The Answer Within: A Clinical Framework Of Ericksonian Hypnotherapy

First published in 1983. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This text is a detailed account of what I consider to be the Master of Hypnosis and therapy, Milton Erickson. I would have loved to have met the man in person to experience being in a room with such a maestro, but it was never my good fortune to do so, however this book creates the closest experience of Erickson you are likely to find. It covers his philosophies on human beings and the interactions within themselves and with others in the world. It demonstrates how he formed and developed his ideas and brilliantly describes what one is looking for within the client for them to find that the answers within . As you read through the fundamental frameworks of Ericksonian therapy and the intricate linguistic and metaphorical frameworks, it is a challenging read. Thank goodness it is all brought alive by case studies where the words can then really resonate within. This is certainly a necessary read for those serious about working with hypnosis. --Tom Barber, Course Director - Contemporary College of Therapeutic Studies

This is a recent reprint of a classic book dealing with Ericksonian Therapy. I have to say that I probably wouldn't have understood much of it had I come across it at the beginning of my career as a therapist. However, it does make much more sense to me several years and much experience later. Far from only using examples from Milton Erickson's work, the authors also use their own transcripts to illustrate how they adapted what Erickson did to suit their own styles of working with clients. Indeed, this is what the man himself always emphasised - that students should learn his methods and then go away and do the sort of things he did but in their own way. The book is split into nine sections (or chapters), each dealing with a specific aspect of Erickson's work. By all means begin at the beginning, since it is well written and interesting throughout but, if there are some aspects with which you feel you are already familiar enough, choose a section you would like to understand more fully and begin with that. I don't doubt you'll end up reading the whole book anyway, just possibly not in the order in which it was written. A good resource but possibly better suited to the more experienced therapist. --Fidelity The Journal for the NCP Winter 2008

This is a recent reprint of a classic book dealing with Ericksonian Therapy. I have to say that I probably wouldn't have understood much of it had I come across it at the beginning of my career as a therapist. However, it does make much more sense to me several years and much experience later. Far from only using examples from Milton Erickson's work, the authors also use their own transcripts to illustrate how they adapted what Erickson did to suit their own styles of working with clients. Indeed, this is what the man himself always emphasised - that students should learn his methods and then go away and do the sort of things he did but in their own way. The book is split into nine sections (or chapters), each dealing with a specific aspect of Erickson's work. By all means begin at the beginning, since it is well written and interesting throughout but, if there are some aspects with which you feel you are already familiar enough, choose a section you would like to understand more fully and begin with that. I don't doubt you'll end up reading the whole book anyway, just possibly not in the order in which it was written. A good resource but possibly better suited to the more experienced therapist. --Fidelity The Journal for the NCP Winter 2008