ABSTRACT
B. A. Erickson has commented that the client’s lack of flexibility is one of the most common issues one deals with in therapy. There are important beliefs and assumptions when working with clients from an Ericksonian perspective. Erickson once worked with a young man who was unable to walk down, or cross, busy, crowded streets. Erickson figured out that his avoidance of public places was due to his fear of interacting with women. Erickson’s encouragement in developing strength helped the young man begin to improve his body image. Erickson has commented that the client’s lack of flexibility is one of the most common issues one deals with in therapy. Erickson immediately told the man that treatment would not begin that day even if the man wanted the treatment. Research in the field of neurobiology is showing that it is experience that activates nerve cells, which then turns on genes that create structural changes in the brain, a process called neuroplasticity.
