Perhaps one of the most elegant methods of modern psychotherapy was developed by the American psychologist Milton Erickson. There are two new books about him.
Psychologies: What is the uniqueness of Milton Erickson’s ideas?
V. D .: He believed that every person knows a way to solve his problem, even when it seems to him that this is not the case. The task of the therapist is to help him feel this support in himself. And he came up with a gentle method of therapy that allows you to quickly help a person cope with anxiety, neurosis or phobias.
How does this happen?
V. D .: Erickson brought the hypnosis method back into psychotherapy, while depriving it of mystery. Unlike classical hypnosis, the patient is not put into a trance, but (thanks to the psychotherapist’s leading questions) he enters a special state of consciousness. He sees, hears, feels, but the focus of his attention changes: he is directed to memories, fantasies, images … Using metaphors and parables in conversation, the psychotherapist addresses the patient’s unconscious, helping to find a solution.
How is this method developing today?
V. D .: Stephen Gilligan, a student of Erickson, for example, practices the «generative trance» method. Unlike the teacher, he does not consider the mind to be overly controlling. And he claims that, trusting him, as well as the unconscious, we are able to discover in ourselves those deeply hidden creative reserves that will help us cope independently with any life crises. And he teaches this in his book and in trainings.