The Legacy of Milton Erickson.
Career of dr. Milton H. Erickson lasted more than 50 years.
The American psychiatrist and pioneer of the clinical use of hypnosis, Milton H. Erickson, was one of the most original and innovative thinkers in the field of psychiatry and psychotherapy in the 20th century. He was the founding president of The American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, the author of numerous studies and books, a teacher and a sought-after therapist for his imaginative, unconventional and highly effective therapeutic methods.
He brought new knowledge about human nature and behavior modification to the field of psychotherapy. Through his highly original work, his knowledge of the unconscious and behavior has inspired the development of many psychotherapy disciplines, schools of therapy, and techniques, including short-term therapy, family systems therapy, brief solution-oriented psychotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and others.
Brief, solution-oriented therapy
Erickson's techniques greatly influenced the development of short-term therapy, where therapists use targeted interventions to achieve rapid and effective changes in a patient's life.
Systemic family therapy
Erickson's influence is also seen in systemic family therapy, where therapists focus on interactions within the family system and use creative, unconventional approaches to resolve conflicts and improve communication.
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)
Erickson's methods and techniques had a great influence on the founders of NLP, Richard Bandler and John Grinder, who incorporated his approaches into the development of NLP techniques to improve communication and personal growth.
Hypnotherapy
His approach to therapy, known as Erickson's hypnotherapy, focused on harnessing the individual's inner resources for change and improvement. He put the client's unique experience and skills first. Instead of focusing on past traumas or problems, Erickson believed that individuals are inherently equipped with the potential to solve problems.
Erickson's method of using hypnosis became the foundation of modern hypnotherapy. His approach was individualized, flexible and patient-centered, marking a shift away from traditional, more rigid hypnosis techniques.
"Each person enters hypnosis a little differently. And there are different personalities. Each individual is unique and has their own unique ways of functioning. Therefore, I believe that psychotherapy should be directed at the individual and not at the general nature of the problem, and not directed at theoretical theories, disciplines, Freud, Adler, Jung, Secco, Meyer, but directed at the individual" - Milton Erickson.
Erickson's hypnosis
dr. Erickson revolutionized the practice of hypnotherapy by combining many of the original concepts and patterns of communication in the field.
"Trance induction is not a matter of instructing them to relax, get tired, slowly close their eyes, enter a trance. These are all suggestions, instructions directed to the conscious mind. I like to induce trance with statements that evoke the unconscious learning that people went through in early life because it gives me the opportunity to evoke childhood memories, forgotten memories. ” – Milton Erickson.
Erickson's approach differs from traditional hypnosis in several ways. While the process of hypnosis has usually been conceived of as the therapist issuing standardized instructions to a passive patient, Erickson's hypnosis emphasizes the importance of an interactive therapeutic relationship and the purposeful involvement of the subject's inner resources and experiential life.
Self-healing and self-hypnosis
Erickson's experience of self-healing through bodily memory recall and careful observation later became the foundation of his therapeutic approach. The nickname "wounded healer" expresses the inner strength and transformation that Milton Erickson experienced through his own life trials.
His method was based on gradually introducing patients to a state of relaxation and concentration, and then guiding them to self-heal with positive suggestions and mental images. This approach allowed individuals to take control of their mind and body and actively participate in their own healing process.
Regarding help with self-hypnosis, Erickson's approach was based on the belief that each individual carries within him the power for self-healing. With the help of self-hypnosis, an individual is able to relax his mind and body and activate internal resources for change. Erickson taught his patients self-hypnosis techniques to help them overcome a variety of problems, from anxiety and stress to addiction and emotional challenges.
Erickson's legacy in self-hypnosis is still relevant today, as his approach provided practical self-help and self-healing techniques that anyone can use in their daily lives to improve their well-being and achieve personal goals. It was also the foundation of his understanding of the therapeutic power and influence that mindfulness can have on the process of healing and change.
Psychotherapy
dr. Erickson caused a fundamental shift in modern psychotherapy. Many elements of Erickson's perspective that were once considered extreme are now incorporated into the mainstream of contemporary practice. New psychotherapeutic strategies, which Dr. Erickson used in the treatment of individuals, couples and families, derived from his hypnotic orientation.
Although he was known as the world's leading hypnotherapist, he used formal hypnosis in only one-fifth of cases in clinical practice.
His therapeutic practice was built on the use of language, non-verbal communication and specific techniques that promoted changes in thought patterns and behavioral habits. Erickson was a master of language tactics. He is known to have adapted his communication based on an individual's perceptions, beliefs and personal history. He used metaphors, stories and paradoxes to initiate positive change in his patients.
"People come to me and let me tell them stories. Then they go home and change their habits. ” – Milton Erickson
Throughout his professional career, Erickson has worked with many serious students. Colleagues who recognized the uniqueness and effectiveness of Erickson's approaches collected his publications into numerous volumes. His weekly workshops were popular until his death. Towards the end of his life, Erickson's students began to develop conceptual frameworks for his work and interpret and label it in their own way.
A year before his death, the Milton H. Erickson Foundation was established in his name in Phoenix, Arizona, which is still very active today. Its mission is to research, educate, and disseminate Erickson's work through conferences, workshops, publications, and educational programs. The foundation organizes important events such as the congress on hypnosis and the congress on short-term therapy.
There are currently more than 30 Milton H. Erickson Institutes in the world dedicated to spreading his methods and approaches. These institutions are engaged in education, training and research in the field of hypnosis and psychotherapy, based on Erickson's work and techniques.
In addition to the fact that these institutions are scattered in different countries, they also cooperate with each other, organize conferences, workshops and other events aimed at the further development and promotion of Erickson's approach. Institutes often operate within various professional associations that specialize in clinical hypnosis and psychotherapy.
So who was Milton Erickson? Sage of Phoenix? Wizard of the desert? The Mozart of Human Communication?