s) that was the foun-dation for the pathology and the cur-rent situations that cause clientdisturbance. EMDR also provides atemplate to use for the future. Evi-dence-based findings show it is effec-tive for eradicating trauma symptoms.Shapiro adds an important caveat thatmuch preparation and care must betaken when using EMDR with fragileclients and cautions it should never beattempted without formal training.

Hypnotherapy, particularly meth-ods developed by David Calof, are de-scribed as bringing quick symptomrelief; teaching relaxation and mind-fulness; and building ego strength.Shapiro says that other treatmentmodalities may be enhanced with hyp-notic techniques. Some “energy psy-chologies” are discussed, as well assome less mainstream protocols, notyet backed up by scientific research.

The final chapter of the bookwisely counsels trauma therapists topractice good self-care to keep them-selves healthy and whole while offer-ing this much-needed work. TheTrauma Treatment Handbook is a basictext that would be informative andhelpful to the clinician newer to thefield of trauma therapy.

B O O K R E V I E WThe EmotionallyFocused Casebook:New Directions inTreating Couples

Edited by James Furrow, Susan Johnsonand Brent Bradley

Routledge: Taylor and Francis GroupNew York397 pages

Reviewed by Betty Alice Erickson, L.P.C.Dallas, TX

The Emotionally Focused Case-book is a wide-ranging collection oftechniques for Emotionally FocusedTherapy (EFT). The first several chap-ters introduce readers to the basicframework. James Furrow and BrentBradley make a strong case for the ef-ficacy of EFT, providing a brief historyof its development and numerous cita-tions for its well-researched bases. Inthe next chapter, Susan Johnson dis-cusses the importance of attachmentperspectives in developing therapeuticchanges in relationships. She also in-troduces the book’s format-- how EFTcan be the right fit for a particular prob-lem. She provides a “snapshot” of aclinical case with the therapist’s ra-tionale for using EFT interspersed.Then, she gives an overall summary ofunderlying EFT principles.

Each chapter in this book has atheme, appropriately named. Commonissues such as depression, infidelity,and addiction are covered, as are of-the-moment topics such as culturallydiverse lifestyles and gay and lesbianrelationships. Especially significant isthe chapter on couples who are build-ing relationships; incorporatingstepchildren into their new families;and trying to maintain appropriate andcontinued interaction with formerspouses.

There are a few uncommon situa-tions discussed in the book including acouple affected by a chronic medical

illness, and another couple who dealswith stroke-induced aphasia. Extrapo-lation of techniques discussed could beuseful in other situations.

Additionally, how therapists chosetheir responses is explained using tran-scripts of partial case studies. For ex-ample, in the chapter on infidelity, thefirst step was the de-escalation of thenegative emotional recycling of theevents. After this important step, eachpartner was taught to understand theinfidelity as a part of the couple’s “at-tack-defend” cycle—a useful expan-sion of their emotional perspective andlandscape. The bond of attachmentcould then be rebuilt with each partnerhaving responsibility for that experi-ence. The therapist’s paramount re-sponsibility of joining empatheticallywith each person is emphasized alongwith the necessity of expanding aclient’s emotional perspectives and in-terpretations.

The last chapter, “Spirituality andEmotionally Focused Couple Ther-apy,” compares and contrasts Bud-dhism and EFT. The authors highlightthe usefulness of EFT when used withhighly religious couples. The partialtranscript, along with comments on thetherapist’s work, provides a picture ofinterweaving clients deeply held be-liefs into helpful psychotherapeuticprocedures.

Each chapter has a large number ofcitations. Combined with the detailedinformation about what each therapistwas doing and why, it sometimes su-perseded the actual information. I be-lieve the authors’ need to supportEFT’s value often took precedenceover trusting the readers abilities to ex-tract what was useful from what wasoffered. The index of this book is com-plete and helpful.

In conclusion, The Emotionally Fo-cused Casebook can be useful for ex-perienced therapists as well as forthose wanting to expand their base ofknowledge and abilities.

