The Milton H. Erickson Foundation NEWSLETTER · 4 VOL. 30, NO. 2 The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter See JAPAN on page 10 The Japan Erickson Club By Marilia Baker The Japan

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NEWSLETTERSM

Vol. 30, No. 2 SUMMER 2010

I n s i d eT h i sI s s u e

See INTERVIEW on page 17

See BRIEF THERAPY on page 6

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INTRODUCING THE INSTITUTES:The Japan Erickson Club 4

CASE REPORT:OCD, Chopin, and Hypnosis 5

IN THE SPIRIT OF THERAPY:Cloé Madanes 6

DVD REVIEW:Limiting Beliefs about Money andUtilizing Positive Motivation 16

BOOK REVIEW:The Dao of Neuroscience: CombiningEastern and Western Principles forOptimal Therapeutic Change 16

BOOK REVIEW:Hypnotically Enhanced Treatmentfor Addictions: Alcohol Abuse, DrugAbuse, Gambling, Weight Control,and Smoking Cessation 20

I N T E R V I E WJon Carlson,Psy.D., Ed.DBy Dan Short, Ph.D.

Jon Carlson, Psy.D., Ed.D is Dis-tinguished Professor of Psychologyand Counseling at Governors StateUniversity, University Park, Illinoisand a Psychologist with the LakeGeneva Wellness Clinic in LakeGeneva, Wisconsin. Jon is the authorof nearly 50 books and 150 journal ar-ticles. He is the developer of 250 train-ing videos featuring leading experts inthe fields of psychotherapy, family ther-apy, brief therapy, substance abuse,parenting, and couples education. Dr.Carlson has received distinguishedservices awards from the AmericanPsychological Association, the Ameri-can Counseling Association, the Inter-national Association of Marriage andFamily Counselors, and the NorthAmerican Society of Adlerian Psychol-ogy.

(Dan Short)You were named oneof five living legends in counseling at

the American Counseling Associa-tion (ACA) 2004 Conference. Otherrecipients included Albert Ellis,William Glasser, John Krumboltzand Patricia Arredondo. How werethese five names picked? On whatwas the final determination based?

(Jon Carlson) This award and pro-gram was initiated by ACA president,Mark Pope. He was interested in rec-ognizing the living spokespeople of themajor theories in the counseling pro-fession. Each of the recipients has lefta legacy to the counseling profession.My contributions were in the areas ofAdlerian psychology as well as familytherapy. I had served as the FoundingEditor of The Family Journal for thir-teen years and the editor of the Journalof Individual Psychology for seventeenyears. I also believe I was being hon-ored for the creation of 250 profes-sional training videos that are beingused around the world in psychology,counseling, and social work trainingprograms.

(DS) As a Professor of Psychol-ogy and Counseling do you find thatthese are two distinct fields of studyand application? If so, what is themain difference between counselingand clinical psychology?(JC) I once believed they were two

distinct fields. Clinical psychology fo-cused more on working with peoplewhom had mental illness and psy-

BRIEF THERAPY CONFERENCE:LASTING SOLUTIONS

December 9-12, 2010 – Orlando, Floridawww.BriefTherapyConference.com

The Brief Therapy Conference: Lasting Solutionswill be held December 9-12,2010 (Thurs-Sun), at the Hilton Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando, Fla. TheConference is sponsored by The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc. A Pre-Con-ference Law and Ethics Workshop will be held on Wednesday, December 8, witha Post-Conference Brief Therapy Master Class on Monday, December 13, 2010.The Conference consists of workshops, interactive events, short courses andkeynote addresses.

Presenters for the 2010 meeting include: SteveAndreas, Ellyn Bader, Jon Carl-son, Robert Dilts, Stephen Gilligan, Kenneth Hardy, Jeffrey Kottler, Pat Love, LynnLyons, Scott Miller, John Norcross, Bill O’Hanlon, Esther Perel, Maggie Phillips,James Prochaska,Wendel Ray, Ernest Rossi, Casey Truffo, MicheleWeiner-Davis,Reid Wilson, Michael Yapko, and Jeffrey Zeig. Keynotes will be given by Judith

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter2 VOL. 30, NO. 2

Executive Editor: Richard Landis, Ph.D.

Review Editors: C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D.,Annellen Simpkins, Ph.D.

Institutes: Marilia Baker, M.S.W., Cecilia Fabre, M.A.

Guest Editors: Betty Alice Erickson, M.S., LPC, LMFTEric Greenleaf, Ph.D. (Case Reviews)

Production Editor: Karen Haviley

Contributor of Note: Roxanna Erickson Klein, R.N., Ph.D.

In the Spirit of Therapy Editor: John Lentz, D.Min.

Guest Reviewers: Rubin Battino, M.S., Maria Escalante de Smith, M.A.,Michael Grusenmeyer, M.D.

Advertising Information: http://erickson-foundation.org/pdfs/adrates.pdf

–Board of Directors–Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D.

Roxanna Erickson Klein, R.N., Ph.D.J. Charles Theisen, M.A., M.B.A., J.D.

Camillo Loriedo, M.D.Bernhard Trenkle, Dipl.Psych.

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc.3606 North 24th Street

Phoenix, Arizona 85016-6500U.S.A.

Telephone: (602) 956-6196FAX: (602) 956-0519

T h e M i l t o n H . E r i c k s o n Founda t i o n

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JOIN THE FOUNDATION E-MAIL MAILING LIST!Receive Conference announcements and registration specials; in-formation on audiotape/videotape, and CD/DVD specials from theErickson Press; automatically receive the Online version of the Er-ickson Newsletter and more. Sign-up on the Foundation’s web site:www.erickson-foundation.org. The Erickson Foundation will notsell or rent your E-mail address to any person or organization.

EDITOR’S COMMENTSScott Miller, one of the many ex-

perts presenting at this year’s BriefTherapy: Lasting Solutions Conferencein December, is fond of pointing outthat the greatest impact in therapycomes from the nature of the connec-tions within and between the therapistand the client. To that end, this issue isdedicated to the many forms of con-nections including those of our amaz-ing family of contributors.

It is good to have Dan Short, mypredecessor as editor, back in theNewsletter. His Featured Interview ofJon Carlson, another signature presen-ter at the Brief Therapy Conference, isan excellent example of a lifetime ofmaking connections among, andwithin, some of the great practitionersand their concepts in psychology.There are very few clinicians who havepacked as much achievement and con-tributions in the four decades that Carl-son has.

Our Case Reports editor, EricGreenleaf presents us with an excellenta case study by Ron Soderquist; OCD,Chopin, and Hypnosis. I love single-session interventions-- clean and awonderful example of utilization.Greenleaf’s commentary at the end isconcise and insightful as always.

Kudos to Marilia Baker for an ex-cellent presentation for the Introducingthe Institutes: The Japan EricksonClub. Baker approaches her interna-tional colleagues with an awe-inspiringcombination of sensitivity and respectthat allows her to bridge cultural bor-ders. This is an amazing article. Ihighly recommend that you take yourtime when reading it.

John Lentz is one of our constantbeacons at the Newsletter. In his In theSpirit of Therapy column, he asks CloéMadanes to give a highly personal ex-pansion on the workshop she gave atthe Evolution of Psychotherapy Con-ference about spirituality. The inter-view brings out the multifaceted anddeeply human nature of Madanes.Later, he brings his warm and personalperspective in his book reviews ofJoseph Tramontana’sHypnotically En-hanced Treatment for Addiction, andAlexander and Annellen Simpkins’brilliant The Dao of Neuroscience, anda DVD review of Steve Andreas’ Lim-iting Beliefs about Money and Utiliz-ing Positive Motivation. Finally, hegets a bit of a rest in his review of The

Ultimate Power Nap for Rapid Restand Renewal by Carol Ginandes.Lentz’s enthusiasm is highly conta-gious. His presentation at the BriefTherapy Conference should be equallycompelling.

In addition to their being the revieweditors for the Newsletter, writingbooks, conducting therapy, teachingmeditation, hypnosis, and martial arts,Alexander and Annellen Simpkinshave provided an excellent review ofSue Johnson’s The Hold Me TightTraining Program, a real tour d’force.

Another supporting pillar of theNewsletter is Rubin Battino. As a na-tionally recognized chemist, play-wright, and psychotherapist, hiscontributions to the Newsletter bring aunique perspective to his reviews. Inthis issue, Battino poignantly reviewsIrvingYalom’s book, Staring at the Sun/ Overcoming the Terror of Death. Hefurther demonstrates his versatility inhis review of The Zerka T. Moreno Se-ries Psychodrama, Sociometry andRuth Cohn Bolletino’s book Beyondand How to Talk with Family Care-givers About Cancer. Battino then re-visits the VHS/DVD of Milton H.Erickson, M.D. Explorer in Hypnosisand Therapy created by Jay Haley andMadeleine Richeport-Haley. Truly amilestone in the genre.

I have enjoyed working with MariaEscalante de Smith for as long as Ihave been the executive editor. Be-cause she has such a wide and variedbackground of knowledge, we havebeen able to count on her no matterwhat the topic. In this issue she reviewsExpanding Your World: Modeling theStructure of Experience by David Gor-don and Graham Dawes. It is a fasci-

nating approach to brief therapies andthe process fits exceptionally well withthe presentation that Escalante deSmith will be offering at the BriefTherapy Conference. In her second re-view, Escalante de Smith presentsDiane Marsh’s and Melissa Mark’s im-portant book How to Talk to FamiliesAbout Child and Adolescent Mental Ill-ness.

Michael J. Grusenmeyer, M.D.brings his expertise as an emergencyphysician and a family physician to theNewsletter. His extensive training inhypnosis makes him the perfect personto have reviewed Bill O’Hanlon’s CD,Beside Yourself with Comfort: Hyp-notic Help for Chronic or Acute PainRelief. Grusenmeyer’s clinical back-ground is demonstrated in his reviewof Clinical Pearls ofWisdom: 21 Lead-ing Therapists Offer Their Key Insights(Michael Kerman, editor). A fascinat-ing read.

And finally, it is always a pleasurewhen Betty Alice Erickson revisits theNewsletter. She has a delightful way ofseeing things from her unique perspec-tive. This is evident in her review ofMichael D. Yapko’s book, Depressionis Contagious.

And these are just some of the mostvisible of our Newsletter family. Itwould take too long to describe all ofthe other contributors from around theglobe and wonderful people that oper-ate behind the scenes to make it allhappen. And, I am hoping that we allget to connect in person with you at theBrief Therapy: Lasting Solutions Con-ference in December in Orlando,Florida. Your feedback is importantand the connection with you keeps thetradition alive.

Rick LandisOrange, California

Correction: The article titled, "Ericksonian Attendance Was High at 18th Inter-national Society of Hypnosis Conference" was written byAlbina Tomalonis, Ph.D.You can find this informative article in the spring 2010 issue.

