Ericksonian Theories and Applications

Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy Program

DCH 805

Breyer State University

Professor: Elgin Gossalter, BA, PGDip, Ph.D., ND(C)

Syllabus

COURSE OVERVIEW: Greetings and Welcome! “Ericksonian Theories and Applications” is a Doctorate Level course in the curriculum for the Doctor of Clinical Hypnotherapy Degree.  It will be a pleasure and an honor to instruct you in this course which will represent an essential foundation for your studies in the doctorate program, since a sound knowledge of the theories formulated by of one of the most famous names in modern hypnosis are fundamental for any professional in the field of hypnotherapy.

You certainly know that Milton Erickson was internationally recognized as the leading therapist in the field of medical hypnosis. More than most others, he was able to vividly demonstrate the huge potentials that hypnosis has to offer to mankind. Many researchers in the field of clinical hypnosis as well as related fields like, psychiatry, psychology or NLP have not only analyzed Erickson’s work, but built on it. A master at showing at all times a respectful awareness of the patient’s unconscious mind, hypnotic techniques were for Erickson a simple means to induce a favorable setting in which to instruct the patient in a better adapted use of his own potentials of behavior.

I am convinced that you will find this course very helpful in your everyday life as a clinical hypnotherapist, considering that the insights revealed within the four books you are going to study will give you much valuable practical advice for the optimized use of the observational skills that any hypnotherapist should master. I would like to encourage you to explore the course books in depth, underline the important concepts and eventually discover your own favorite techniques in the interaction with your patients. Be assured that I am fully aware that it is a course that puts a heavy demand on you in terms of reading and assignments; you will see, however, that it will be worthwhile, I have no doubt about this. I am pleased to have you in this course and will endeavor to be available and of assistance whenever you need me for any questions you may have. I would like our interaction to be an open, pleasant and profitable one.

TIME FRAME: “Ericksonian Theories and Applications” is a five-semester hour course and it is allotted 10 weeks of time. For the successful completion of the course, all requirements will have to be met by the end of the tenth week.  The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the course, or the day which you notify me that your textbooks have arrived and you are ready to begin your studies.  Please be cognizant of the time frame and organize your time well. Though this may vary from person to person, on average, a daily dedication of two to three hours of concentrated academic work are necessary to gather the knowledge necessary for the adequate study of the material and personal research and reflection on the subject. Only on rare occasions extensions of time are permitted and this will not be the case unless you have good justification. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded five semester hours of credit.

TEXTBOOKS: There are 4 required textbooks for this course.

Book 1: Therapeutic Trances: The Co-Operation Principle In Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, Stephen Gilligan: Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (November 1, 1986), ISBN-10: 0876304420, ISBN-13: 978-0876304426

Book 2: My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson, M.D., Sidney Rosen: Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (April 1991), ISBN-10: 0393301354, ISBN-13: 978-0393301359

Book 3: Answer Within: A Clinical Framework of Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, S. Lankton , C. Hicks Lankton: Publisher: Crown House Publishing (July 30, 2008), ISBN-10: 1845901215, ISBN-13: 978-1845901219

Book 4: Conversational Hypnosis: A Manual of Indirect Suggestion, Carol Sommer: Publisher: Sommer Solutions, Inc. (October 1992), ISBN-10: 0971018006, ISBN-13: 978-0971018006

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EXAMINATIONS: There are two examinations for this course, a mid-term exam and a final exam. 

The mid-term exam covers the material in the first two books: “Therapeutic Trances: The Co-Operation Principle In Ericksonian Hypnotherapy,” and “My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson, M.D”

The final exam covers the material in the two remaining books: “Answer Within: A Clinical Framework of Ericksonian Hypnotherapy” and “Conversational Hypnosis: A Manual of Indirect Suggestion”

The mid-term examination must be taken by the end of the 5th week in the course.
The final examination must be taken by the end of the 10th week in the course.

Both exams are programmed and are located in the classroom. The examinations are “open book”, yet demand a thorough knowledge of the material covered. They are either composed of an essay or of the objective type. You will have 3h (three hours) to complete your exam, once you access it from the classroom.  To access the exam, please follow the detailed instructions given in the “assignment” section of the DCH 805 in the classroom.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: There are 5 written assignments for this course, all of which are located in the DCH 805 classroom for their detailed description.