B O O K R E V I E W

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See ORDEAL on page 23

B O O K R E V I E WAddiction

Essentials: Go-ToGuide for Clinicians

and PatientsBy Carlton K. Erickson

W. W. Norton & Co. New York2011

Reviewed byRoxanna Erickson-Klein, RN,

LCDC, Ph.D. Dallas, TX

Addiction Essentials is a 188-pagepaperback aptly subtitled the Go-ToGuide for Clinicians and Patients. Pre-sented in user-friendly language, thetext is logically organized and includesa convenient index and guide to re-sources. The stated purpose of the bookis to enhance understanding of stu-dents, clinicians, and the public con-cerning the nature of addiction. Eachchapter begins with an overview inwhich key concepts are summarized.The reader is then led through discus-sions of cause, diagnosis, physical re-sponses, co-occurring disorders,therapeutic approaches, relapse pre-vention, and resources. Written in un-complicated language, the topicaldiscussions address definitions, pro-fessional concerns, controversies, anddirections for management.

Carlton Erickson, Ph.D. is a Dis-tinguished Professor of Pharmacologyat the University of Texas in Austin.Widely published, he has won numer-ous recognitions and awards for hiswork, a focus of which is the educationof both professionals and the public onthe important topics discussed in Ad-diction Essentials. Though he sharesthe same surname, the author is not re-lated to Milton Erickson, M.D., or tothe reviewer.

The author’s own admission thatthere are areas in which he considershis own knowledge limited, sets thetone that realistic treatment of addic-tion requires a community of re-sources, a theme that echoesthroughout the work. Ten of the 18chapters are co-authored with otherprofessionals, including, PeterPociluyko MA, a clinician and educa-tor, and Mark Evan Goldman Ph.D., apharmacologist with an extensive

background in research.Erickson has designed a resource

that is both easy to use and offers di-rection to readers from varying disci-plines. Early sections of AddictionEssentials explain stages of addictionin a systematic manner that offers toolsfor self-assessment. A three-stage iter-ative cycle of use, withdrawal, and pre-occupation is described in a globalmanner that facilitates recognition ofsymptoms and patterns. These descrip-tions, which address both use andabuse, offer both professionals and thepublic, a context for evaluation and di-rection.

I particularly enjoyed Erickson’sdiscussion of the complexities of cate-gorizing addictions within the currentDSM IV TR and his viewpoints aboutanticipated changes for the upcomingDSM V. By relating symptoms and be-haviors to the physiological processes,as well as to diagnostic criteria, the cli-nician can better evaluate the client’sstatus and risk factors. Erickson’s com-mentary brought home the concept thatnothing is ever as clear as it seems.

Erickson uses a psychopharmaco-logical model with drugs grouped intofour categories: alcohol, CNS stimu-lants, CNS depressants, and drugs thathave CNS effects and are commonlyassociated with use disorders amongadolescents. While addiction profes-sionals may find much of the materialwithin this book similar to other re-sources, concepts such as the rewardpathway, receptor sites, and the rolesof agonists remain elusive to the aver-age clinician. Using straightforwardlanguage to address these topics, Ad-diction Essentials explains the physio-logical interface of neuro-adaptationand dysregulation in a style that helpsto make those concepts understand-able.

The explicit way with which neuro-pharmacology of substance use andabuse is approached is helpful even fora seasoned professional. The succinctorganization of this guide makes it par-ticularly useful in the clinical context.Overall, I found Addiction Essentialsto be interesting in content, refreshingin its clarity, and useful for a first re-source, a review, or a reflection of pro-fessional work.

Ordeal Therapy:Unusual Ways toChange Behavior

By Jay Haley

Crown House Publishing Carmarthen, UK

212 pagesISBN 978-1935810056

2011

Reviewed by Rubin Battino, MSYellow Springs, OH

The first sentence in the preface tothe 1984 edition of Ordeal Therapystates, “This is a book about the absurddilemmas people find themselves inand the absurd solutions offered themin therapy.” The subtitle of the book,Unusual Ways to Change Behavior, re-inforces that message.

What a delight to have the oppor-tunity to re-read this book and againenjoy all of the clever, (and absurd!)ways that Haley and his colleagues de-vised to help clients in fascinating, andsometimes startling ways.

The introduction presents all the“dos and don’ts” along with a system-atic list of how to facilitate ordeal ther-apy. To begin, there’s the dictionarydefinition of ordeal: “A severely diffi-cult or painful experience that testscharacter and endurance.” In ordealtherapy the word “painful” applies topsychological rather than physical mat-ters.