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter VOL. 30, NO. 2 3

REGISTRATION FORM ON PAGE 5


See JAPAN on page 10

The JapanErickson Club

By Marilia Baker

The Japan Erickson Club was offi-cially established in 1993. Its founda-tional history goes back many yearsbefore that date, through the pioneerwork of many interested and dedicatedJapanese professionals. Originally, thehonorable psychologist, GosakuNaruse, Ph.D., who is still an activeprofessor at 86 years of age, visitedMilton H. Erickson in Arizona. Com-ing back to Japan, he began teachingabout Dr. Erickson to his students. Dr.Naruse’s ideas and activities also hadlong been influential and innovative –thus, the two great minds found eachother, having had considerable influ-ence upon many generations of Japan-ese physicians and psychologists. Twoother influential professionals at thetime: Drs. Noboru Takaishi and IzuruShibata also met with Erickson, andlikewise enthusiastically disseminatedEricksonian approaches throughoutJapan.

An earlier organization, The Japan-ese Association of Brief Psychotherapywas established in 1991 by young psy-chologists, mostly in their early 30s,with the mission of disseminating thedifferent methodologies and ap-proaches under the umbrella of BriefPsychotherapy. These professionalsalso were familiar with Erickson’swork as well with the work of JayHaley, Jeffrey Zeig, Bill O’Hanlon andothers.

Clinical psychologist Masako Kita-mura, founding member of the Boardof Directors and previous president ofthe Japan Erickson Club, describedhow one of Dr. Naruse’s students, Kei-ichi Miyata, translated Jeffrey Zeig’sATeaching Seminar with Milton H. Er-ickson, which was then published in1984. The Japanese translation of JayHaley’s Ordeal Therapy: UnusualWays to Change Behavior was pub-lished in 1988.

These books, and others, exertedgreat influence upon several membersof the Japan Erickson Club: ToshioMori, one of its founders, learned ofErickson through those books and di-rectly from Keiichi Miyata, who hadstudied Strategic Therapy with Jay

Haley and Cloé Madanes at the FamilyTherapy Institute in Washington, D.C.in the 1980s.

The current president, YoshiyukiNakano, MD also first learned of Er-ickson through those seminal books. Inaddition, Dr. Nakano and Hideo Tsug-awa attended the Intensives Training inPhoenix with Jeff Zeig and BrentGeary in the early 1990s. Five of thecurrent Board members: Masako Kita-mura, Clinical Psychologist; HisashiNakashima, MD; Hideo Tsugawa,Clinical Psychologist, University Pro-fessor; Naomichi Moribayashi, MD,General Manager, and Jiro Otawa,Clinical Psychologist also first learnedof Milton Erickson's approachesthrough the above mentioned books.They all were equally enthusiastic andgreatly captivated by its ideas. As Ki-tamura describes:

“Unanimously, we were astonishedwith Erickson’s innovative and surpris-ingly free-thinking ideas and tech-niques. Nakano believed Milton’sthoughts to be innovative, original, andunique. We became so enthusiastic tolearn the efficient therapy theories andmethods that offer effective clinicalservices, and yet which were so freefrom the traditional bounds of psy-chotherapy”. Thus, in their circles inJapan, “the brief psychotherapies

which Milton H. Erickson started arewelcomed, and understood by all thatthey must be learned, and must be dis-seminated widely.”

Current president Nakano says“The best, to me, is the concept of Uti-lization. This idea – utilization – iswonderful. It is so freeing. It invites usto make our observational skills sosharp and so sure; we are moved by Er-ickson’s deep trust and confidence inman’s unconscious mind and its powerto make things right. The goal is not tochange something into something else,but utilize things - trusting the uncon-scious so positively”.

Ms. Kitamura continues, describ-ing the history of brief psychotherapyand Ericksonian hypnosis in Japan.She informs me that in 1992 Bill O’Hanlon and Mateo Selvini came toJapan to give their first workshops inTokyo. Jeff Zeig also came in Septem-ber 1993 to present his first workshopat Tokyo University. Shortly after, theJapan Erickson Club was officiallyfounded. “Our first four-day longTraining Intensive was presented byBrent Geary, Ph.D. in 1994 at HakoneNational Gardens, a resort area famousfor its hot springs. These Intensivesmark the true beginning of the endur-ing relationship between the Milton H.Erickson Foundation and the Japan Er-

ickson Club” explains Masako Kita-mura, who is representing in this inter-view the unanimous voice of theirBoard of Directors.

A vignette about the origins of theJapan Erickson Club is charmingly de-scribed by our interviewee, Ms. Kita-mura, who, according to Brent Geary,has had a pivotal and enduring role inits success as an organization, Inten-sives Coordinator at the EricksonFoundation in Phoenix. Geary also em-phasizes the important role performedby “translators Akiko Kikuchi andTomoko Osawa, both psychologists,who are superb with English, whichmakes the workshops much more un-derstandable for participants”. Kita-mura continues: “Our seniorcolleagues, Keiichi Miyata, ToshioMori andYoshiyuki Nakano, wanted tostart official study circles to make Er-ickson’s superb lifework widely knownin Japan. Miyata and Mori were pon-dering about starting one in Niigataand Tokyo, which are considered EastJapan, while Nakano was thinking ofOkayama, in West Japan. Soon,Nakano started translating Jeff Zeig’sExperiencing Erickson: An Introduc-tion to the Man and his Work whileMori was translating O’Hanlon’s Tap-roots.

Consequently, Kitamura was“pleasantly shocked with all thesegood readings, deeply convinced thatthese precious educational opportuni-ties should be offered to other profes-sionals and students immediately.” Shealso proposed to carry out herself allthe office business works, includingdesigning the Club’s brochure. Simul-taneously, she wrote to Jay Haley backin the United States and asked permis-sion to translate and publish his workson the Contributions to Therapy byMilton H. Erickson, MD. “Haley gen-erously gave such permission to theClub, so the Japanese publication cameoff press in July 1992,” continued Ki-tamura.

During its first ten years, the JapanErickson Club offered training in allmodalities of Brief Therapy, not onlyHypnosis, including the MRI ap-proaches, solution-focused therapies,systemic therapies, and family thera-pies. However, since The Japanese As-sociation of Brief Psychotherapy has

I N T R O D U C I N G T H E I N S T I T U T E S

Naomichi MORIBAYASHI (Med. Dr.), Jiro OTAWA (Clinical Psychologist),Masako KITAMURA (Clinical Psychologist), Brent Geary (Foundation

Chief Trainer), Yoshiyuki NAKANO ( President, Med. Dr.),Hisashi NAKASHIMA (Med. Dr.), Hideo TSUGAWA

(Clinical Psychologist, University)


OCD, Chopin,and Hypnosis

By Ron Soderquist, MFT,Family Therapist and Medical Hypnotist

Los Angeles, California

Anxious parents called, each inturn, about their 17 year-old daughterBev, who for the past six months hadobsessively washed her hands three tofour hours a day. Both parents reportedthey had “tried everything.” includingcounseling and drugs. They were sodesperate they were now exploringhypnosis, about which they were skep-tical. Somewhat worn down by theirforceful skepticism, I said to the anx-ious mother, “Look, because you aredesperate and because you worry thatonce again you will be throwingmoney away, I will offer you a compli-mentary consultation. I will evaluateyour daughter’s symptoms and onlyschedule a therapy session if I believeI can help her.”With this assurance, shemade an appointment.

As the family members settled intotheir chairs at our first meeting, they allappeared relaxed. They communicatedwith ease, and there were no overtonesof hostility. Turning to the girl, I askedabout her school and extracurricularactivities. She immediately replied, “Ihave studied piano for many years andenjoy it very much.” I myself play bothclassical and ragtime piano, so this wasa natural opening for building rapportbetween us.

When I asked about her favoritecomposer, she quickly said, “Chopin.”Because Chopin is also my favorite, wewere now in perfect sync. We agreedwe both loved Chopin’s Nocturnes andwe both had played most of them. Iasked about her favorite and shehummed the melody. I said, “When Ipractice a nocturne in the evening Ioften can hear that melody in my headall next day,” and she nodded in agree-ment. “You can hear that melody rightnow, can’t you?” I said. She smiled andslipped into a nice little trance. As shedid so, I ventured, “Perhaps, when youget the urge to wash your hands, youmight enjoy turning on that nocturneinstead.” I observed her trance deepenas she considered this, and then shenodded her head and said quietly andconfidently, “I can do that.”

After some further rehearsal, andtalk about other matters, I concluded

the session. I didn’t suggest anothersession. The mother wondered, “Do weneed to make an appointment forBev?” I looked at Bev as I said, “Per-haps she has already found a solution,”and Bev nodded her head.

A week later the mother called tosay Bev was doing fine. I might haveheld back and scheduled a regular ap-pointment with a fee. But I just could-n’t help myself. It was too much funjust to do it. And while there was nofee, I did get a good story, and themother soon referred a friend.”

CommentaryBy Eric Greenleaf, PhD

I immediately liked several aspectsof this case and of Ron’s manner withthe family and with his young patient.The family’s desperation motivatedboth Ron to take the case pro bono andthe family to agree to let him try ther-apy with their daughter. Ron bypassedthe problem [what Erickson called“drifting rapidly away”] and landed onthe keyboard, where his patient couldshine as a person and had the resourcesto address her own solution. Then, asan advanced therapist, he spoke as andof himself: “When I practice a noc-turne in the evening I often can hearthat melody in my head all next day,”before noting that his patient “can hearthat melody right now, can’t you?”Mutual, trance experience can be bothmore natural and more direct thanother hypnotic inductions.

Ron aptly and gently held themother back from re-establishing thesymptom, saying, “Perhaps she has al-ready found a solution,” as indeed,with his help, she had. When the pa-tient is the expert and the therapist ishimself, lasting hypnotic therapy canbe both brief and effective. I think Dr.Erickson would have been pleasedwith this case, would he not?”

C A S E R E P O R T

When the patient is theexpert and the therapistis himself, lasting hypnotic

therapy can be bothbrief and effective.


BRIEF THERAPY continued from page 1

Beck, Sue Johnson, Bessel van der Kolk, Donald Meichenbaum, Robert Sapolsky,Thomas Szasz.

Visit the Conference web site to view the program, list of presenters and pre-sentations, download the complete brochure, register Online, make your hotelreservations, print discount coupons for airport shuttle and Orlando activities!www.BriefTherapyConference.com For more information or to receive thebrochure by mail contact The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc., 3606 N. 24thStreet, Phoenix, AZ 85016-6500; Tel, 602-956-6196; Fax, 602-956-0519; Email,[email protected]

The next registration deadline is September 3rdso register today!

Volunteers Still Neededfor the Brief Therapy Conference!

