ABSTRACT
The work of Milton Erickson has long been associated with the North American school of strategic therapy. This view takes a pragmatic or “what works” approach to psychotherapy and deemphasizes the value of theory in clinical practice. Clinical practice separated from theory can lead to the arbitrary application of technique and possible harm to the client. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to underscore the important mutual relationship between theory and practice; and (2) to present a cybernetic or recursive model of Ericksonian hypnotherapy. A cybernetic perspective emphasizes the mutually influencing client-therapist relationship rather than viewing the therapist as independent from the client's behavior. Specifically, the interactions of the therapist-client system in relationship to diagnosis, treatment goals, and Ericksonian treatment interventions such as utilization, indirection, hypnosis, and metaphor are presented within a cybernetic model.
