What Is Ericksonian Hypnosis

There are two main categories of hypnosis. These are the direct suggestion school of hypnosis and the Ericksonian or indirect school of hypnosis. The difference between these two schools is on the surface quite simple. In direct suggestion a hypnotist will give a direct suggestion such as "you are getting sleepy and will go to sleep" while in Ericksonian hypnosis the suggestion might take the form of a story about the lead character becoming sleepy.

Some people love being told what to do and are very compliant. For these hypnotic subjects direct suggestions work fine. However, many people become quite resistant subconsciously to direct suggestions and for these people Ericksonian hypnosis works much better because resistance is kept to a minimum. Therefore, Ericksonian hypnotists will use allegory, stories, parables, and any other indirect method to house their suggestions. Direct suggestions might at times be used, but will be kept to a minimum.

Dr. Milton Erickson is the father of Ericksonian hypnosis. He focused on utilization in his hypnotic work. Utilization is simply the tendency to "utilize" anything that the hypnotic subject presents. So if a client is nervous it is important for the hypnotic operator to bond and in some ways mimic the clients nervousness before beginning to lead them in a more calm direction.

In a famous case of Dr. Erickson's he was working with a farmer who had intractable pain that could not be reduced by traditional means. Dr. Erickson completely bypassed the subject of his pain or hypnosis and instead began to talk about how plants grow and how they become healthy. By this method alone the farmer developed a very deep trance and was able to exhibit an adequate anesthesia to deal with his previous pain.

Most of the hypnosis CDs by Jef Gazley, LMFT are a mix between direct suggestions and Ericksonian hypnosis, but the Ericksonian method is primary. They have been reported by clients to be extremely helpful. A complete catalog of these hypnosis cds is on the following page Hypnosis CD's.