In exchange for registration fees, graduate students and interns are needed toassist the faculty and staff at the meeting in December. Volunteers work approxi-mately four to five hours per day. A deposit of $85 ($50 is refunded post-confer-ence) and a completed application packet is required to reserve your Volunteerspace. For complete information, including the application packet, visit the Con-ference web site: www.BriefTherapyConference.com and click on ‘Volunteer’ fromthe top menu.

Cloé MadanesBy John D. Lentz, D.Min.

Cloé Madanes is a world renownedauthor, speaker and provocateur of so-cial justice and other powerful ap-proaches that help people betterthemselves. She has indelibly influ-enced the field of marriage and familytherapy, and she has brought aboutmany changes in attitudes in the gen-eral public that promote health. Shehas been featured in Newsweek, Vogue,The Washington Post, The BostonGlobe, and The Washington JewishWeekly. Her books have been trans-lated into ten languages, and hergrandson who doesn’t know how shegets so much energy says with a smile,“ She isn’t slowing down” Madanes isalso the president of The Robbins-Madanes Center for Strategic Inter-vention. An avid filmmaker, a freeRobbins-Madanes film can be viewedat www.RMTFilms.com.

JL: In a workshop at the Evolu-tion Conference about spiritualityyou were so genuine and sincere thatyour words brought tears to myeyes. You were talking about how aconcept you developed for perpetra-tors was helpful for the family topromote forgiveness the family andself-forgiveness in the perpetrator.CM: At my Institute in Maryland,

we treated 72 juvenile sex offendersover a period of 15 years. We had 98%success in terms of no repeat offensewith several years of follow up. Thiswas a family therapy approach wherethe victim participated in the therapytogether with the offender and thewhole family. The method consists of15 steps and the core concept is thatcertain kinds of harm that people com-mit against another person cause morethan physical and emotional pain. Asexual attack is an attack on the spirit,on the soul of the person, and the painis in the soul. The offender is told toget on his knees in front of the victim,in the presence of the entire family, andexpress his sorrow and repentance forwhat he did. The family must decidewhether he is sincere or hypocritical.If anyone thinks he's not sincere, he hasto do this over and over again. Nothingis asked of the victim. This is notabout forgiveness. It's about repen-tance. Of course, if the victim wantsto forgive, she or he can, but what is

important is the repentance of the of-fender. The therapist also talks aboutthe pain in the soul of the offender him-self for having committed such an act.Acts of reparation from the offender tothe victim are agreed upon by the fam-ily.

JL: After you told about themethod, which makes so much sense,you told about an experience youhad in Israel teaching. Would youtell that story?CM: I was lecturing in Israel about

working with sex offenders. A man inthe front of the room raised his handand said that it was not applicable in Is-rael because Jews never kneel, not evenin the temple. Then an orthodox man,dressed in black with the hat and thecurls, stood up from the back of theroom and, pointing to the first mansaid: "You are ignorant. Of course Jewskneel on the Day of Atonement. Andyou, he said, pointing to me, you are aplagiarist. All this is in Maimonides.""Maimo whhat?" I said. I had neverheard of Maimonides. Later on he toldme about Maimonides the 12th centuryJewish philosopher and physician saidthat there is one circumstance when aman must kneel in front of anotherhuman being and that is when he hasoffended a woman sexually. Actuallymy family comes on both sides fromthe same area where Maimonides livedin Spain.

JL : You are known for yourtalks on spirituality and are oftenteamed up with Jean Houston whatdo you see as the spiritual part of thecounseling session? Would you givean example?CM: What do I see as the spiritual

part of counseling? I believe that wewant to promote happiness and the ul-timate happiness comes from con-tributing to others. Counseling is notcomplete unless people are directed to-wards contribution. I am not religiousand I don't have mystical beliefs. Myspirituality is based on the importanceof social justice and social contribu-tion. For example, often adults come totherapy and are tormented by thoughtsand memories of having been neg-lected or abused as a child. Ultimatelythe best therapy is to help them to con-tribute to the prevention of childhoodabuse, to help those that are even moreunfortunate. In so doing their own suf-fering will result in the healing of oth-

ers and they will be able to come outof themselves. I believe that for life tohave meaning, when something badhappens, something good must comefrom it.

JL: Cloé, your books are so prac-tical and useful they become tools forother therapists to use with theirclients. Do you think of your writingas a spiritual act? If so what aresome of the ways it is true for you?CM: I haven't thought of my writ-

ing as a spiritual act, but thank you forthe suggestion. From now on I will.My writing is a spiritual act in thesense that I know how to help peopleand I am compelled to teach othershow to do it.

JL: You grew up with a veryunique background as far as spiritu-ality is concerned yet you have a pro-found sense of it in your work and inhow you treat others. Would you bewilling to comment on how that istrue?

I N T H E S P I R I T O F T H E R A P Y

CM: I am Jewish, born in Ar-gentina during World War II, and thehorrors of the Holocaust are imprintedin my mind. I lived through militarydictatorships and persecution. I want tocontribute to make this world a betterplace.

JL: Cloé, you have a sense aboutyou that is so respectful of othersthat at times you seem to exude acaring compassion. Sometimes peo-ple with the amount of compassionyou have get hurt. I bet you havebeen able to utilize those hurts sothat you have become even morecommitted andmore compassionate.Would you share your secret fordoing that?CM: Whenever I'm hurt or when

memories of being hurt come up, I im-mediately think of how those hurtshave given me insight, compassion,and the ability to develop the tools tohelp others.

My writing is a spiritual act in the sense thatI know how to help people and I amcompelled to teach others how to do it.


Jeannine Elder

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation lost one of its most devoted staff members in April, Jeannine Elder. Jeannine com-menced working at the Erickson Founda-tion in 1990. For the first couple of years Jeannine was a part–time, temporary em-ployee; however, her passion for the psy-chotherapy field, and specifically the work of Milton Erickson, led the Founda-tion to offer her a full time position as Faculty Coordinator. In the last few years, Jeannine also became the coordinator for the world-wide Milton H. Erickson Insti-tutes. Jeannine continued working full time at the Foundation until her passing—nearly 20 years of dedication and service.

Jeannine loved her work. She enjoyed meeting with, organizing, and spending time talking with the faculty from each meeting—and not just about the Confer-ences. She was extremely knowledgeable and genuinely interested in each facultymember’s professional work and family. Even during the stressful moments of the first days of a conference, Jeannine was calm and ready to greet the faculty with her warm smile. It also was a rare occasion if Jeannine didn’t participate in the evening activities, dance parties, or authors’ hour—often having more energy than the younger volunteers assigned to assist her with the evening’s events.

I N M E M O R I A M

Kay F. ThompsonScholarships Awarded

The 26th Annual West Virginia University Hypnosis Training Workshop washeld on October 9 – 11, 2009 in Morgantown, WV. It is co-sponsored by the Mil-ton H. Erickson Institute of West Virginia, the West Virginia University HypnosisStudy Group and the Western Pennsylvania Society of Clinical Hypnosis (bothcomponent societies of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis). The volun-teer faculty reflects a wide range of health related professionals and includes BettyAlice Erickson. A portion of the proceeds from the workshop are invested in theKay F. Thompson Memorial Fund administered by The Pittsburgh Foundation.This fund was established in memory of Dr. Thompson who was a mentor to manyof the faculty and awards scholarships to students in the health fields. Infor-mation on these scholarships and the workshop can be found athttp://well.wvu.edu/ccpps/groups or [email protected] The 27thAn-nual Workshop is scheduled for November 5-7, 2010.

Pictured left to right. Front row: Sara McWillians (scholar), Betty AliceErickson and Kara O’Dell (scholar) Back row: Penny Kostka (faculty),Janice DiLuzio (scholar), Christopher Ruth (scholar), Yi-An Lo (scholar)

and Marion Kostka (course coordinator)

Outside of the Foundation, Jeannine was an avid skier, hiker, and camper. It waswell known among the Foundation staff that she was excited to turn 70 years oldbecause in Pine Top, Arizona, near her vacation home, she would no longer needto pay for ski lift tickets and could stay on the slopes as long as she liked. Her lovefor travel and outdoor activities also helped her develop a deep love and respect forthe environment and its preservation. She loved a good glass of wine shared overa nice dinner with friends, all things Irish and French, botany, and walking herdog. But her favorite and most loved activity was time spent with her family, andespecially her grandchildren.

Jeannine was a hard working team member, but much more than this, she wasan incredible friend to all of us at the Foundation. She always encouraged us, withboth words and actions, to enjoy each day and to live life to the fullest. No ex-cuses. To say she will be greatly missed does not fully capture the true emotion ofthe Foundation staff.

Jeannine’s only request in her passing was for those who knew her and shareda part of her life to plant a tree in her memory. She is survived by her four childrenand two grandchildren.

By Karen Haviley


Erickson Foundation and SouthwestBehavioral Health Services OpenInternational Training and Research

Facility in PhoenixDr. Jeffrey Zeig, Founder and Director of The Milton H. Erickson Foundation,

and Dr. Robert T. Bohanske, Chief of Clinical Services and Clinical Training ofSouthwest Behavioral Health Services, have collaborated to form an internationalpsychotherapy training and research facility to be located at 2632 E. Thomas Rd.,Phoenix, Arizona. Zeig and Bohanske envisioned a licensed clinic with real casesthat provided comprehensive training for students and professionals; advancementof contemporary schools of thought; and industry-leading research. After monthsof discussions and planning, the site will open in June 2010 as "The Institute forApplied Therapeutic Change."

“There are four fundamental goals for the Institute,” explains Zeig. “These fol-low the missions of both the Erickson Foundation and Southwest BehavioralHealth: “

1. The first goal is our dedication to training health and behavioral health pro-fessionals through the treatment of live cases, demonstrations by experts,and hands on supervision. The model will integrate the best of behavioralhealthcare.

2. We will invite leading experts in the field whowill provide first-hand knowledge on diversemethods and applications. Two training tracksare being developed: one for Masters and Doc-toral level students, and the other for profession-als in the community. It is hoped that in the nearfuture both students and professionals will travelto the Institute to train and study with the world'spsychotherapy greats. Both Zeig and Bohanskewill provide the foundation for training, workingwithin the Institute on a regular basis.

Training has always been of great importance to Dr. Zeig. Inspired by his men-tor, Milton H. Erickson, he lectures internationally and is the architect of interna-tionally renowned psychotherapy conferences. He brings a wealth of knowledge inthe field through his professional connections. Dr. Zeig has started an invitation list,and is booking some of the presenters from the 2009 Evolution of PsychotherapyConference to lecture and teach at the Institute.

Dr. Bohanske explains that the training tracks “will include everything fromone-day conferences to week-long workshops to live video production, demon-strations, and professional critique.” Bohanske serves as the Chief Psychologist ofSouthwest Behavioral Health's APPIC approved Doctoral residency program andoversees the companiesAPA and NBCC approved Continuing Education Sponsorprogram. He will transfer his current Doctoral residents to the Institute for theopening. These students will help to pioneer the training program for future stu-dents in all areas of health and behavioral health.

