Hi Stephen,

We have been receiving ongoing training/supervision on Strategic Therapy here at Walter Reed over the last two years. Dr. Erickson has been frequently mentioned and some interest has been generated in his approach. As a result, I have been tasked with providing a three hour in-service. I feel a bit like Brer Rabbit, being asked to present on Erickson.

I am interested in the statement you made in your article, Milton Erickson's Contribution To Therapy Epistemology - not Technology, that "years ago, I heard Dr. Dan Goleman, editor of Psychology Today magazine state that Dr. Erickson had made a contribution to psychology parallel to Freud's. Where Freud had made his contribution in terms of theory, Erickson had made an equal impact in terms of intervention." This mirrors my experience as I became interested in Dr. Erickson's work after discovering his impact and influence on many of the brief therapy approaches.

Is there any way that I can find a direct citation for Dr. Golman's remark? I would like to use it in my presentation. Of course, it is my intention to credit any/all sources of information I use. Any help/direction you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Your comment on the other thread about formal trance being used in about 20% of your clinical work is consistent with comments that I heard elsewhere from Betty Alice Erickson (WVU Annual Hypnosis Conference) and Hal Wain (Washington Society of Clinical Hypnosis Seminar) within the last two weeks. My presentation will focus on Erickson's approach and contribution to psychotherapy, in general. As I am presently working on an Inpatient Psychiatric Ward, I will focus a bit on his work at Eloise State Hospital.

Thanks for the work that you do on the Forum and the Erickson Foundation's website.

Best wishes,

Joe O'Rourke