There are a number of characteris-tics for successful ordeals. The ordealmust be more severe than the problem,which must be defined clearly, and itshould cause distress equal to orgreater than that caused by the symp-tom. Paradoxical ordeals can be thesymptomatic behavior itself, i.e., doingmore of it at a time when the personwould rather be doing something else.This converts what the client believesis an involuntary act into a voluntaryone. The therapist may be the ordeal inthe sense that any session with a ther-apist is could be an ordeal!

The ordeal should be good for theperson. Examples include, exercise,improving the mind, eating a healthy

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Creative Breakthroughs in Therapy: Talesof Transformation and Astonishment

By Jeffrey A. Kottler, Ph.D. and Jon Carlson, Ph.D.

WileyISBN: 978-0-470-36240-2

297 pages, 2009

Reviewed by Alex Simpkins Jr., Ph.D., Seattle, WA

Creative Breakthroughs in Therapy is organized into 20 chapters, 18 of whichdetail stories of therapists' most creative approaches to challenging problems intherapy. During the course of the chapters, a number of questions and answers areaddressed, such as why the situation called for a radical and innovative approach,from where these creative approaches came, and ultimately how the clients re-sponded.

Following a brief introduction by the authors, each chapter employs a story-based method that engages the reader, creating a sense that each therapist is tellingthe story directly, as if sitting in the same room. Readers might feel as if they werean actual participant, engaged in the process, working with the therapist as togetherthey faced obstacles and moved toward goals. There is even that “Aha!” momentwhen an answer to an elusive question presents itself, giving this book the feel asthough it is not so much to be read as much as it is to be experienced. An interestingexample of this creative strategy being applied is in the chapter written by JeffreyKottler. He describes a situation where he filled in to lead a conference workshopon art therapy (with no preparation or warning), a topic he knew little about. Yet,by using a creative approach, he generated a workshop in collaboration with theaudience that ultimately led to a successful and informative program. As an indi-vidual who has presented in many academic contexts, I was particularly impressedwith his creative abilities. How do you lead a workshop on a topic you know noth-ing about, and for which you have no preparation? Some would consider this sit-uation a bad dream! Instead, Kottler realized that the workshop is, in fact, anexperience from which the audience wishes to gain. Guide the group to determinewhat it is interested in, and then facilitate the process, much like in the process oftherapy.

Masterful, creative professionals – therapists, educators, academics, re-searchers, supervisors and consultants -- participated in the making of this book in-cluding: Fred Bemak, Laura Brown, Nicholas Cummings, Samuel Gladding, JudithJordan, Bradford Keeney, Stephen R. Lankton, Cloe Madanes, Stephen Madigan,Nancy McWilliams, Scott Miller, Alfonso Montuori, Robert Neimeyer, BillO’Hanlon, Len Sperry, Michael Yapko, and Jeffrey Zeig. Kottler and Carlson alsoinclude many major methodologies and perspectives, which serves to minimizebias. A few examples of these perspectives are: Ericksonian, Adlerian, Existential,Feminist, Psychoanalytic, and Person-Centered.

The final chapters in Creative Breakthroughs in Therapy are clearly writtenand provide a useful set of observations regarding the acumen of effective creativetherapists and their ability to address challenges. A discussion near the end of thebook pulls together and re-emphasizes the main point--that creative therapy is asymbiotic process between the therapist and the client; it is a dynamic, co-createdcollaboration.

This book will enrich new therapists through its shared experiences. It pro-vides an excellent set of examples for “thinking outside the box” within the ther-apeutic framework. I recommend it as an interesting and informative read for awide audience.

B O O K R E V I E WTrauma Essentials:The Go-To GuideBy Babette Rothschild, MSW, LCSW

W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.978-0-393-70620-8154 pages, 2011

www.wwnorton.com

Reviewed by Kay Colbert, LCSWDallas, TX

Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) is generally defined as a disor-der of anxiety-related symptoms in re-sponse to exposure to a traumatic eventin which there is a perceived threat ofinjury or death. Heightened attentionhas been focused recently on treatingtraumatic stress reactions among U.S.service personnel returning from mili-tary operations. Hence the need for ef-fective therapy has grown. This timelyand easy-to-read handbook introducesthe basics of trauma treatment to theconsumer and to the professional whomay be new to the field.

