Milton H. Erickson was a pioneer in understanding and managing chronic pain, even in his own life. He developed a variety of original and very effective hypnotic approaches to deal with pain. Acute pain is different from chronic pain, as recent research shows. The persistent of pain causes changes that permanently alter various areas in the brain and their communications. Chronic pain does not respond well to typical acute pain treatments and should be approached differently, with a more global and integrated approach.
The Greek philosopher Pythagoras was among the first to recognize the healing powers of music. Milton Erickson, the musician of mind, body and soul, was the first to structure communication for greatest effect so that clients could change many aspects of their life, not merely their presenting symptoms. Just as the cadence of voice and patterns of speech form the music of Ericksonian communication, repetition and rhythm create the emergence of a trance state in music, film, and in poetry. The utilization of art and creativity in a hypnotherapy model functions as a catalyst accentuating the nuances of core competencies such as tailoring, utilization, strategic approach, and destabilization.
Warmth is essential to life itself and we have therefore been attracted to it since the beginning of time. Conversely cold, the absence of warmth is associated with conditions of a more precarious nature such as scarcity, isolation or even demise. The association also seems to hold true for human relationships: people who are able to signify the concept of warmth in the way they relate to others appear socially competent, trustworthy and charismatic. The presence of warmth positively enhances attachment experiences and therefore moments of significant emotional connection.
Dr Erickson’s work with individuals, couples and families has been well explored, but what is often overlooked is his skill in information gathering and interventions that connected a client to their community. Communities are not what they were in his time and attempts to do this without first building a healing community can be fraught.
Ericksonian Psychotherapy emphasizes the importance of utilization. When treating children, as therapists, we need to keep in mind that we also need to utilize whatever happens during therapy whether that can be a given behavior, if the child brings a toy for the consultation, their likes and also provide them with a wide array of resources they can access during therapy.
Utilization is a state of response readiness in which the clinician stands ready to utilize whatever exists in therapeutic situation to advance clinical goals.
Immediately after earthquakes in center and southern Mexico in 2017, crisis intervention were done by Mexican navy health care professionals to solve crisis and prevent PTSD. Groups of patients were structured for crisis intervention with Ericksonian hypnotherapy, ranging from 50 to 200 patients. Methodology will be presented along with recorded interviews to two captains head of Mexican navy health care system. One powerful proven group technique will be taught.
This workshop will go to the heart of Ericksonian hypnotherapy, in both senses of the word. We’ll use Gregory Bateson’s ideas about mind to illuminate the core or essence of an Ericksonian approach, exploring key principles and signature practices, such as utilization, metaphoric communication, and therapeutic double binds. But we’ll also explore the beating heart of this way of working—the application of empathy, the invitation of trance, and the evocation and facilitation of therapeutic change, all guided by a deep respect for and understanding of the mindfulness of the body and the embodiment of the mind.
Utilization of Dr. Erickson's approaches can be daunting. They are both meticulously planned and rehearsed, as with his Induction for Resistant Patients, and spontaneous and intuitive, responding at the moment to his patient. Dr. Greenleaf will present 7 of his own brief cases, each of which required spontaneous, intuitive response to patient needs. They are called: 2 Promises: Postcards, Death Grip; 2 Threats: Bust, “I Like That Wall”; 2 Doorways to Reality: “You Wonned”, “I’d Like to Have That Desk” and "3 Counter Tenors"
Transparent hypnotherapy instead of indirectness- how clients as active co-hypnotherapist with all their senses can be invited to utilize symptoms as competent messengers of needs. In the Ericksonian tradition on the one side it is assumed that the knowledge and competences are already existent within the clients but on the other side many hypnotherapeutic interventions are structured as rather indirect and intransparent for the conscious mind of the clients.