William James and Milton Erickson: the Care of Human Consciousness

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William James and Milton Erickson: The Care of Human Consciousness Renowned Ericksonian scholar Dan Short breaks new ground by revealing for the first time the likely sources of inspiration behind the breathing-taking clinical insights of Milton H. Erickson. This revelatory inquiry is achieved by turning to an equally legendary figure, the father of American psychology, William James. As the reader will discover, a greater understanding of James leads to a far greater understanding of Erickson’s clinical work. For example, James’ psychology of functionalism, his theory of neuroplasticity, and his philosophy of pragmatism are germane to Erickson’s approach to utilization, permissive suggestion, and experiential therapy. Core constructs such as these are made clear by using concrete examples and placing them within a historical context that traces the development of depth psychology and hypnosis, with references to other innovative figures, such as James Braid, Pierre Janet, Morton Prince, and Sigmund Freud. The end result is a rare collection of clinical wisdom and practical life lessons, making it a valuable resource for mental health practitioners and students of psychology. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Short, PhD, is director of the Milton H. Erickson Institute of Phoenix. He has served as Assistant Director for the Milton H. Erickson Foundation, and was formerly the Executive Editor of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter. Short is the lead author of Hope and Resiliency, in co-authorship with Betty Alice Erickson and Roxanna Erickson Klein. He is also the author of Transformational Relationships and has defined Ericksonian Psychotherapy in the SAGE Encyclopedia of Counselling and Theory. Currently teaching clinical hypnosis at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, he see patients in private practice, conducts consultation groups for professionals in Phoenix, as well as presenting seminars and workshops as visiting faculty at institutes around the world. .

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