Babette Rothschild, a social workerand author of previous books ontrauma, begins with 10 basic keys ofsafe trauma therapy. These key foun-dations ensure best practices withclients and include establishing safetyfor the client; maintaining a goodtheapeutic relationship; and focusingon client strengths. The author ac-knowledges that any particular courseof trauma therapy must be adjusted ac-cording to the needs of the individual.

Rothschild also provides anoverview of psychological trauma andthe conditions associated with acutestress and PTSD and reviews currentthinking on how trauma memoriesform. She discusses how trauma mem-ories differ from other memories andsuggests that stress hormones releasedduring a traumatic event may affecthow the memory of that event isprocessed and stored. She also explainsthe role of implicit and explicit mem-ory in the development of trauma reac-tions. Implicit memory is nonverbal,automatic, and nonconscious, whileexplicit memory includes conscious

memories that easily can be verbalized.When people say they cannot remem-ber the specific details of an incident,they may have much implicit memo-ries stored in body sensations and emo-tions. External events may triggerthese implicit memories, causing anx-iety or panic reactions. Rothschild pro-poses, during a stressful event, theexplicit memory system may be un-available as the hippocampus was sup-pressed and overwhelmed by stresshormones during the particular inci-dent.

Current methods of trauma therapy,including cognitive approaches, so-matic therapies and hypnosis, arebriefly discussed. There are also shortchapters on mindfulness and medita-tion techniques, somatic treatment ad-juncts, and evaluation and prevention.Mindfulness, in particular, can be avaluable tool for teaching groundingand coping skills that reduce stress. Itis also a useful modality to help in-crease awareness of body sensations,emotions, and cognitions.

Rothschild presents issues commonto PTSD work, such as the need for im-proving stability and self-control, de-veloping a support system and dealingwith shame and guilt. She offersthoughtful points on the need to becautious with forgotten or so-called“recovered”memories. She’s highlysensitive to handling repressed memo-ries from the past such as abusive situ-ations.

The final chapter of the book cov-ers self-care for the therapist or supportperson and ways to avoid vicarioustraumatization or compassion fatigue.The author sensibly suggests that pro-fessionals who specialize in traumatreatment should be aware of unman-ageable countertransference and seekout appropriate supervision.

This accessible and concise refer-ence book will be beneficial for any-one exploring his or her therapyoptions, and seeking information ontreatments for trauma-related disor-ders.

B O O K R E V I E W

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Posttraumatic Growth and Culturally Competent Practice:

Lessons Learned from Around the Globe Edited by Tzipi Weiss and Roni Berger

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 214 pages, 2010

Reviewed by Maria Escalante de Smith, M.A., Cedar Rapids, IA

Posttraumatic Growth and Culturally Competent Practice emphasizes “the re-silience of the human spirit, despite the impact of major catastrophes.” (p. ix) Weoften think of trauma as only causing problems, but often people come throughtrauma and become better than they were before. It is interesting to see how the au-thors address the benefits of trauma and how it can lead to growth.

This book includes contributions from authors around the world who addressPost Traumatic Growth (PTG) in different cultures. Chapter 1 begins with thesocio-cultural model of PTG-- from pre-trauma through to the positive changesthat can occur from a traumatic experience. The diagram of stages that is presentedis useful for understanding this process. It includes, for example, rumination, self-analysis, and emotional distress.

In the book’s next chapter, the Jewish culture is characterized by living undera constant security threat to its existence. Thus, a large number of Israeli studieshave focused on examining the effects of man-made trauma. Chapter 3 focuses oncontent and determinants of PTG among Palestinians. Studies show that most peo-ple have been exposed to at least one traumatic event where hopelessness, loss ofcontrol, and problem-solving skills are affected. Their history involves catastrophesand calamities, and yet many of the people develop the qualities of persistence andbelief in justice.

The author also addresses PTG in Turkey, a country that has experienced greatwaves of migration and natural disasters such as earthquakes. Religion is impor-tant; Islam is prevalent. Sufism, a mystical version of Islam, postulates that close-ness to God can be experienced while alive on Earth. Studies have shown thatpeople coped better when they had good problem-solving skills and strong reli-gious beliefs.

