HYPNOTHERAPY: Ericksonian
Milton Erickson is widely regarded as the “father of modern hypnotherapy.” He shifted therapy away from theory-based, lengthy, and often burdensome psychotherapy practices established by pioneers such as Freud, Jung, and Adler.
Unlike traditional hypnotherapists, Ericksonian hypnotherapists interact with clients using metaphors, stories, contradictions, symbols, and anecdotes to influence their behavior rather than giving direct orders. They have found that indirect suggestion can lead to therapeutic behavioral change rapidly.
Traditional hypnotherapy uses direct suggestion to promote positive change in behavior. In contrast, Ericksonian hypnotherapy uses indirect suggestion because it seems to be much harder to resist. This is because the conscious mind often cannot recognize them as suggestions at all.
Usually, the indirect suggestion is disguised as a story or metaphor. For example: “As you listen to the story, your eyes may get tired. You are allowed to close them, and if you do, you can experience a pleasant and deep sense of comfort as you begin to relax.” This type of suggestion implies the possibility of the client’s eyes closing rather than giving a direct command. Erickson found that this type of suggestion worked effectively without conscious resistance, allowing the subconscious mind to be influenced without the resistance of the conscious mind.
Erickson believed that the unconscious mind contained all the resources needed to bring about positive change. Therefore, he focused on engaging the unconscious through any available means. He did not subscribe to the Freudian notion that the cause of problems must be removed from the past. The language of the unconscious is imagination and metaphor. Erickson knew this, so metaphors, therapeutic stories, and riddles were crucial elements of his work. The unconscious mind would process these stories as coded messages.
Together, we will access your unconscious, which would understand the point of the story and respond to the indirect suggestions. This storytelling to the unconscious is, in simple terms, a way to bypass the resistances of the conscious mind, reaching the place where all your resources necessary for positive change are located. This subtle approach, crossing the barriers of consciousness, is called Ericksonian hypnotherapy.
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