3. The third goal is a specialization in Ericksonian techniques and principles,Brief Therapies, Client Directed/ Outcome Informed, and Recovery-Basedpractices. Dr. Erickson's approach to psychotherapy inspired many profes-sionals and became the basis of many new schools of brief therapy, includ-ing strategic therapy, interactional therapy, Rossi's mind/body approach,solution-focused therapy, outcome oriented therapy, and the self-relationsapproach.

Coupled with these methods, the Institute will apply the Client Directed Out-come Informed (CDOI) approach of Drs. Scott Miller and Barry Duncan. Dr. Bo-hanske has been studying the viability of CDOI within Southwest BehavioralHealth with extremely favorable results. So far Bohanske's approach has demon-strated a sharp increase of positive outcomes for service recipients, reduced dropoutrates, and shorter lengths of stay.

4. The fourth goal of the Institute is to focus on producing leading research.Zeig and Bohanske hope the Institute will advance the practices of psy-chotherapy, and become a place where scholars bring ideas together, andpublish works.

The idea for the Institute came about several years ago. Dr. Zeig had been look-ing for an opportunity to locate more of his training efforts in Phoenix, and Dr.Bohanke had been working on innovative ideas to expand his training program.Both agreed that collaboration would be synergistic.

The Milton H Erickson Foundation and Southwest Behavioral Health Servicesare based in the Phoenix area. The Institute will open with full support of currentSouthwest Behavioral Health staff and Doctorate level Psychology residents andserve the general mental health population in the public sector.


CONFERENCE NOTESMarriage: Relational and Societal Perspectives, theAnnual Conference of TheAmericanAssociation of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT), will be held Sep-

tember 23-26, 2010, inAtlanta, Ga. For complete information contactAAMFT, 112 SouthAlfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, Tel, 703-838-9808; Fax, 703-838-9805;Email &Web site: www.aamft.org

The 3rd U.S. Conference in Systemic Constellations will be held September 30 – October 3, 2010 in Phoenix, Ariz., and features leading Constellation facilitatorsand trainers from around the U.S. and abroad. The Main Conference theme is Emerging Trends - Enduring Truths and includes participatory and experiential workshopson various topics of interest. The Pre-Conference (Sept. 29) themeHealing theWounds of the Nation focuses on issues of special relevance to the United States, includingthe enduring legacy of victim and perpetrator identities. The Post-Conference (Oct. 3 and 4) theme Deepening the Experience includes all-day seminars by some of theworld’s most renowned facilitators. The conference will consist of plenary sessions, workshops and panels, core group meetings, and music. For complete informationvisit the Conference Web site: www.constellationsus.com

The 8th Brief Therapy Conference: Lasting Solutions, sponsored by The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc., will be held December 9-12, 2010, at the Hilton WaltDisney World® Resort in Orlando, Fla. Faculty will include: Steve Andreas, Ellyn Bader, Jon Carlson, Robert Dilts, Stephen Gilligan, Kenneth Hardy, Jeffrey Kottler,Pat Love, Lynn Lyons, Scott Miller, John Norcross, Bill O’Hanlon, Esther Perel, Maggie Phillips, James Prochaska, Wendel Ray, Ernest Rossi, Casey Truffo, MicheleWeiner-Davis, ReidWilson, MichaelYapko, and Jeffrey Zeig. Keynotes will be given by Judith Beck, Sue Johnson, Bessel van der Kolk, Donald Meichenbaum, RobertSapolsky, Thomas Szasz.

Complete information is available on the Conference Web site: www.BriefTherapyConference.com . For Conference information or to receive the brochure by mailcontact The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc., 3606 N 24th Street, Phoenix AZ 85016-6500; Tel, 602-956-6196; Fax, 602-956-0519; Email, [email protected] ; Web, www.erickson-foundation.org

The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) will hold the 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting and Workshops entitled, Mind and Matter: Innovations in Hyp-nosis, March 4-8, 2011 at the RIOAll-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. For more information contact ASCH, 140 North Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale,IL 60108-1017; Tel, 630-980-4740; Fax, 630-351-8490; E-mail, [email protected] ; Web, www.asch.net

The Couples Conference, sponsored by The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc., will be held April 1-3, 2011 at the Marriott Hotel and Spa, Newport Beach, Calif.Organizational assistance provided by the Couples Institute, Menlo Park, Calif. Confirmed faculty include DanielAmen, Ellyn Bader,William J. Doherty, Julie Gottman,Marty Klein, Christine Padesky, Esther Perel, and Richard Schwartz. For more information contact The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc., 3606 N. 24th Street,Phoenix, AZ 85016-6500; Tel, 602-956-6196; Fax, 602-956-0519; Email, [email protected] ; Web, www.CouplesConference.com


JAPAN continued from page 4

grown and developed so well offeringannually these trainings by excellentdomestic professionals, the Japan Er-ickson Club has decided to focus solelyon hypnosis.

The Club has between 200 and 250members depending on those memberswho join and the ones who retire eachyear.

Brent Geary, Ph.D. of the EricksonFoundation has been an invited facultyat the Club since 1994. He has been in-strumental in facilitating the develop-ment and growth of this association,coming back many times over theyears to train students who want to re-peat the intensive training basics withhim. The Board of Directors and mem-

UPCOMING TRAININGDATE TITLE / LOCATION / LEADER CONTACTS

2010

9/10-12 Supervision training in Ericksonian Hypnosis (ongoing) /Guadalajara, MEXICO / Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. 1.

9/18-20 Ericksonian Therapy / Siena and Naples, Italy / Zeig 2.

9/22-26 Ericksonian Therapy / Istanbul, Turkey / Zeig 3.

9/23-25 Advanced Divorce Busting Intensive Workshop / Boulder,Colo. / Michele Weiner-Davis, MSW, LCSW 4.

9/27-10/1 Intensive Training in Ericksonian Approaches to BriefHypnotic Psychotherapy - Fundamental / Phoenix, AZ /Brent Geary, Ph.D., Zeig and Invited Presenters 5.

10/4-8 Intensive Training in Ericksonian Approaches to BriefHypnotic Psychotherapy - Intermediate / Phoenix, AZ /Geary, Zeig and Invited Presenters 5.

10/2-3 ASCHApproved Advanced Training: Hypnosis & Mind BodyApplications / Pacific Palisades, Calif. / David Rapkin, Ph.D. 6.

10/14-17 Intensive Supervision Workshop in Ericksonian ClinicalHypnotherapy - Master Class / NewYork City, NY / Zeig 7.

10/14-17* Advanced Ericksonian Hypnotherapy – Level III / Dallas,Texas / Betty Alice Erickson, MS, LPC, LMFT, DeborahBeckman, MS, LPC, Will Handy, LCSW, and SpecialGuest Faculty(*Dates subject to change) 8.

10/21-22 Mental Toughness Conference / Heidelberg, Germany /Invited Faculty 9.

10/22-24 Advanced Topics in Ericksonian Therapy and Hypnosis /Graz, Austria / Zeig 10.

11/13-14 Advanced Topics in Ericksonian Therapy and Hypnosis /Hong Kong, China / Zeig 11.

12/2-3 The Art and Science of Impact / Toronto, Canada /Zeig, Invited Faculty 12.

12/9-12 Brief Therapy Conference: Lasting Solutions / Orlando, FL /Invited Faculty 5.

2011

1/28-30 ASCHApproved Basic Hypnosis Training / PacificPalisades, Calif. / N. Barretta, PhD; P. Barretta, MFT;B. Freedman, PsyD, MFT; D. Gordon, Ph.D.; D.Haspel-Johnson, PhD; E. Haspel-Portner, PhD; C. Hoffman,PhD; B. Pomerantz, Ph.D; R. Riffkind, PhD 6.

3/18-20 HowWe Can Change the Brain to Change the Culture:Facilitating Creative Consciousness with Art, Beauty, &Truth in Psychotherapy / Ojai, Calif. / Kathryn Rossi, Ph.D. &Ernest Rossi, Ph.D. 13.

4/1-3 The Couples Conference / Newport Beach, Calif. /Invited Faculty 5.

Contact Information:1. Juan Francisco Ramirez Martinez; Email, [email protected]

2. Camillo Loriedo; Email, [email protected]

3. Email, [email protected]

4. Email, [email protected]; Tel, 303/444-7004; Web,www.divorcebusting.com

5. The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, Inc., 3606 N. 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ85016 6500; Tel, 602-956-6196; Fax, 602-956-0519; E-mail,[email protected] ; Web, www.erickson-foundation.org ; BriefTherapy Conference Web site: www.BriefTherapyConference.com ; CouplesConference Web site: www.CouplesConference.com

6. Southern California Society for Clinical Hypnosis (SCSCH): Web,www.scsch.camp7.org Email, [email protected] ; Tel, 1-888-32SCSCH/(888) 327-2724

7. Helen Adrienne; E-mail, [email protected] ; Tel, 212-758-0125

8. Milton H. Erickson Institute of Dallas, 4144 N Central Suite 520, Dallas, TX75204 [email protected] ; Web, www.EricksonDallas.com ; Tel,214/824-2009


10. Philip Striet; Email, [email protected]


12. Jim Duvall; Email, [email protected]

13. Lori Pye, Director; Email, [email protected] ; Web,www.instituteforculturalchange.org

To submit a listing for Upcoming Trainings, please send dates, title of workshop, venue,city/state/country, list of presenters, and complete contact information ONLY. Informationmust be sent in the format above. A $25 fee, per listing, is required. Deadline for the 2010Winter Issue (mailed December) is October 1, 2010. All workshop submissions aresubject to approval by the Erickson Foundation. For more information, please contact KarenHaviley - [email protected] . Insertion form is available online: www.erickson-foundation.org/pdfs/adrates.pdf

bers are very grateful to his generosityand friendship. There were many inter-national presenters over the years, in-cluding Jeff Zeig (several times);Ernest and Kathryn Rossi; CloeMadanes, and Michael Yapko. BettyAlice Erickson returns to Tokyo as arepeat speaker scheduled to present inJune, 2010.

Congratulations to Japan EricksonClub for its unwavering efforts to dis-seminate throughout Japan the life-work of Milton H. Erickson and hisremarkable students.

For further information go to:www.erickson-club.jp/ or email:[email protected]

For Advertising Rates visit

http://erickson-foundation.org/pdfs/adrates.pdf

or email: [email protected]


Milton H. Erickson, M.D.Explorer in Hypnosis and Therapy

By Jay Haley and Madeleine Richeport-Haley

Triangle Productions, La Jolla, CA 920381993, 60 minutes (VHS and DVD)

ISBN 0-87630-726-8

Milton H. Erickson, M.D. Explorer in Hypnosis and Therapy is one of the bestfilms on Erickson as a person. It offers the viewer an insider experience of beingwith this great man. It reminded us of our experiences with Erickson, and will giveviewers a personal sense of sharing in the wisdom of the master, whether they stud-ied with Erickson directly or indirectly through the legacy that he has left to theworld.