The book also addresses the U. S. inhabitants of Latino origin from Mexico,and Central and South America where the value of the family unit rather than theindividual is fundamental. Religion also may play a fundamental role. Most of theLatinos in the U.S. are foreign born and are likely to be confronted by stress fromtransition-related experience and immigration issues. As a Mexican immigrant,having lived in the U.S. for four years, I found this section to be particularly in-teresting because of the references to growth experienced by women who movedto this country.

Japan is described as one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.It is interesting to learn about the meaning people give to these natural events as“heaven’s punishment of human beings who have fallen into depravity or luxury.”(Page 131)

Readers are also reminded about the central value of family and culture in theChinese culture, where collectivism is primary. A recent report showed that peo-ple in China tend to focus more on the happiness of their significant others than ontheir own happiness. Crisis in this culture is considered both danger and opportu-nity.

At the end of the book, Australia is mentioned where the most fundamental dif-ferences in the experience of trauma may be found between the Anglo-Australianwho comes from an individualistic cultural context as opposed to the indigenouspopulations who tend to have a collectivistic heritage, rich in spirituality. Quanti-tative studies among paramedics working on this continent have shown that aftergoing through trauma, people commonly experience improvement in the appreci-ation of life, relationships, and personal growth.

This book wonderfully addresses the topic of trauma as seen through the lensof many different cultures and I strongly recommend it.

B O O K R E V I E W

diet, and other self-improvement ac-tivities. And it should be something theperson can do and not legitimately re-sist. And finally, the ordeal should notharm the person or anyone else.

Ordeals are generally selected bythe therapist, preferably with theclient’s collaboration. In this sense, theordeal is a social contract between thetherapist and the client. For the ordealto succeed, the client must be commit-ted to getting over the problem.

After the introduction, the 12 chap-ters of the book are fascinating readinginvolving a variety of ordeals forclients, developed by Haley and hiscolleagues. The ordeals are ingeniousand wonderful examples of second-order change processes. I read thisbook soon after it was first published,in 1984, and it is still fresh and practi-cal today. Assigning ordeals is a main-stay of my practice of brief therapy.

The primary difficulty in working withordeal therapy is to intrigue the clientto the point where she is, in effect, will-ing to do anything to resolve her prob-lem. The case studies discussed in thisbook provide many ways to create in-trigue. The book contains a usefulindex, but there are no references sincethere was no literature published on thesubject when Haley wrote his book.

Haley either stumbled upon ordealtherapy from his clinical experience, orhe developed the methodology of itafter studying the many ordeals thatMilton Erickson used with his patients,because Erickson seemed to use or-deals so naturally.

It is wonderful that Ordeal Therapyis in print again. Its message is as use-ful today as it was several decades ago.It offers great insight in learning waysto get past impasses--yours and thoseof your clients. Enjoy!

ORDEAL continued from page 21

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See INTERVIEW on page 26

cized, sonic information, but at a dif-ferent level. I would never differenti-ate between merely informativelanguage or merely informative musicand emotional expression; they’re allcut from the same cloth.

Jeff: You said in one of the lec-tures, "Being consciously aware ofthe various layers that constitutemusical experience opens our mindsas very few things can." Can you ex-plain more about what you meant?Bob: Take the casual listener…

what one generally hears is simply thesurface level of the melody of themusic that is being performed. Andthat holds true whether you’re listen-ing to rock or to Mozart. The first thingwe notice when we meet someone istheir face, probably their eyes. But ifwe want to get to know someone,much like if you want to get to reallyunderstand a piece of art, you must gobeneath the surface. Now in music, thatmeans asking yourself what message itevokes-- emotional, intellectual, oraesthetic-- and how it is evoking thatmessage; we want to understand ourown reactions to what we are hearing.It also means going below just the-matic melody and really listening, andbeing aware of the harmonic support ofaccompanying materials, such as thevoices of backup singers. We shouldtry to hear three-dimensionally ratherthan one-dimensionally. And by doingso (and this is my basic belief), by get-ting beneath the surface and simplybeing aware of the dimensionality, themetaphors of the music will engage usand the music will become personal.We can then start reflecting on our ownexperience and how our own experi-ence is reflected not just in the mean-ing of the surface but also wheneverything comes together. It’s fasci-nating to see how things really work,and when you hear a piece of musicand are aware of the middle groundand background it can be incrediblyenriching; it allows us to engagemetaphors much more easily. We canpersonalize anything better, the betterwe know it.