Assignment 1:

If you have been my student in another course, please indicate the course number and date. In this case you are dispensed from writing this assignment (just let me know how you have been doing with your studies in the meantime and tell me any significant experience you may have had in hypnotherapy.

In a 3-4 page, double spaced paper (APA style and including a title page mentioning course title and number, your name and contact data, the date, my name), please tell me about yourself, your objectives and your motivations for taking this course and your professional plans. Include the experience you may have with hypnotherapy as well as your specific areas of interest within the field.

Assignment 2:

This assignment consists of a study guide related to book one.

Assignment 3:

This assignment consists of a study guide related to book two.
*You need to complete assignments 1, 2 and 3 before requesting access to the midterm exam.

Assignment 4:

This assignment consists of a study guide related to book three.

Assignment 5:

This assignment consists of a study guide related to book four.
*You need to complete assignments 4 and 5 before requesting access to the final exam.
* Please access the detailed description of the assignments in the classroom for DCH 805.

GRADING: The grading modalities and scale for this course are as follows:

Assignments 2, 3, 4 and 5: 10% of the final score each (40%)
Midterm exam: 30% of the final score                          (25%)
Final exam: 30% of the final exam                               (35%) 

90-100 %    =    A
80-89 %      =    B
70-79 %      =    C
Below 70% =    Fail

Before submitting any document, please make sure to check your work for possible spelling and/or grammar mistakes since at undergraduate level, it is expected of you to use a correct and coherent language style.

Also, please keep in mind that plagiarism of any kind is unacceptable! Whenever you use some author’s intellectual property, copyrighted or not, do not omit to adequately quote the source; no exceptions!

The non-respect of this item would count against you.

COMMUNICATION: Please feel free and at ease to communicate with me whenever you feel my advice or opinion could be helpful. I am available as a teacher, coach, and mentor to assist you in meeting your goals for this course.  Primarily, communication is through email. I will usually be answering your e-mails within 1 to 3 business days. However, I am also available for conversation by telephone or can meet with you one-on-one in the chat room at your request.  Please keep my email address handy so that you can contact me. If at any time during this course you change your email address, please be sure to notify me right away.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Having said all this let me introduce myself. I am Elgin Gossalter, BA, PGDip, Ph.D., ND (C). I started my academic education reading psychology at Oxford, then moved to Paris, where I specialized in applied foreign languages and co-owned and managed 3 language schools for over 10 years. In the early nineties, I left Europe and went to live in Brazil; one of the purposes being the discovery of the wealth of natural healing methods existing in the South American continent. Here I also formalized my acquired knowledge with two Postgraduate Diplomas, one in Methodology and Research and the other in Parapsychology and Mental Sciences. I then concluded my Ph.D. in Clinical Hypnotherapy, and now devote my study time to finishing my second doctorate, this one in the field of Naturopathy (ND) while continuing professionally active, both in my private hypnotherapy practice and in language tuition.

My special interests of research lie in the Mind-Body relation and neuroscience in general. This year my first book, “An ABC of Pain” will be published. Apart from detailing pain pathways and pain physiology, the book repeatedly highlights the necessity of an integrative approach to medicine and, for that matter, all human ailments.

During my 30 years of experience in teaching, I have always loved my rich and challenging interactions with my students. I shall be happy to be there for you with the intent of making the learning experience unique and unforgettable.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: In this course you will be learning about and studying:

1. The concept of the always attentive subconscious mind
2. The relative importance of depth of trance
3. Verbal and non-verbal trance induction techniques
4. Confusion and handshake techniques
5. Permissive and indirect versus authoritarian and direct induction techniques
6. Story telling as a means for transformation
7. Therapeutic metaphors
1. how they work
2. how to formulate and use them

1. The art of closely listening to the patient
2. Reading between the patient’s lines
3. The importance of patient participation in the endeavor of transformation
4. Dealing with and using patient resistance
5. Emphasis on the positive
6. Double blind suggestions
7. Symptom prescription
8. Relapse encouragement for variable control

INFORMATION: If you have any questions regarding this program, you may address them to admassistant@breyerstate.com. An administrative faculty member will respond to all questions.

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