- C. Alexander Simpkins, PhD & Annellen M. Simpkins, PhD, Review editors

This VHS tape is a celebration of the life and work of Milton H. Erickson,M.D., prepared by a long-time friend and colleague, Jay Haley, and his filmmakerwife, Madeleine Richeport. The film is lovingly produced, and is indeed a cele-bration of a remarkable man and what he has contributed to the fields of hypnosisand psychotherapy.

Erickson’s life is presented via many photographs, and clips of people whoknew him well. The list includes: Jeffrey Zeig, Joseph Barber, Kay Thompson,JohnWeakland, Robert Pearson, Ernest Hilgard, Jay Haley, Madeleine Richeport,Ernest Rossi, Elizabeth Moore Erickson, Herbert Lustig, Steve Lankton, CarolLankton, Stephen Gilligan, Carl Hammerschlag, and several of Erickson’s chil-dren and in-laws. They each add their own reminiscences and bits of history andperspectives to round out this extraordinary man’s impact.

D V D R E V I E WDR. LEN BERGANTINO

Gestalt Therapyin West Los Angeles

Call 310.207.9397Licensed Psychologist in CA (PSY3837), AZ, HI

s2.webstarts.com/lenbergantino (37,700 References)

Only 3 Year Graduate of Drs. Erv & Miriam PolsterTraining Program in WLA

Also included are a number of movie clips of Erickson working with clients atvarious times of his life. We can thus see him as a younger, physically vigoroustherapist, as well as later in life when he was wheelchair bound. These clips pro-vide a fascinating glimpse of the range of the man’s skills and work.

It was a wonderful experience for me to spend time looking at this film, and“being with” Erickson. This tape is an excellent introduction to the man who al-most single-handedly put hypnosis and psychotherapy on a firm foundation in the20th century. Enjoy!

Reviewed by:Rubin Battino, MSYellow Springs, OH

PAID ADVERTISEMENT


Expanding YourWorld: Modelingthe Structure of Experience

By David Gordon and Graham Dawes

Desert Rainwww.expandyourworld.net

2005Book: 215 pages / DVD: 58 minutes

ISBN: 0-9765616-0-3

Expanding Your World: Modeling the Structure of Experience begins with apositive message: “Every person is a repository of both delightful and useful humanabilities” (Preface, p. 1). This sentence made me curious about the contents of thisbook. The beginning sections narrate the experiences of both authors during a sem-inar.

Chapter 1, “Modeling,” reminded me of the Ericksonian epistemology: “If thereis an ability that you lack, it is not because you do not have the capacity to have it;you simply missed out those life experiences that would have taught you the pat-tern of perceiving, thinking, and behaving needed for that ability” (p. 5). We canalways learn something new.

The authors draw fromVictor Frankl’ s four patterns of thinking characteristicof people who remain hopeful in hopeless situations. These four patterns are: to be-lieve that what has been lost can be regained; to recognize that the future is un-knowable; to see that past experiences are not lost; and to look forward to a positivefuture.

Chapter 2, “The Experiential Array” presents a diagram composed of beliefs,strategies, and emotions that summarize the elements necessary for modelinghuman experience. These elements lead to more effective behavior and enhancedabilities. Here, I realized how important the role of therapists is when they addressemotions during consultation.

I enjoyed reading about a simple and yet deep question, “What do I want to beable to do?” in Chapter 3, “The ProcessAs IWasAnswering It.” This chapter talksabout exemplars. In my experience, even though I never met Milton H. Ericksonin person, he became an exemplar for me. He mastered the ability to see the posi-tive side of life!

Chapter 6 discusses prime motivators. A good way of understanding this con-cept is to think about “something you did recently even though it was difficult orunpleasant (p. 62)”; then uncover how it was connected to something intrinsicallyimportant to you.

A DVD that demonstrates the techniques with a client is included. I found ithelpful because each part is preceded by a subtitle so that viewers can easily iden-tify the steps taken by the therapist, also found in the book. During a conversationwith Kathy, Gordon addresses the idea of being passionate about change. He in-duces age regression by simply asking her to remember a time when she felt grate-ful. The therapist “utilized” a glass filled with a dark drink that could seem rathercommon. Then just by noticing details, such as reflections, areas of light, andchanges, the client’s experience becomes richer.At the end, the therapist orients theclient to the future by asking her to imagine herself developing the ability to be pas-sionate, and she gets very emotional. We can see how Kathy has changed duringa follow up three months later, as she talks about her experiences meeting newpeople.

One editorial note: In the copy that I reviewed there are two printing errors inChapter 1. The author has promised that corrections have already been made inthe next edition. Expanding your world: Modeling the Structure of Experience hasbeen an enjoyable experience. I highly recommend this book/DVD.

Reviewed by:Maria Escalante de Smith, MACedar Rapids, IA

B O OK / DVD R EV I EW How to Talk to Families About Childand Adolescent Mental Illness

By Diane T. Marsh & Melissa J. Marks

W.W. Nortonwww.wwnorton.com2009, 252 pages

ISBN 978-0-393-70570-6

How to Talk to Families About Child and Adolescent Mental Illness provides acomprehensive and practical resource for mental health professionals who workwith families dealing with severe and persistent mental disorders of childhood andadolescence. Included are anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, andschizophrenia.As the authors state: “The challenges that confront these families areconsiderable,” (p. ix), and thus the caring practitioner can make a difference intheir lives.

I really liked discovering how the authors emphasized listening to the voices ofchildren and families based on their personal accounts and interviews. I wastouched in reading how adolescents themselves spoke of their experience withmental illness. They expressed their suffering, desperation, their sense of being“marked,” “invisible” and alone. Therapists need a lot of empathy in these situa-tions, without forgetting the purpose of therapy.

Chapter 2, “The Family Experience of Mental Illness,” describes people’s feel-ings when they have a relative with a mental disease. They may experience griefor depression. Therapy will be more successful if the family system is treated whilethe identified patient is undergoing therapy. Siblings’ lives may be profoundly af-fected by pain and by feeling forgotten. They may “experience ‘survivor’s guilt’simply because they have been spared mental illness themselves” (p.29). The roleof other family members such as the grandparents is described and this part re-minded me of my country of origin, Mexico, where they are often the primarycaretakers of a child with special needs.

Chapter 4 emphasizes the importance of special education. The term, specialeducation, should be descriptive, not derogatory, aimed at helping families under-stand the educational system. The book provides useful information about re-sources parents can access, such as, IDEA (IndividualsWith Disabilities EducationAct). IDEA provides six major principles to guide actions of schools, includingthe right to a free and appropriate education and a less restrictive environment.

Chapter 5 deals with the educational system and the roles of school personnel.Elementary school teachers can help to notice changes because they see childrenall day. But in secondary school, adolescents have more instructors, so behaviorchanges might not be recognized as quickly.

“Helping Families Cope with Mental Illness,” Chapter 6, offers a series ofpractical tips for families. Parents are encouraged to take care of themselves bymaintaining satisfactory balance of their lives. They also can find comfort by join-ing a community or online support group. They should focus on the child behindthe symptoms.

Chapter 7 addresses anxiety disorders and their co-morbidity with other con-ditions such as depression. It summarizes panic disorder, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, among others.

In Chapter 9, “Talking to Families About Bipolar Disorder,” I found useful in-formation about how this condition affects children in the USA as well as risk fac-tors and treatment.

Schizophrenia and its symptoms are described in Chapter 10, making refer-ence to the DSM-IV-TR as the five types of schizophrenia are specified: paranoid,disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, and residual.

How to Talk to Families About Child and Adolescent Mental Illness is full ofuseful information. I really recommend it.

Reviewed by:Maria Escalante de Smith, MACedar Rapids, IA

B O O K R E V I E W



The Hold Me Tight Training ProgramBy Sue Johnson, Ph.D.

Including:

Creating Relationships that Last:A Conversation with Dr. Sue Johnson DVD (93 minutes)

Hold Me Tight: Conversations for Connection Two-Set DVD (225 minutes)

A Hold Me Tight Program: Conversations for Connection FacilitatorsGuide for Small Groups (74 pages)

Produced by: ICEEFT, Ontario, Canadawww.holdmetight.com

2008

Sue Johnson is the creator of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, an in-sightful and helpful system for working with relationships. She has provided aclear set of materials for therapists and facilitators. All the information integratesperfectly with her best-selling book, Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for aLifetime of Love (2008).

The DVD, Creating Relationships that Last: A Conversation with Dr. Sue John-son provides a good place to start the learning process. Johnson tells us with hermelodic British English that love is not a mystery. In fact, love has an exquisitelogic explained by the neurobiology of attachment theory. This approach isgrounded in a new science of love. Research shows that the brain is hard-wiredfor significant interpersonal connections in its foundational neurons, and we allneed love to be healthy. When couples fight, their suffering is felt both psycho-logically and physiologically because the primary need for attachment is being vi-olated. This step–by-step program teaches couples how to form a bond that buildsa satisfying, healthy attachment they can count on.

The Hold Me Tight DVDs follow three very different couples through theprocess. Each couple is drawn into conversations that form the building blocks ofthis method. Typically, when couples fight, they engage in patterned, hostile ex-changes that threaten their attachment. Johnson calls these exchanges, “demon di-alogues.” Therapists are shown how to pinpoint the negative statements and gentlydirect partners back toward emotional contact and connection. Next comes “find-ing the raw spots,” where couples explore some of the emotions behind the demondialogues. We observe the couples opening up and expressing strong emotions,often of hurt, fear, and frustration. Johnson demonstrates how to lead clients to ex-press hidden feelings. In one conversation, she helps one of the wives who hadbeen chronically angry to disclose her “softer” feelings of hurt. The husband wassurprised to learn that his wife was not rejecting him but was actually afraid of los-ing him. We observe their armor dissolve and their attachment strengthen. Otherconversations foster engaging and connecting, forgiving injuries, bonding throughsex and touch, and keeping the love alive. Clearly, these couples transform on manylevels. Through it all, Johnson is there, masterfully explaining the principles anddemonstrating how to implement them.

The manual speaks directly to the facilitator with an exacting structure for run-ning a group in which one couple is led through the techniques while other cou-ples observe. The facilitator’s role is to provide a safe, non-judgmental atmospherewhere couples can explore their attachment issues. The program involves eightsessions, with instructions, tips, exercises, and even homework for couples to dobetween sessions.

Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy provides universal methods that tap intocommon human concerns. This way of working with clients offers a well thought-out approach to get couples out of superficial disputes and down to the essentialsource of their difficulty, the attachment issue. Johnson demonstrates sound ther-apeutic acumen.Anyone who sees couples will find something to add to their ownpractice. And some may want to incorporate the program in its entirety. Thesemethods are sensitive and multi-layered and can be learned with Johnson’s expertinstruction. We highly recommend this useful set of materials!

Reviewed by:C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D. and Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D.San Diego, California

D V D R E V I E W

Beside Yourself with Comfort: HypnoticHelp for Chronic or Acute Pain Relief

By Bill O’Hanlon, MS

Crown House Publishingwww.crownhousepublishing.com

2009, 30 minutesISBN: 978-098235733-0

Bill O’Hanlon packs a plethora of ideas for the relief of pain into this CD. Heorganizes the presentation into several suggestions or “possibilities.” Throughoutthe talk, he refers to the listener directly as “you” and speaks in a soft, hypnoticvoice. His goal is to help reduce or eliminate pain. O’Hanlon emphasizes that youare free to ignore, modify, or use his suggestions in your own way. He interspersesthe descriptions with stories, including several from Milton Erickson.

The first possibility is to become aware, or even hyper-aware, of the pain. Is itsharp or dull? Steady or intermittent?Where is it?Where isn’t it?When does it hap-pen? One patient underwent plastic surgery without anesthesia, later stating that hefelt no pain. If you are perfectly in tune with your discomfort, it may go away.

The second possibility, “almost the opposite…. but not a contradiction,” is dis-traction.You can visit three places: the past, when your body had no memories ofpain, such as running with abandon as a child; the present, when you have mo-ments of relief, perhaps while watching a movie; and the future, as you become ab-sorbed in imagining a future without the discomfort. Erickson taught a woman touse distraction during labor as she imagined what her baby would look like.

Another suggestion is to alter one sensation of the pain. For example, changethe pain from sharp to dull or move it from one side of the body to the other.Change the pattern.You can also learn to change the modality in which you expe-rience the pain. For example, visualize the pain -- its color, shape, ability to holdliquid, and so on. Then, change these characteristics to a different color, shape, orcapacity.

O’Hanlon guides in changing the interpretation of the pain.You have certain be-liefs or ideas about your pain. For example, “Pain is just resistance to change.”This oversimplification may help change your thinking about the pain, perhaps bylooking forward to it rather than being scared of it.

Another option is to dissociate from the pain. Erickson put patients into tranceand then told them to go into the waiting room, hang their pain on one of the coathooks, and leave by a different door. You can learn to dissociate from parts of thebody or from sensations, to be “beside yourself.”You can also become habituatedto the pain, to form calluses. You can increase the gap in the synapses that trans-mit the sensations, like widening the gap in a spark plug.

O’Hanlon guides in examining and shifting the mental and bodily habits thatthe pain has brought into one’s life. For example, a person may restrict breathingand psychological openness, limit relationships, and back into a corner to hide forprotection. While this is natural, O’Hanlon advises challenging these patterns inany way that you can. He asks, “What would you be doing now if pain weren’tdominating you? What would you do differently?” O’Hanlon finishes by advis-ing, “Be gentle with yourself, take any little step you can, and start to win backsome of your life.”

Experience the full flavor of this CD best by listening. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by:Michael Grusenmeyer, M.D.Rocky River, Ohio, USA

C D R E V I E W



Limiting Beliefs about Money andUtilizing Positive Motivation

By Steve Andreas, MA

Real People Press, Boulder Coloradowww.RealPeoplePress.com

51 minutes, 2009

Limiting Beliefs about Money and Utilizing Positive Motivation is one of a se-ries of DVDs with Steve Andreas demonstrating NLP techniques delivered in hisunique style. The series is made from actual clinical sessions with real people want-ing and needing real help. Andreas helps them in a confident, laid back style. Hiswork is so masterful that some of my advanced students had a little difficulty rec-ognizing the sophisticated intricacy of the techniques. When I pointed it out tothem, they were impressed with what he had demonstrated.

The client in this video has some typical problems with money that any sea-soned therapist has dealt with repeatedly. The depth of this man’s limiting beliefswas so profound that he even refused to open letters from the IRS. Andreas asksquestions to elicit the minimal information he needs to assist the client and then be-gins offering experiences that alter the man’s perception. Andreas shows some ofhis mastery in the way he works with this client here in front of a camera. Few ofus have ever treated these problems so effectively within just one session.

One thing that is incredibly useful about this clinical demonstration is that itdoes not happen smoothly. The client is as unique as the ones in our offices, andyou will be able to recognize how Andreas does not miss a beat, but utilizes anydisagreement or non-compliance in a positive, constructive way. This DVD is won-derful to teach from, because the client’s responses are not always what you wouldwant as a therapist, and yet Andreas, in his relaxed style, takes it all in stride anduses response for the client’s benefit.With the ease of a master, he makes treatmentlook easy.

At one point Andreas asks the client to imagine having a conversation with hisdeceased father. Andreas’s guiding and weaving of that interaction is one that willoffer to anyone watching it some benefit from a whole host of issues with broaderapplications. As my students and I watched, we all felt that the video touched uspersonally

Andreas demonstrates a host of techniques that are useful and make a differ-ence. He reveals his genuine mastery by his ease of switching from approach to ap-proach based upon the client. For example, he elegantly uses positive motivationto assist the client in overcoming his problem.

This DVD offers you much more than you might bargain for in a teachingDVD. It offers a means of working with someone who has severely limited beliefsabout money, yet it offers so much more. The approaches are universally applica-ble to other types of clients and problems. In addition, the skill that Andreas dis-plays is well worth viewing. This video can teach beginners as well as advancedpractitioners. A two-month follow up with the client helps you to see and knowthis technique continued to work. I liked the DVD a lot and my students did, too.

Reviewed by:John D. Lentz D. MinShepherdsville, KY

D V D R E V I E WThe Dao of Neuroscience: CombiningEastern andWestern Principles forOptimal Therapeutic Change

By C. Alexander Simpkins, Ph.D. and Annellen M. Simpkins, Ph.D.

W.W. Norton and Companywww.wwnorton.com2010, 278 pages

ISBN: 978-0-393-70597-3

Simpkins and Simpkins have created a brilliant work that captures concepts ofneuroscience and makes neuroscience more understandable. By using comparisonswith philosophical thought and by offering practical examples of psychotherapy,they illustrate the usable information that neuroscience offers. What is even moreimpressive is that they have written the book using concepts they learned by study-ing neuroscience and employing ancient Eastern thought to counter-balance mod-ern Western thought.

The word dao means literally path, but it also implies how and everything thatgoes with it. The book explains how the brain works, and uses the material to offerapplications of what science continues to discover about how the mind and braininteract in everyday ways, so that as therapists we can employ what works to as-sist and encourage healing.

Readers will come away with practical facts and applications that will inspirecreativity. Part I, “Mind and Brain, The Flowing Interplay” includes philosophi-cal issues, modeling methods, brain structures and functions, and neuroplasticity,all clarified through the lens of East and West. Part II, “Redirecting the Flow forChange” offers techniques for facilitating the mind-brain system therapeutically.

After reading the first ten pages twice I told my wife what a wonderful bookthis is. By halfway through I wanted all therapists to read this book because I re-alized it can help us all do better work. By the end of the book, I wanted to beginreading again so I could put more into practice of what the book inspired, precip-itated, and taught, directly and indirectly.

Not only does this book explain how the brain-mind operates and the relation-ship between the two, it gives you practical information that can be used with yourclients. The authors explain brain-mind change in terms of neuroplasticity and neu-rogenesis, but they do it in ways that provides usable information that you, as a cli-nician, can put into practice. I have been using things they taught me every day,because the methods are so widely applicable.

In the chapter entitled “The Dao of Treatment,” they address how the structureand function of the brain can guide us to make effective treatment choices. Theygive an excellent explanation of treating depression that is based upon the struc-ture of the brain and ways to recreate balance that comes from research in neuro-science. They utilize methods from East and West to speed healing. The solutionthey advocate is one that would be appreciated by experienced therapists. I lovehow they speak of the dual effect of relaxation and activation as well as enhancingcompassion.

Truly, the Simpkins have created a book that combines principles of East andWest for optimal therapeutic change. It will give you more than you bargained for,and it will likely expand your thinking by the poetry of what is implied beyondwhat is said. If you enjoy knowing concepts that can be utilized in multiple waysto augment your creativity and enhance the effectiveness of your interventions,then you may really treasure this one. I not only recommend The Dao of Neuro-science. But, since I have been reading it I have repeatedly recommended it to mystudents and to others who appreciate the integration of wisdom and science.

Reviewed by:John D. Lentz, D. MinShepherdsville, KY

B O O K R E V I E W

With the ease of a master,he makes treatment look easy.

The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter VOL. 30, NO. 2 17INTERVIEW continued from page 1

Hand-made teak wood spirit house given to Carlson on hislast visit to Thailand

chopathology while counseling psy-chology focused more on helping peo-ple through the normal developmentalchallenges of life. Now that I have doc-toral degrees in both counseling andclinical psychology, I’m hard pressedto know the practical difference as bothwork with similar populations and justas effectively. Perhaps it is just a mat-ter of degree. For example, for manyyears I was a competitive distance run-ner and even wrote a book The Cen-tered Athlete (with Gay Hendricks). Iloved to run the 10,000 meters (6.2miles) and even managed an age group(30-40 year old) third place finish inthe US cross-country championships.However as a longer distance runner Ioften ran marathons (26.2 miles) andmile events. Although I preferred onetype of race, I needed to run in what-ever races were available.

(DS) Having authored nearlyfifty books and one hundred andfifty journal articles, what is your fa-vorite subject matter to study, dis-cuss and why?(JC)My favorite subject is the one

that I’m working on at this currenttime. Madeleine Haley and I just pub-lished Jay Haley Revisited.We selectedsome of Jay’s major papers and hadleading therapists place them in theworld of contemporary practice. I havealready begun work on Alfred AdlerRevisited (with Michael Maniacci) andAlbert Ellis Revisited (with BillKnaus).

I have been working with my col-league, Jeffrey Kottler, on a bookcalled,Dupedwhere we looked at howtherapists deal with lies and deception.This is another in our series of booksabout therapeutic process and practice.

I have also been doing consider-able work in the application of Bud-dhist Psychology to couples (with PatLove) as well as problems of addiction(with Alan Marlatt.) I have been prac-ticing meditation and studying Easternphilosophy since the 1970’s. Also, Ihave been working and traveling inAsia for more than twenty years andeven had an audience with the DalaiLama five years ago.A fewmonths agomy favorite subject matter was parent-ing and family work as I was in Thai-land helping to create a system todeliver psycho-education throughoutthe country. Applied psychology suchas counseling, clinical psychology, andfamily therapy are uncommon in Thai-land. When these services are pro-vided, it is frequently by nurses,

pharmacists, and Buddhist monks. Forthe past ten years I have had the privi-lege to consult throughout the nation ofThailand. I have provided consultationand training with various populationsand problems. They included:

1. Teaching nurses basic helpingskills for use in working with peopleexperiencing drug and alcohol prob-lems.

2. Helping health and mental healthworkers to work with drug addicts.Very few have had training in counsel-ing. There may be one person in eachThai family that has an addiction todrugs.