Jeff: One of your jobs is teachingabout music and you also teach com-position. Are you aware of those lay-

ers that underlie your composition,and do you use those consciously?Bob: Always. And, I do it con-

sciously, like when you’re craftingsomething a note at a time. For exam-ple, when you cook and someone sitsdown to a meal, they’re not aware thatyou’ve just spent the last day shoppingand in the kitchen chopping, trying tofind the right spices, testing the recipesand adjusting them. At the moment ofconsumption most folks are just awareof the finished product. But if youspend the day and someone says, “Thistastes great, did you do this on pur-pose?” Well of course you did, you hadto do it all starting with the planningstage, because the end result can onlybe good if you have very carefullyworked on it.

Now of course when you’re writ-ing a melody, you hopefully get sweptup in the moment and come up with athematic idea that you like. But then,no matter who you are, even if you’reBruce Springsteen, you now have toharmonize it and make sure the lyricswork and that it properly expresses thewords you’re singing. And if you’re acomposer of instrumental music, youhave to deal with the same issues; youhave to decide who’s going to play thisand what you’re going to do with it.

You’re constantly thinking archi-tecturally, which is why the cookingmetaphor is a good one, because noth-ing is really done by accident--everyingredient has to be added, one at atime. If you know what you’re doing,you don’t have to sweat the details, butI’m sure you had to sweat them atsome point in your life. You had toknow that if you did A and B, then Cand D would be the result. So yes, theconstant question is what’s on purposeand what is on instinct?

I have a colleague who talks abouttrained instinct, or “purposeful in-stinct.” I don’t even make that distinc-tion. I think that when it comes tocreating anything, from a meal to apiece of high-end artwork, someonehad to make decisions at every step.

Jeff: One of the concerns I haveas a teacher of psychotherapists isthat they don’t learn how to use theparaverbal aspects communication.They don’t learn how to use signals.They don’t learn how to use tones.

sons. I never learned to read musicand it’s been 50 years since I aban-doned piano lessons at the age of 14,but I now play the Irish tin whistle –terribly, but passionately. One of the things that I’ve

learned because I’ve been stimulatedby your work is that music is a nec-essary aspect of human experience;it is compulsory, it is not elective.Can you riff on that?Bob: I agree with that, and of

course we are not the only species thatmakes music as a basic aspect of whoand what we are. It’s how we observethe world and communicate subtle in-formation to each other; Homo sapiensare not unique in this way.

Jeff: I agree, music is part of ourevolutionary biology. Animals com-municate by using signals andsounds; this is true of reptiles, birds,and mammals. Music appeals tosomething that is very primitive inour biology.Bob:No doubt, and there are many

different kind of sounds; music is so-phisticated and intensified sonic expe-rience. Each culture on this planet hasits own musical reality. It resonatesstarting with language, because lan-guage is the use of modulated soundand articulated sound to create mean-ing. The Chinese language has the spanof six white notes on the piano. Weknow that if we want to make our-selves understood, we need to vary ourpace, rhythm, and pitch of our voiceand articulate different ways depend-ing on whether we are whispering insomeone’s ear or shouting at our kids.It seems to me that music is merely anintensification of the same, basic com-municative processes.

Jeff: Okay, so language has as-pects that are informative and as-pects that are expressive.Bob: I wouldn’t even divide

them… they are one and the same. In-formation transfer by using a mono-tone means nothing. If we want toteach something students the correctway of using language, the best way todo that is to show them that good lan-guage has passion and emotion. Musicuses the same sort of pitched, rhythmi-

They don’t learn how to use tempoor how to use rhythm in order to en-hance communication at momentswhere they want to have emotionalimpact. So, one of my interests thatyou, in fact, have stimulated, is un-derstanding more about how I canuse music as a way of helping thera-pists. I want them to be able to rec-ognize that they can use the implicitlevels of music with intent to haveimpact at those moments when emo-tional impact is important.Bob: Interesting. I never even

thought about those kinds of things.You’re speaking now more about com-munication skills and how someonegoes about communicating with a pa-tient in a therapeutic situation?

