Stephen R. Lankton, MSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Phoenix, Arizona. In addition to his extensive training in Gestalt Therapy, and Transactional Analysis, he studied regularly with Milton H. Erickson, M. D. from July 1975 through December 1979. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis (since 2005) and a Life-Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). He has maintained a private psychotherapy practice and trained therapists worldwide for five decades.

He is a Diplomate in Clinical Hypnosis, an Emeritus Clinical Member of the International Transactional Analysis Association (ITAA), and Past-President of the American Hypnosis Board for Clinical Social Work. He is on the teaching faculty of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation.

Steve has received two Lifetime Achievement Awards: the “Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Psychotherapy” from the Milton H. Erickson Foundation, and the “Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to The Field of Hypnosis” from the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

He served as Faculty Associate at Arizona State University (ASU) 2004-2008 and the ASU Graduate School of Social Work 2011- 2018 and was appointed by the Governor to the Arizona Board of Behavior Health Examiners where he served from 2009-2016 and was the Board Chairperson from 2014 to 2016.

He authored, co-authored, or edited 20 books on psychotherapy and hypnosis with translations in seven languages and over 68 chapters and peer reviewed articles including The Answer Within, and Tools of Intention and the recent “Chapter 8: States of Consciousness Model and Ericksonian Approaches to Hypnosis” in the Routledge International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis.

• Profile at Lankton.com