Re:Phenomenology

You are right in a couple of matter. I strongly agree that Erickson's approach relies heavily on phenomenology -- I'm surprised that it is not referred to as a phenomenological therapy. Secondly, yes, the individuals own take on their own culture is essential. One thing, however, you are not apparently aware of how Erickson worked to individualize his trances. In the Collected Papers you will read many many inductions that are entirely different from the stereotypical one you cited. For instance, pacing across the room to develop trance, in another attending to a public lecture, in another glancing around the room, and so on. I think you question (not you personally -- after all you are asking to get data) points out something that is a problem, probably similar in all schools of therapy, and that is the 'easy' overgeneralization that can be used to 'conveniently' characterize it. I think Gestalt therapy, for example will always bring to most therapist's mind the 'double chair' technique; while, Transaction Analysis will always bring either the Goulding’s Redecision approach or the Berne/Karpman’s group Structural Analysis education approach, and let's not forget the psychoanalytic psychotherapies' well know pigeon holes, and the same for Scream and Body therapies, and so on. Having a good deal of background in each of these, I realize how much more rich they are and how much they have to offer above the common over generalized reasons for dismissal.

So what we hear and maybe read in these areas probably doesn't really do justice to the successful practitioners and only makes our training of therapist harder (given that the prejudgments don't keep trainees aware entirely, I guess!).

Having said all that, I'm not too sure many people would really be interested in being emerge in Erickson's approach, TA, Gestalt, Behavior Mod, Psychoanalytic, Feldenkrias, Lowen, Kelerman, Alexander, Rolf, (Reich?) Psychodrama, etc., enough so as to really 'get' any one of them. It just has to be a sort of drive or passion or something. I don't know how in the world I was so lucky to have stumbled into going at least quarterly for five years see Erickson, myself. Or 6 years of TA and 7 of Gestalt, etc.

So, it becomes very hard to put the principles of another into your own practice and we all come to some limit and then...boing...I recon we all generalize about what the therapy is like and overlook some possibilities.

Well, do I ramble on or what. I hope there was some sense in all that for some readers out there somewhere....

The short of it is, Erickson was very cognizant of the topic you brought up and her definitely wanted his students to be also. "Put one foot in the client's world and leave one in you own;" "Speak the client's language;" "Observe, observe, observe," he would repeatedly declare.

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