Hypnotherapy Scripts: A Neo-Ericksonian Approach to Persuasive Healing

Hypnotherapy can be an exciting and effective adjunct to any therapeutic practice. Unfortunately, it often is difficult for therapists to obtain straightforward information regarding the nature of hypnotic trance or practical instructions about how to use it clinically.With this fascinating and informative new book, Havens and Walters provide a clear description of the hypnotic experience and a direct explanation of its clinical utility. More importantly, they also offer step-by-step guidelines for conducting hypnotherapeutic sessions and numerous verbatim transcripts of specific induction and suggestion procedures.The format and content of this volume reflect the authors’ backgrounds in the Ericksonian tradition coupled with their years of experience as clinicians, teachers, workshop leaders, and researchers. In fact, their own research indicated to them that the use of scripts enhanced the confidence and effectiveness of aspiring hypnotherapists. Their clinical experience provided numerous examples of direct and metaphorical suggestions that are useful with different types of problems. Finally, their observations and personal experiences suggested several new and exciting insights into the therapeutic process itself. By consolidating these multiple sources of information, they constructed a book that gives clinicians ready access to a highly effective therapeutic tool. Hypnotherapy Scripts begins with a concise presentation of the Neo-Ericksonian assumptions underlying the hypnotherapeutic approach of Havens and Walters. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of their perspective is the observation that the primary symptom of all clients is some form of pain - pain which clients naturally try to ignore or avoid, but to which they must pay attention in order to locate and heal the underlying source of their discomfort and dysfunction. Next, the authors explain how hypnosis is used to provide clients with a safe platform from which to view the source of their pain.

Ronald Havens, Ph.D. is the co-director of the Milton H. Erickson Institute of Springfield, Illinois. Dr. Havens is a full professor in the department of psychology at the University of Illinois at Springfield. He has also authored and co-authored a number of texts including Hypnotherapy Scripts, and Hypnotherapy for Health, Harmony and Peak Performance.

Catherine Walters lives in England.

Catherine Walters lives in England.