Jeff: Yes, that’s right, althoughwe may not learn how to use, for ex-ample, Beethoven’s Fifth. But, sinceyou’re coming to the Brief TherapyConference in December, I know oneof the things that you’re going to talkabout is Beethoven and some of theways in which he advanced music.And let’s see if I can make this co-gent, in Beethoven’s Fifth he justjumped into action and that was oneof the methods he used rather thanhaving a long prelude that guidedpeople. Another thing Beethoven did was

use recursions--a slight theme invariation. So, I when trying to teacha therapist, I must determine whenthe moments are that I might wantto jump into action and use thatBeethoven principle and when Imight want to use recursions to getacross an idea. I’m trying to traintherapists by saying use recursions,jump into action. Those ideas maygo over their head, but if I appeal totheir media literacy because they’veheard Beethoven’s Fifth so manytimes but they don’t realize the lay-ers that underlie the beauty of thatmusic, then I can extract some ofthose layers and explain to themthey can use some of those ideaswhen they are composing messagesfor their patients.Bob: There’s another track that can

be done too, and I guess this is theheart and soul of what you do profes-sionally. That is, you must divine the

INTERVIEW continued from page 1


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greater truth, whether you’re being toldthat or not by a patient. I can’t imaginewhat it must be like to have a careerwhere 20 or 30 times a week you’rehearing an entirely different story froma different person--a variable story, onethat reflects their emotional being, butnot necessarily a real situation. And thetherapist seems to have to understandwhat’s really being said, and in doingso, come up with some sort of thera-peutic approach that marries what theyknow with the needs of the patient. AmI being clear?

Jeff: Yes, I understand.Bob: But the bottom line is, you

have to be able to see through the bull-shit and that means recognizing thingsthat happen beneath the surface; what Ithink would be hopefully a revelationfor those who hear Beethoven’s Fifth.

For me, it’s the realization that there’sa huge story being told, a magnificentand fascinating story. There is nowords being used, but by manipulatingthese small musical ideas, these mo-tives that he creates, by building themup into longer melodies and then chop-ping those melodies to pieces and de-stroying them, he is de facto, telling usa very powerful story about growth,about near-death, about rebirth andhope. And it is amazing the degree towhich someone can tell a compellinglypowerful story without ever usingwords. But it means we have to listen,it means we really have to listen. AndI think that that cuts to the very heartof what you do-- the necessity to reallylisten and be aware that what is thetruth is not necessarily what’s beingsaid, but it’s what’s going on under-neath the words.

Jeff: We know as psychothera-pists that when we present ideas andwe do them directly, that those ideashave limited impact. But if we takeideas and present them within ametaphor, we increase the power. Weknow that if we increase some of theprecision of our communication, ifwe use more multi-layers, we can in-crease the impact of our communi-cation with the patient. And part ofthe job of psychotherapists is to helppeople to move from the land ofwhat they know to the land of whatthey realize. Music is a vehicle thathelps us to realize things in a muchmore experiential way, rather than adidactic way.Bob: I would agree with that, and

that’s true, and that’s why we love art,and that’s why we love fiction becausewhen we read a book we often recog-nize ourselves. In fact, more often thannot, that’s one reason why we’re read-ing it. The author has taken the trouble

to look inside him or herself and comeup with some sort of conclusion thatwe may never have recognized in our-selves. But by reading that book, bylooking at a great painting, by hearinga great piece of music and thinkingabout what we’re reading and lookingat and hearing, we are informed aboutourselves.

It seems to me we’re such selfishcreatures, we don’t want to waste ourtime unless there’s something in it forus. And the older we get, pure amuse-ment is not enough. That glint of self-recognition, that sense of right that weget, that’s what art is all about. It’sabout a crystallized experience deliv-ered without any BS in such a way thatwe can hopefully learn and grow fromit and certainly find metaphor.

So what you’re talking about interms of the music and in terms of justgenerally speaking using analogue and


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metaphor to discuss things, that’s howwe learn. Again, in a pre-literary age,in a pre-electronic media age, the onlyway to teach anything, to impart any-thing, was through legend andmetaphor.

We are hardwired to tell stories;that’s how we communicate informa-tion. Writing is a very recent accou-trement for our species, storytelling iseverything. Storytelling teaches, story-telling is art, storytelling is raising ourkids; it’s creating a context where mywisdom can help inform your actionsin a way that resonates with you. It’sfinding a way to communicate in sucha way that the communication is im-portant to both the communicator andthe receiver.

The tip to all storytelling, which isone reason why I’ve had success at it,is you must like telling stories. That’sreally what it comes down to. And as a

composer this also holds true; I liketelling stories. So for all of our civi-lization, we still communicate bestorally through metaphor, analogue andstorytelling.

That’s another reason why the livemusical experience is such a powerfulexperience--because you’re there withthe storyteller and have an interactionwith them--and the audience is part ofa performance. It’s special becauseanything can happen, but that’s not truewith a recording, not true in a movie,and definitely not true in theater.

Jeff: One of the aspects of MiltonErickson, who was my mentor, wasthat he was a consummate story-teller. I have searched for models totry to explain him and one of thethings that occurred to me was thatI can explain Erickson better bycomparing him to Beethoven, than Ican by comparing him to contempo-

rary theorists in psychotherapy. Thisis because he used so many of thesame underlying layers, some of thesame underlying codes that I wouldsee a composer using.We’re very interested in hearing

your stories, and especially knowingthat you’re going to be speakingabout Beethoven. I think we’re goingto learn a lot at our upcoming con-ference that we’ll be able to directlytranspose, for example, into our un-derstandings of Erickson, but alsointo our understandings of the com-munication process and how we canbetter use metaphors to reach peo-ple. Clearly music has been muchmore instrumental in the develop-ment of humanity and the develop-ment of a culture thanpsychotherapy. Psychotherapy is avery recent addition to the scene;music predates us by millennia.

Bob: Have you ever been forced tostudy rhetoric?

Jeff: Not really.Bob: Neither have I. I don’t think

that even happens anymore, unless yougo to a Jesuit school. When I beganstudying Bach, and I should make thiseven more universal than just Bach,when composers really started writinginstrumental music in the 17th century,pieces that were not just copied off ofdance music but genuine instrumentalmusic, most of the models were vocal.But the other great model of the timewas rhetoric, basically Roman rhetoric,which was something everyone stud-ied if you were even remotely edu-cated. And, of course, all the terms arein Latin and the terms are endless, butgetting back to the point, rhetoric hasto do with exposition, development,


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and recapitulation; it has to do with thediscipline by which one learns to argueand present information. And, it’s justall commonsensical stuff because yourideas initially always go from large tosmall and not small to large. If they areopposing ideas you need to transitionbetween them, then you get to the coreof what you’re arguing. The sonataform basically is a rhetorical construct;the argumentato has various differentways of approaching the ideas. Youbreak these ideas down, you try tomarry them and understand the pointyou’re driving at. Having done that,you can then untangle everything, re-peat, conclude, decorate and so forth.

It was the science of rhetoric thatcomposers like Bach turned to in orderto create in their mind a coherent ap-proach to purely instrumental music.Lacking words, how do you create amusical argument that makes sensenonetheless? During the Baroque pe-

riod it was the art of rhetoric that in-fluenced and inspired musicians tomove away from words, and it gavethem a means to do so.

Just look at the way Bach influ-enced Beethoven and Mozart; theserhetorical concepts were absorbed intothe music compositions of the last 300years, so if you’re studying musicalform you’re studying rhetoric, whetheryou know it or not.

And once opera was invented andinstrumental music followed almostimmediately, then we’re talking aboutthe last 400 years in which music hasbeen immersed in these communica-tive processes. And even if we don’tstudy rhetoric per se, it’s buried in themusic of the Baroque. It’s buried in themusic of Haydn, Mozart andBeethoven, and those non-rhetoricalcomposers who chose to basically letanything go like Liszt or Wagner, and

it’s easier to understand their music asa kind of anti-argument.

My point is, whether we know therules of rhetoric or not, if we know themusic of the last 400 years, we are ac-tually very familiar with the processesof formal rhetoric. And I think it mightbe something interesting for you to justlook at, or think about, or read a littlebit on, because this whole idea of dis-cursive, of exposition of discourse, ar-gument unravel, make your point, stoptalking-- that’s what the best com-posers do.

Jeff: Music is certainly a way of

reaching the human heart, and partof our job as psychotherapists is toreach the human heart. I know thatby studying music and understand-ing the structure of music we can bebetter psychotherapists and better atreaching the human heart. You’re one of the most fabulous

teachers that I’ve ever experienced.Your passion for music is really won-derful and we look forward to meet-ing you and learning more from youin December.Bob: Thank you.


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