Customer Reviews

The February Man: Evolving Consciousness and Identity in Hypnotherapy

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These hypnosis sessions took place in 1945, when Erickson was still developing some of the approaches that made him the greatest hypnotist of his time. Erickson and Ernest L. Rossi went over the session transcriptions in detail many years later, and Erickson explained what he was doing and why, and how the patient got such extraordinary results from her sessions.

The sessions themselves are a virtual education in hypnotic approaches to time, as Erickson inserts his presence into "S"'s life and adds a parental voice and a trusted advisor to a childhood already lived. The book is like a nested series of conversations: Milton and "S" in 1945, Milton and Rossi in 1978, and Rossi and the reader as Rossi adds in metacomments on his earlier conversations with Erickson. Even the side comments by the rather clueless (IMO) Dr Fink added to my enjoyment of this extraordinary work. I consider this book a must for the library of anyone interested in hypnosis/nlp.

This is the only full written transcript with commentary of Erickson working with someone from start to finish that I know of. I'm amazed at how few people have read this book. I love watching how he worked so long ago. At first it was hard for me to track what he was doing but when I got used to how he worked I could see the genius of what he was doing. Erickson was the master of metaphors and pattern interrupts. If you read closely you can use how he masterfully made use of these two tools to assist his client in making change.

The 'Decision Destroyer' by Richard Bandler was based on this work from what I have been told. There is so much to this work that if you were to spent just the time reading it and breaking down what Erickson did AND ultimately put it to use in your work then it would ONLY up your game.

Absolute must read for any serious student of Erickson!!

There are 4 seminal books from Dr. Erickson himself. They were written with the collaboration of his student Dr. Ernest L. Rossi and they are a must for every student of Ericksonian hypnosis. Unfortunately only the last book, this book, The February Man was the only translated to the Spanish(by Amorrortu, an Argentinian publisher since 1992) and, sorry I really do not like this translation, I think this book must be read in english. So you must buy it now!. But wait,let me give you very good news, The Milton H. Erickson Foundation will publish soon the translation to Spanish (the Spanish of Mexico)of the first 3 books, i.e.: Realidades hipnóticas, Hipnoterapia y Experimentando la hipnosis, so you will be able to broaden your understanding of clinical hypnosis.I proudly contributed in the translation of those books. Recommended!. Luis David Guzmán-Moreno, M.D., Milton H. Erickson Institute of SLP, México.

The bool it is excellent for those who want to explore more that just hypnosis or just therapy.