3. Teaching graduate studentscounseling psychology with a focus onAdler.

4. Training teachers in how to useclassroom management skills includ-ing motivation and discipline.

5. Helping pharmacists to learnbasic helping skills and behavioralmedicine.

6. Helping medical doctors with thepractice of behavioral medicine.

7. Helping community leaders dealwith problems of cadmium poisoningin west central Thailand.

8. Helping relief workers deal withvictims of the tsunami.

9. Teaching a wide variety of peo-ple in helping others who have had atraumatic event in their life.

10. Dealing with victims of a mud-slide and flood where thousands ofpeople died and homes were destroyedin northern Thailand.

11. Dealing with the religious con-flict and war in southern provinces.

12. Teaching mental health work-ers how to work with gay clients andthose diagnosed with HIV and drugabuse in northern provinces.

This last trip they honored me witha beautiful hand-made teak wood spirithouse that is being shipped to my homein Wisconsin.

I have been helping my colleaguesat Governors State University to pub-lish and have been collaborating onbooks with several: Pat Robey on Re-ality Therapy with Couples; Adam Za-gelbaum on Working with ImmigrantFamilies; Hugh Crethar on InclusiveCultural Empathy; Julia Yang and AlMillirin on The Psychology ofCourage: Shea Dunham and ShannonDermer on Toxic Parenting; and CyrusEllis on Cross Cultural Awareness andSocial Justice in Counseling; and Em-

powering African American Men.

My son, Matt Englar-Carlson, and Ihave been doing work on fathers andsons and men in couple’s therapy. Wealso are completing a series of 24 vol-umes on the major theories of psy-chotherapy with each book having acorresponding DVD (some with sixcomplete therapy sessions) that showstheory in practice. We are hopeful thatcollege professors will choose severalof these volumes along with the Basicsof Psychotherapy book (by BruceWampold) and create a theories classwith the approaches they favor. It is re-warding to work with Matt and to beable to stay connected on many differ-ent levels.

Each week I am filming a leadingtherapist and their work usually be-comes a favorite flavor for at least afew days. I have been doing this formore than fifteen years and it is likehaving a personal in-service trainingeach week.

(DS)You have written a definitivebook onAdlerian Therapy. How hasAdler’s ideas shaped your currentpractice and how have they influ-enced your life?(JC)AlfredAdler was interested in

applying psychology to daily life. Heworked in the schools and communityand saw his mission as helping all peo-ple to be better citizens. Adler champi-oned the concept of social interest andbelieved that mental health was whenyou cared about other people. Adler’sideas are at the heart of most contem-porary approaches to psychology.However, few professionals reallyknow their connection to his work. Ihave enjoyed one of Adler’s quotes:He stated “Everybody’s normal untilyou get to know them.” It was his focus

on what is health and what is healthyliving that has really helped me toshape my practice and influenced mypersonal life. For many yearsAdler fo-cused on health and wellness -- whatworks and what’s right as well as theconcept of encouragement and focus-ing on one’s strengths and assets toprovide the courage to face the tasks oflife. His ideas are similar to those oftoday’s positive psychology movementand very compatible with Buddhism. Ieven wrote a recent article entitled“Adler was from Bangkok.”

(DS) Another book you’ve writ-ten with Jeffrey Kottler is The ClientWho Changed Me. This book de-scribes how clients transform theirtherapists in ways in that the client-counselor relationship can effectpositive transformation on a thera-pist’s own life. Do you see this as aby-product of our field of work or anecessary component?(JC) Therapists must use them-

selves as an instrument of change.Therefore, since this process involvesmodeling, therapists need to demon-strate their personal openness tochange. If the change process is nottwo ways it’s unlikely that anything ofsubstance will occur.

(DS) In your book, The Mummyat the Dining Room Table, you andJeffrey Kottler interviewed famoustherapists from around the worldand then had them account theirmost memorable case histories.While preparing this material,which story had the most profoundimpact on you and your work?(JC) The Mummy at the Dining

Room Table contained many profound

See INTERVIEW on next page


The Ultimate PowerNap for Rapid Restand RenewalBy Carol Ginandes, PhD

Crown House Publishing Ltd.Wales, UK and CT. USAwww.crownhouse.co.ukISBN 978-098235737-8

There is a good reason why Dr. Gi-nandes, who is in private practice,holds staff affiliations at Mclean Hos-pital and Harvard Medical School. Sheis that good. Her approach seems ef-fortless and easy and yet, she hasthought out every aspect of the experi-ence. She takes you on a journey thatteaches you how to take power naps.However, there is so much more here.Ginandes offers guided imagery that ishypnotically sophisticated and en-hances the experience and overall suc-cess. Thus, accomplished practitionerswill appreciate Ginandes’ expertise insubtle hypnotic technique, while

novices might miss her deliberatechoice of words and think she ismerely using guided imagery. Thepackage is so smoothly woven togetherthat you will gradually recognize itspower as you stop and think about allshe has built into this program.

Ginandes’voice is gentle, soothing,and nurturing. I loved her style. It feltlike being given permission to takecare of yourself. She offers useful toolsto enhance your ability to rejuvenatethrough power naps with a self-hyp-notic turbocharge. She builds a way foryour unconscious mind to becometrained to awaken you at the right timeand feel better about yourself.

This two-CD set includes an intro-duction and practice session on the firstCD. Disc Two offers the preparationfor a power nap and then a guidedpower nap. The naps she invites you toare 15 minutes long. These naps fosteroverall mental success and encouragebody relaxation and rejuvenation. Gi-nandes gently slips in experiences thatwill enhance self-esteem as well.

C D R E V I E W

INTERVIEW continued from page 17

I loved her style and voice, master-fully presented with such simplicity.This program is well made and will besomething that you can offer to clientsas well as use personally. I look for-ward to returning to, and utilizing, theprogram on my own. In addition to en-joying the experience, I was encour-

stories. My own, the title story, in-volved a case where one partner diedand the children and remaining partnermummied the individual and kept themin the house for seven years. This casehas haunted me and helps me to re-member that as much as I think I knowwhat’s happening in people’s lives, Iprobably don’t. This book has so manyamazing stories of what takes place be-hind closed doors all around the world.

(DS) In yet another book,Movedby the Spirit, you and Jeffrey Kottler,helped prominent spiritual leaders,writers and traditional healers de-scribe life-changing events that pro-duce greater meaning, purpose andfulfillment in their lives. Do you be-lieve that spiritually transformationis different then the change that oc-

curs in therapy? If so, what is themain difference between spiritualawakening and therapeutic break-throughs?(JC) To me, Dan, spiritual awaken-

ing is a broader more general change,where as therapeutic breakthroughs areoften more focused. Spiritual break-throughs have the impact of changingall facets of your life. Where as thera-peutic breakthroughs often are limitedto specific relationships. As I’m talk-ing, however, I can think of therapeuticchanges that have been very spiritualand broad and spiritual changes thathave been very focused. So maybechange, breakthroughs, transformationawakenings are all different names forthe same thing?

aged to utilize the techniques in a num-ber of ways. I found the program af-firming and uplifting. I suspect youwill as well.

Reviewed by:John D. Lentz D. MinShepherdsville, KY

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Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment forAddictions: Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse,

Gambling,Weight Control,and Smoking Cessation

By Joseph Tramontana, PhD

Crown House Publishing Ltd., Wales, UK, and CT. USAwww.crownhouse.co.uk

2009, 144 pagesISBN 978-098235736-1

Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment for Addictions offers readers a sense of hav-ing a personal mentor. It is written in a style that helps you feel like the author re-ally wants you to succeed, and is delighted to offer you insights he has learned.Tramontana has worked with addictions for more than 30 years. He provides in-sider information that can assist your clients to achieve their goals. In this book youwill find what you would expect but with a big difference: Tramontana’s messageis heartfelt; he offers in many little ways that you couldn’t possibly anticipate--what has made a difference in people’s lives.

In Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment, Tramontana has joined together meth-ods from cognitive-behavioral therapy, NLP, systematic desensitization; covert sen-sitization through guided imagery, meditation, and 12-step programs. Many toolswill be found in a small package of less than 116 pages. Also included are two ap-pendices: One is a sample inventory for smoking cessation, and the other is an eat-ing questionnaire. He also includes recommended books for further reading as wellas references and an index.

I tested this approach on a client who was drinking large amount of whiskyevery day. I told my client that I was going to use an approach from a man who hadbeen successful in helping others to stop abusing alcohol. It is now three weekslater and the man I treated has only had one brief relapse. To say that I am amazedis an understatement. In retrospect, I can see the subtle elegance and wisdom of theapproach. The author gives people hope when they have none. He also gives thetherapist enough latitude to be effective and to personalize the approach to theirclients’ needs and personal uniqueness. He has thought of most of the variationsthat would, or could be problems and helps you avoid them.

Overall, Tramontana has created a useful tool that is empowered by wisdomand acquired experience.Written in a style that will enhance the work of seasonedtherapists as well as for novices, he has authored a real gem. Hypnotically En-hanced Treatment for Addictions will become a standard for many therapists. Ihighly recommend it.

Reviewed by:John D. Lentz, D. Min.Shepherdsville, KY

B O O K R E V I E W

Staring at the Sun:Overcoming theTerror of Death

By Irvin D.Yalom, M.D.

Jossey-Basswww.josseybass.com2008, 306 pages

ISBN 978-0-7879-9668-0

This is a thoughtful book both withrespect to its content and in the sensethat it provokes the reader to thinkabout his/her own death, and the fearof death in clients. In the preface Dr.Yalom writes that this is a deeply per-sonal book stemming from his ownconfrontation with death.

In the first chapter, “The MortalWound,” Yalom states that the self-awareness, which makes us human,comes with the costly price of thewound of our mortality. In his practiceYalom, found that death has been ahidden (or overt) companion of manyof his clients. It then behooves the ther-apist to know how to be aware of thisto help. In fact, in Chapter Two the au-thor states, “Death awareness mayserve as an awakening experience, aprofoundly useful catalyst for majorlife changes.”

The awakening experience (Chap-ter Three explains that when people areconfronted with a life-challenging dis-ease, they frequently become moti-vated to find out for themselves whatis really important in their lives. In myexperience, and that of Yalom, twothings stand out: relationships and con-tact with nature. The therapist serves asa guide in this endeavor.

