My Voice Will Go with You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson [Paperback]

Sidney Rosen (Editor, Commentary)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 1991

Milton H. Erikson has been called the most influential hypnotherapist of our time.

Closely related to his therapy was his use of "teaching tales." Calling upon shock, surprise, confusion—with generous use of questions, puns, and playful humor—he seeded suggestions indirectly and positively with these tales, here gathered together by Dr. Rosen.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (March 17, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393301354
• ISBN-13: 978-0393301359
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling > Psychoanalysis

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

291 of 294 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's all in the mind July 26, 2004

By L. Power TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I had read about Erickson as the pioneer of NLP, and his work in hypnosis and psychotherapy and was intrigued. This book is a great introduction to Erickson.

These stories are case studies, people with all sorts of problems, and very interesting solutions, and great stories.

This guy is a genius. From bedwetting to alcoholism, to repression, I was particularly inspired by a very short story about the Turmahara Indians, and how knowing and thinking about their special abilities can increase your energy levels. If it works for me, it might work for you.

There was one story about how he treated one woman who was sexually unresponsive, and through using his storytelling method caused her to have an orgasm in his office without touching her! Before reading this book I had not realised how easily influenced we can be by indirect suggestion, and how powerful his techniques are.

Essentially this is a book of anecdotes, with the author who is himself a psychiatrist giving an explanation of the methods and techniques being used by Erickson.

Apart from the therapeutic benefits, if you read this book you can really improve your communication and storytelling skills if you follow the principles used here, so I would recommend this book to aspiring story tellers.

Think of Erickson as someone who was a master of effecting life altering personal change by being able to communicate on a deeper level. Applied to yourself you can most likely imagine the effect you can have on yourself and others and how you can win friends and influence people by learning this skill.

For more case studies, check out Conversations with Milton H. Erickson Vol 1 by Jay Haley. You might find situations in there that relate to issues in your own life.... In fact, use the look inside feature and check out the index. I found the chapter on public speaking and performance anxiety quite helpful. Also, check out the Patterns of... Erickson book by Richard Bandler, which gives a a complete analysis of Erickson's induction methods.

Hope you found this helpful. Read more ›

174 of 180 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning was never so easy - before February 20, 2001

By Karl

Format:Paperback

Taken at face value this book consists of nothing more than a few anecdotes drawn from Milton Erickson's long and distinguished career as a hypnotherapist and teacher. Plus a commentary from Sidney Rosen, the editor and also an experienced and well-respected hypnotherapist in his own right.

But Milton Erickson is renowned for have developed to a fine art the use of "vague language" and "conversational hypnosis". Which is another way of saying that he was a master of the skill of using words to bring his clients to whatever realisations they needed in order to be able to help themselves.

Not surprisingly, then, Erickson used those same skills when it came to teaching other doctors, psychiatrists, etc. to use the skills he had so carefully developed.
So whilst these appear to be descriptions of stories that therapists might tell to their clients, they are actually effective 'as YOU read them'.
Thus every reader gets teaching and therapy all in one!

This is possibly one of the most seemingly innocent, yet magnificently powerful books I have ever come across.
So get a copy, and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

66 of 69 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best books on Conversational Hypnosis available - November 4, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This book is formatted as case studies. Many individual cases personally handled by Dr. Erickson are included in this volume. The best way to appreciate the value and effectiveness of conversational hypnosis is to experience Dr. Erickson's case studies. Dr. Milton Erickson has been called by many "the father of modern hypnotic therapy" and "the world's greatest hypnotist". If you take the time to review some of his case studies, it becomes obvious as to why he was regarded so highly in his field of expertise. I began my studies of Dr. Erickson's work when I noticed him being quoted so often in both self-improvement books and sales books. Of the many books by Dr. Erickson I have read, this one is by far the best one I have read. In the genres of self-improvement and human influence, this is by far one of the best books available.

My first copy was borrowed and never returned. As a result, I went to re-order this book, and discovered that my original supplier had discontinued this book. I have spent nearly two years attempting in vain to find another copy, and today, I was finally successful. After checking with more than 10 different local and nation-wide bookstores, and checking more than 15 online bookstores, I have finally located my first copy here at Amazon.com.

Great Book, and Great Bookseller.

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great voice to take with you May 17, 2001

By Mr. Stuart Robert Harris

Format:Paperback

"If you going to tell yourself stories, you may as well make them good ones" is a sound piece of advice and "My voice will go with you" fills the bill nicely.

It's not hard to imagine some of these tales being included in popular anthologies of folk wisdom, yeah even unto Reader's Digest. Some might regard such a prospect with distaste, what with Erickson being so revered by many really smart people including writer Aldous Huxley. But it's actually an indication of his all-embracing humanity that so many of the tales make great points in ways that could easily please a very wide audience.

Sidney Rosen's commentaries uncover some of the principles underlying what Erickson was up to in these stories, thereby adding to the wealth of learning. His commentaries are mostly short and anyone wanting more extensive "under the hood" insights might care to check out Bandler & Grinder's "Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson".

"My voice will go with you" is an easy read, but no less worthwhile for that. A few stories run to several pages, many are just a page or so and some are even shorter. You can dip into it or zip through it in any direction with equal pleasure and edification.