The phenomenological approach of Milton Erickson

Journal title IPNOSI
Author/s Mauro Lavalle
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2025/2
Language Italian Pages 10 P. 49-58 File size 67 KB
DOI 10.3280/IPN2025-002004
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Milton Erickson’s approach to psychotherapy can be described as a phenomenological one. His method was based on carefully listening to the patient, and his personalized therapeutic strategies were always grounded in the patient’s experiential language. His humanity was evident in his ability to understand the individual’s existential reality, going beyond words to grasp the way the person in front of him existed in the world. Erickson used the patient’s experiential system to induce trance and promote change, viewing symptoms as part of the language the person used to navigate reality. His aim was to facilitate transformative experiences without framing the individual’s experience within any theoretical or diagnostic framework. Erickson can rightfully be considered one of the founders of phenomenological psychotherapy, on par with Karl Jaspers and other representatives of the European phenomenological school.

Keywords: Milton Erickson, Viktor Frankl, Karl Jaspers, Ludwig Binswanger, phenomenology, phenomenological psychotherapy, hypnosis, symptom prescription, confusion technique.

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Mauro Lavalle, La terapia fenomenologica di Milton Erickson in "IPNOSI" 2/2025, pp 49-58, DOI: 10.3280/IPN2025-002004