Family hypnotherapy: Erickson or systems?

Abstract

This paper argues that Ericksonian hypnotherapy is epistemologically at variance with the systems theory underlying most forms of family therapy. This incompatibility is not often realized, because of other shared assumptions such as focusing on positives, and the utilization of presenting behaviour. The paper highlights the epistemological differences between Systems and Ericksonian thinking and presents the concept of attribution of meaning as a possible way out of the difficulties which arise when these two opposing modes of thought are mixed in therapy. Copyright © 1991, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved