Uncommon Therapy: The Psychiatric Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D.

No point in beating my gums about Milton Erickson. You can see for yourself how he deals with people…"The presenting problem was a 14-year-old girl who developed the idea that her feet were much too large. The mother came alone to Erickson and described the situation. For three months the girl had been becoming more and more withdrawn, and she didn't want to go to school or to church or to be seen on the street. The girl would not allow the subject of her feet to be discussed, and she would not go to a doctor to talk to him. No amount of reassurance by her mother had an influence, and the girl was becoming more and more seclusive. Erickson reports: 'I arranged with the mother to visit the home on the following day under false pretenses. The girl would be told that I was coming to examine the mother to see if she had the flu. When I arrived at the house her mother was in bed. I did a careful examination of her, listening to her chest, etc.  The girl was present. I sent her for a towel, and I asked that she stand beside me in case I needed something. This gave me an opportunity to look her over. She was rather stoutly built and her feet were not large.“Studying the girl, I wondered what I could do to get her over this problem. Finally I hit upon a plan. As I finished my examination of the mother, I maneuvered the girl into a position directly behind me. I was sitting on the bed talking to the mother, and I got up slowly and carefully and then stepped back awkwardly. I put my heel down squarely on the girl’s toes.  The girl, of course, squawked with pain. I turned on her and in a tone of absolute fury said,  ‘If you would grow those things large enough for a man to see, I wouldn't be in this sort of situation!’  The girl looked at me, puzzled. That day she asked her mother if she could go out to a show, which she hadn't done in months. She went to school and church, and that was the end of her seclusiveness. She didn't realize what I had done, nor had her mother. All the mother noticed was that I had been impolite to her daughter."Haley, who put this book together, spends a few more words analyzing what Erickson did, but I leave you to figure it out for yourself.In another very poignant account, Erickson tells of dealing with a young woman's deepening depression and withdrawal from social/sexual relationships – he found under hypnosis that she had powerful feelings of disgust toward any kind of sex, and he traced it to an identification with her dead mother. The mother died when the girl was 13 and had previously warned the girl to stay away from boys, that sex was dirty. In subsequent hypnotic sessions he got across to the girl that what her mother had told her was perfectly appropriate for that age, but had her mother lived she would have told her all sorts of other things. He went on to lecture her about the joys and responsibilities of sex, much as her mother might have done when she was older.Are these techniques that Erickson uses? I suppose you could say they are, but I defy you to just go out and use them. They are only useful if you have the strength, courage, wisdom, kindness, and understanding that Erickson had. And if you have all those things, you probably don't need the techniques.There are many more wonderful illustrations from Erickson’s practice of psychotherapy in this book. While I can't agree with Haley’s obsession with technique, I am forever in his debt for introducing me to Milton Erickson, who was obviously more of a magician than anything else.

Uncommon Therapy is an introduction to the therapy work of famed Medical Hypnotist Milton Erickson. It is more readable than many of Erickson's writings. Haley also adds some of his perspective to the art of therapy. This book and others like it were written before Cognitive Behavioral Therapy became the dominant therapy in Psychology. They can still contribute insights to therapists seeking a broad background for practicing psychotherapy. Graduate students and therapists in research settings should definitely read this book to help keep alive a more comprehensive approach to cognitive therapy than is promoted by formulaic cognitive and behavioral therapies that were largely forced on Clinicians by insurance companies pushing science-based, effective therapies; a good outcome for most consumers seeking psychotherapy in most settings. Haley, using a family life cycle approach (e.g. courtship, weaning parents from children, the pain of old age) uses Erickson's case studies to illustrate Erickson's approach. Nowadays it comes across as proof by anecdote. Experienced therapist do however, have examples of cases that were resolved quickly when the client restructured his/her view, Erickson's approach contibutes best by showing how a therapist can creatively propose an alternative constuction of a problem posed by the client and by inventing strategies for change. Erickson's own writings have many more detailed examples of cases.

Milton H. Erickson, MD has influenced generations of behavioral health practitioners. Among them was the great Jay Haley, perhaps the best known of all the strategic therapists. If you ever wondered where Haley's greatest influences were and what in the great Erickson's work most impressed him, you'll find it in this classic.Among the many aspects of Milton Erickson's work and therapeutic episodes described here includes the work he did with a woman with a weight problem (which Haley offers as an example of Erickson's unparalleled flexibility in psychotherapy) which serves as one of the finest examples of strategic thinking, assessment and taking into account the client's values and motivations in therapy I have ever encountered.You may find yourself quoting and/or thinking often about what Haley cites in this efficient read if you have worked or been involved in any part of behavioral health.

Uncommon Therapy is a good survey of Dr. Milton Erickson's approach to therapy. The book consists of stories from Erickson's case files along with an explanation of the approach that Erickson took. This book is potentially useful for anyone who has problems and wishes to solve them as the techniques could be applied on a personal level. The people who should be interested in reading this book are the professionals who wish vary their and customize their approach to their patients.My interest in the book was to find out more about Erickson and his therapeutic techniques that I could apply in my own life. It succeeded in satisfying both my aims. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.

Well written enjoyable read.

Amazing read. Really interesting. Bought it because Erickson’s work was mentioned in Robert greene’s book “laws of human nature.” This book is all meat no fat in how it covers Erickson’s methods and work with references to the cases he has worked

A very well written book that provides numerous examples of Erickson's paradoxical approach to therapy i.e. utilisation, indirection, benevolent ordeals, paradoxical directives and other well known Ericksonian strategic approaches. I just received a new copy as I first read this book in 1983, the book goes very well with Haley's other well known books especially his 'Strategies of Psychotherapy'in which he describes hypnosis and trance using the framework of paradoxical communication.

Must have for the library of hypnotists & brief therapists

Used it in early days of psychiatric nursing. Love the concept.

For those engaged in alternative therapies, especially hypnotherapy. A little disquieting at times, but useful.

Love a bit of Erickson, makes one think about how to be creative.