| Clinical Uses Of Hypnosis | | | | to point out that their arsenal of hypnotherapy |
| During my training as a professional hypnotherapist | | | | talents will remain stilted and ineffective in many |
| and during the many years that led to my instructor | | | | situations. This is unfortunate, as there are a breadth |
| status involving Neuro-Linguistic Programming, I | | | | of highly effective techniques available to the |
| constantly heard my teachers espousing the wonders | | | | practitioner who seeks to fully understand the wealth |
| of Dr. Milton H. Erickson. Yes, it was Erickson, who | | | | and true nature of hypnosis in the healing arts. Clinical |
| has been called the Father of American | | | | Uses Of Hypnosis |
| Hypnotherapy, who gave us tremendous insights into | | | | Unfortunately, among many of the licensed |
| permissive approaches to hypnosis. However, as the | | | | professionals there seem to be an unjustified |
| cult of Ericksonian followers emerged, it seems that | | | | prejudice regarding non-Ericksonian skills. In fact, |
| an entire universe of very effective hypnosis was | | | | many a publication seeks to establish the credibility of |
| completely whitewashed from the realm of clinical | | | | the author's ideas by unjustly - with limited and |
| application. Indeed, many authors and self-styled | | | | uneducated insights - denigrating the traditional skills, |
| experts - to include international associations that | | | | usually by using the term authoritarian to bash them. |
| claim the authority to certify hypnotherapists - fail to | | | | Most of them fail to realize that these |
| recognize the power of relatively rapid and direct | | | | near-mythological rants simply stem from a rather |
| approaches using suggestion and imagination to heal | | | | emotional dislike between Dr. Erickson, and his chief |
| the mind and body. | | | | rival David Elman, a former radio personality and |
| The indirect, naturalistic, and permissive Ericksonian | | | | stage hypnotist, who taught thousands of medical |
| approaches are currently dominating medical and | | | | doctors and dentists during the 1950's and 60's. This |
| psychological applications of hypnosis. They are | | | | rift has been further exacerbated by a handful of |
| elegant and particularly suited to fearful and resistant | | | | Ericksonian-oriented associations who continue the |
| subjects. Clearly, a competent clinician should strive to | | | | irrational exclusivity proposed by Erickson. The truth, |
| master the many techniques associated with this | | | | however, is that the techniques taught by Elman |
| system. Nevertheless, should one limit their education | | | | were as brilliant in their own right as those of Dr. |
| solely to the development of such skills, I am afraid | | | | Erickson. |