Yalom makes good use of his studyof philosophy; frequently referringback to Epicurus whose answer to“What is the root cause of misery?” Itis “our omnipresent fear of death.” Ni-etzsche is quoted to good effect,“When we are tired, we are attacked byideas we conquered long ago.” and“Create the fate that you can love.” asways of attaining perspective. Niet-zsche’s words stand the test of time:“That which does not kill me makes

me stronger.” The latter sentence was afavorite of Viktor Frankl.

Perhaps the most important idea inthe book is that of rippling (Chapter 4).This refers to the idea that each of uscreates, usually without conscious in-tent or knowledge, “... concentric cir-cles of influence that may affect othersfor years, even generations” (p. 83).That is, we live on in others, and theseripples flow on and on and ... .

Chapter Five is about overcomingdeath terror through connection. Afterall, life is with people and with nature:These connections give meaning tolife.And empathy is the most powerfulway we have of connecting to others.In being with a dying person, you needto be with them: listening, touching,aware.

Yalom shares his own fear of deathin Chapter Six. He quotes the last linesof a poem he wrote a long time ago:

till stone is laid on stone

and though none can hear

and none can see

each sobs softly: remember me,remember me

This chapter is an illustration of theuse of self-disclosure, which is an im-portant part of Yalom’s style of doingtherapy and, in particular, his way ofworking with death-terror.

The longest chapter in the book isChapter Seven, which consists of ad-vice for therapists in addressing deathanxiety in their clients and in them-selves. It is full of useful ideas. Thischapter and most of the others are wellillustrated with case histories. Theseconcepts put the “meat on the bones”ofYalom’s message.

This book is a personal history, andas such, I honor it. This book callsmuch needed attention to what hasgenerally been avoided—I applaud itand Yalom. Read, learn, share, and benot afraid.


B O O K R E V I E W

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How to Talk withFamily Caregiversabout CancerBy Ruth Cohn Bolletino, PhD

W.W. Norton & Companywww.wwnorton.com2009, 294 pages

ISBN-978-0-393-70576-8

How to Talk with Family Care-givers about Cancer is the book fortherapists working with family (andother) caregivers whose loved one hascancer. Let me state at the outset thatthis is the best book on this subject Ihave ever read, and I have been activein this field for a score of years. In ad-dition, Lawrence LeShan, a pioneer inthis field, mentored the author.

The book is divided into threeparts. Part I presents a general psy-chotherapy approach (seven chapters);Part II helps the family caregiver helpthe patient (eight chapters); and six ap-pendixes provide basic facts and prac-tical information about cancer and itstreatment.

Part I is replete with an incredibleamount of practical information andadvice for therapists working in thisarea. The author has intimately livedthe experiences she writes about, andbases illustrations on families she hasworked with. Her experience makeswhat she is writing real, rather thanbeing in the realm of mere technique. Itis only from this kind of personal im-mersion in the world of cancer thatsomeone can write from the heart.And, in this work it is essential that youparticipate from the heart. Bolletinoreminds us that she is always a profes-sional, yet one who is involved as aconcerned and caring human beingwith another fellow human being whois in pain, confused, mystified, in de-nial, frequently hopeless and helpless,and swamped in the technology (dare Iadd “mysteries”) of modern medicine.This work is a way of being, just being,with another person. Bolletino em-

phasizes over and over again the im-portance of listening, really listening,to those caught up in what is generallyexperienced as a nightmare. In thesupport group I facilitate, we havefound that the most important part ofour meeting is when everyone has theopportunity to speak from their heartswhatever they wish, and the rest of usprovide undivided attention. To knowthat you are being heard is magical andhealing. Listen, Listen, Listen.

Bolletino rightly emphasizes fourtoxic myths in Chapter Four: (1) peo-ple cause cancer; (2) the cancer patientneeds to maintain serenity and to staypositive at all times; (3) cancer is an in-evitable death sentence; and (4) med-ical statistics foretell the future. Thesemyths are so common that they mustbe addressed. The motto of the support

group I work with is, “You may haveto believe the diagnosis, but you do nothave to believe the prognosis.”

In Part II, Bolletino writes abouthelping the family caregiver help thepatient. As she explains, “Patients areunder far less strain when they under-stand the treatment, the need for it, itspossible side effects, and its benefits”(p. 145). Chapter Seven on the ethicaland spiritual aspects of this work is im-portant and useful and Chapter Elevenoffers excellent ways to communicatewith children in the family of a parentwho has cancer.

The useful appendixes cover basicfacts about cancer and cancer treat-ment, psychological side effects oftreatments, techniques for managingstress, complementary treatments thatcan ease pain, and legal and practicalpreparations when the patient is dying.

If you work with caregivers whoseloved ones have cancer, this is the bookto own, study, and heed.


B O O K R E V I E W Clinical Pearls ofWisdom: 21 LeadingTherapists Offer Their Key Insights

Michael Kerman, MSW, editor. Twenty-one contributors

Norton Professional Bookswww.wwnorton.com2010, 264 pages

ISBN: 978-0-393-70587-4

Clinical Pearls of Wisdom presents insights or techniques from seasoned ther-apists that made the greatest impact in work with clients. Each chapter follows thesame format. Each author presents and explains three clinical pearls of wisdom.Next, the authors discuss a single case history, exemplifying the three pearls andexplaining “why they did what they did.” Then the authors explain the rationale be-hind their clinical work and offer suggestions for the reader to integrate approachesinto practice. The chapters end with a bibliography and a brief biography.

This book is divided into eight sections organized around the most commonpresenting problems including depression, trauma, anxiety, grief, couples, chil-dren, and adolescents. Each section contains between two and five articles, allow-ing the reader to compare different approaches. The concluding section has onearticle on “therapist’s attachment.”

In this review, I cannot examine all the articles, so I compare two articleson anxiety to offer a glimpse of the content.

Reid Wilson, in his chapter “The Art of Persuasion in Anxiety Treatment,” of-fers his three pearls. He advises, “Focus on a new frame of reference,” “Create anoffensive strategy – seek to be clumsy, awkward, uncomfortable, and uncertain,”and “Help clients believe they can cope with failure.” This framework includes anaggressive plan “to take back territory from OCD.”

Wilson then examines Matt, a client who came to a treatment group for OCD.After the morning session, the clients were given homework assignments duringlunch to “seek out uncertainty and doubt.” Instead of three assignments, Matt com-pleted eleven. One assignment, touching a contaminated bottle of alcohol, and thencontaminating other items, caused an extreme reaction, including crying and hy-perventilating. Matt hung in there, remembering that he could cope with failure. Heexplained, “I was telling myself that I wanted to be anxious – and I was.” He re-turned to the group fortified in his ability to take back territory from OCD.

Author Margaret Wehrenberg contributed an article entitled “Tools for Treat-ingAnxiety: Optimizing the Chances for Success.” Her pearls are “Make sure youunderstand the ‘why now’when a person enters therapy,” “Learn to ignore physi-cal symptoms,” and “Anxiety is a condition looking for content.”

She then examines the case of Jerry, an engineer in his late 20’s who is “feel-ing like a duck,” looking serene but paddling like crazy underneath. His historyincluded emotional desertion by both parents when he was eleven and the recentbirth of a son.

The “Why now” part of treatment discovered excessive caffeine use, sleep dep-rivation, and no exercise, all of whichWehrenberg addressed. Following Pearls #2and 3, she taught Jerry “thought stopping” and “thought replacement.” She alsoguided him in “worry management techniques,” including restricting worry to 15minutes daily, diaphragmatic breathing, and a technique called “Focusing” devel-oped by Eugene Gendlin.

In reading this book, a therapist can compare techniques, noticing similaritiesand differences in the way prominent therapists treat common problems. The uni-form structure of the chapters lends a helpful tool in grasping key points and learn-ing to apply them. The editor wisely includes sections on two frequently ignoredgroups, children and adolescents.

I recommend this book, especially for general therapists or those wishing tocompare and contrast techniques for common problems.

Reviewed by:Michael Grusenmeyer, M.D.Rocky River, Ohio, USA

B O O K R E V I E W

“Patients are under far less strain when theyunderstand the treatment, the need for it, itspossible side effects, and its benefits”

The Newsletter is Online! www.erickson-foundation.org


The Zerka T. Moreno SeriesPsychodrama, Sociometry and Beyond

www.psychotherapy.net2007, 76 minutes

ISBN 1-60124-087-2

This DVD is an interview by ten interviewers in a group setting with ZerkaMoreno, one of the founders of psychodrama. The interviews were under ten head-ings: Social Atoms and the Empty Chair, Crossing Swords with Fritz Perls, Lifeand Trauma, Human Touch,Auxiliary Egos as Cultural Guides, Zerka’s Contribu-tions, Sociometry and the Body, Sociodrama, PsychodramaAround the Globe, andNewVistas. In addition, there was a “bonus” 30 minute interview byVictorYalom,Ph.D. The DVD is enhanced by an instructor’s manual that contains a completetranscript of the ten interviews and suggestions for study. (The sound quality is un-even.)

There is historical material concerning psychodrama, including some interest-ing stories relating to Fritz Perls, the founder of Gestalt Therapy. Zerka stated thathe “borrowed” from them without appropriate attribution! Throughout there arewonderful snippets concerning her husband, J.L. Moreno, their courtship and pro-fessional interactions, his genius in working “outside the box,” and creating newmethods. Interestingly, she always refers to him as “Moreno.”

Zerka (she prefers this) makes an excellent case for the use of psychodrama inthe present. Unfortunately, the field of psychotherapy tends to value the most re-cent approaches that have acronyms like CBT and DBT, which are considered to

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be evidence-based and DSM-able, if you will. Early on in the interviews she states,“... experiential methods [like psychodrama] are the treatment of choice for peo-ple who have suffered trauma.” Yet, how many VA hospitals have clinical stafftrained in psychodrama? Recall that Moreno was a psychiatrist who worked ex-tensively with residents in institutional settings. This is also the case with two otherolder approaches—Gestalt Therapy (Perls) and Provocative Therapy (Frank Far-relly)—which are rarely taught now.

Here are some snippets of Zerka’s wisdom:

I threw out the rules when they didn’t fit.

I don’t really know who you are until I see you in psychodrama at least once.

Look at the body and see what the body is doing in space.

Don’t tell me, show me.

Get outside the box—there’s another world out there—bring it to life.

I would like for doctors and especially surgeons and nurses to role reverse withtheir patients ...”

As a personal note, I believe my younger son who is a surgeon learned a greatdeal when he was a patient who underwent a knee ligament transplant, and who hada hard time in the recovery and the nine month re-habilitation period. Role rever-sal would help children and parents, couples, teachers, and both professionals and“ordinary” people.What would a couple contemplating marriage learn from a pre-marital psychodrama testing center?

Zerka Moreno is a fascinating person to spend time with.



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The Milton H. Erickson Foundation NEWSLETTER · 4 VOL. 30, NO. 2 The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter See JAPAN on page 10 The Japan Erickson Club By Marilia Baker The Japan