Brief therapy: Lasting Impressions

American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis,  Oct 2004  by Peters, Patricia,  Edgette, John

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Zeig, Jeffrey K. (Ed.) (2002) Brief therapy: Lasting Impressions. Phoenix, AZ: The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Press, xiii + 468 pages, hardcover. Reviewed by: Patricia Peters, BA, Honeybrook, PA, and John Edgette, PsyD, Rosemont, PA.

The Fourth Brief Therapy Conference, sponsored by The Milton H. Erickson Foundation, was held in August of 1998 in New York City. There were 26 invited addresses and they are converted into corresponding chapters in Brief Therapy, Lasting Impressions, edited by the Foundation's director, Jeffrey Zeig. They are grouped under the headings, Principles & Practice, Contemporary Perspectives, Therapeutic Approaches, and The Person of the Therapist. Brief therapy is much more than shortterm treatment. The topics, perspectives, and orientations are diverse. So while the general headings are helpful, they are not definitive. Although citations follow each chapter there is no general index, so the reader must either work through from start to finish, not an unpleasant task, or browse in an effort to find specific material of interest.

Organizational issues aside, one of the strengths of brief therapy is its ability to embrace divergent approaches. The advantage of a volume of collected papers is that the varying points of view can be organized around the central theme cum backbone called brief therapy. A review of some of the chapter titles supports this view. They include "The Cause and Cure of Affect Phobias in Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy," by Leigh McCullough; "Reality Exists: A Critique of Antirealism in Brief Therapy," by William J. Matthews; "Better, Deeper, and More Enduring Brief Therapy," by Albert ElHs; "Sprouting Wings: Four Catalysts for Accelerating Change in Brief(er) Prescriptive Therapy," by John Norcross; and "Brief Therapy for Sexual Dysfunction," by Joseph LoPiccolo.

The Ericksonian tradition is well represented by Jeffrey Zeig, Stephen Lankton, Betty Alice Erickson, Ernest Rossi, and Stephen Gilligan, but since the scope of brief therapy is so broad, so are the orientations of its advocates. For instance Albert Ellis and Michael Yapko support a cognitive-behavioral perspective. Leigh McCullough utilizes short-term dynamic psychotherapy. Family and systemic approaches are discussed by Lynn Huffman and Monica McGoldrick. Each of the presenters puts his/ her own spin on the central theme. There are reflections on the past including "Moments of Eternity: "What Carl Rogers Has to Offer Brief Therapy," by Maureen O'Hara; a look into the future with "Brief Therapy as a Growth Industry," by James Prochaska; and "Expanding Your Psychotherapy Practice Through Medicare," by Nicholas Cummings; and cautionary tales such as "Why the Field of Therapy Is on the Verge of Extinction and What We Can Do to Save It," by Scott Miller, et al. While hypnosis is not the primary focus of any of the presentations, its utilization is applicable in many of the therapeutic settings that are discussed. Clinicians who are hypnotically inclined will find much of value in these pages. Many of the authors have published extensively on hypnosis and hypnotherapy.

Despite the rich tapestry that the conference presents, there are some notable gaps. Of the 26 chapters only Monica McGoldrick specifically addresses culture, class, race, and gender. Peggy Papp discusses gender differences in depression. In light of the importance of these factors in any discussion of twenty-first century psychotherapy, they deserve more attention. Disability studies are not discussed at all. Clinical research is given sparse attention. Ernest Rossi introduces his work in neuropsychology, but important research in hypnosis most relevant to clinical practice by David Spiegel, Irving Kirsch, and others would have been a valuable addition. While families get some attention, couples do not; for example, although Michele Weiner-Davis, author of Divorce Busting, presented at the Brief Therapy Conference in 2002 in Orlando, she unfortunately was not included in this volume.

It is impossible to achieve a perfect balance, and there will always be perceived omissions or irrelevancies, but overall, whether student or seasoned practitioner, readers will surely find something here of interest. If you cannot attend one of these conferences, curl up with this book. It is the next best thing.

Patricia Peters, BA, Honeybrook, PA, and John Edgette, PsyD, Rosemont, PA.

Copyright American Society of Clinical Hypnosis Oct 2004
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