ABSTRACT
The most important concept for anyone interested in working from an Ericksonian perspective is utilisation. The main reason Erickson was so effective in his work was his abundant use of utilisation. A great example of Erickson’s gifted use of utilisation is an often cited case in which he worked with a suicidal woman. This young woman came to see Erickson because she had lost any sense of hope in her life. Reframing is a form of utilisation in which the problem the client brings to therapy is incorporated into the process of solving the problem. Erickson utilised the frames his clients would present in a way that activated the inner resources the clients already possessed. He believed the clients he worked with have problems because of learned limitations. Paradoxical interventions may be used when there is a specific problem that the client believes is involuntary. They may even be directed to increase the intensity of the behaviour.
