ABSTRACT
This chapter overviewes the general approach followed by the Ericksonian hypnotherapist. It focuses on the therapist's integrity, emphasizing both the vital necessity and benefits of fully respecting the unique personality and situation of each client. The chapter outlines general communicational processes. It suggests that the hypnotherapist can achieve success by staying externally oriented in an interpersonal trance, remaining flexible, communicating meaningfully, and remaining confident in both self and client. In the hypnotic context, utilization principles can be expressed in a more specific form: pace and depotentiate conscious processes; and absorb and amplify unconscious processes. Therapeutic communications can be facilitated immensely by the therapist's entry into an interpersonal trance wherein full experiential attention is given to the client. This state is especially useful for depotentiating the conscious processes of both therapist and client, thereby enabling the development of a deep experiential rapport.
