Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, The Milton H. In 1974, a young, earnest psychologist named Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D. had a noble aspiration. Erickson M. The Milton H.
Erickson Foundation provides psychotherapy conferences & continuing education events for mental-health professionals. He wanted to hold an educational meeting of mental health professionals. For six years, Dr. Zeig, along with other colleagues, trained and mentored under Milton H. D., the world’s foremost authority on hypnosis. Dr. Erickson never charged his students, so to express his gratitude and to offer Dr. Erickson an opportunity to witness the tremendous impact he had made in the field, Dr. Zeig organized the first Congress. As plans were underway, the need to establish a more formal non-profit educational foundation was recognized. Erickson Foundation was incorporated October 29, 1979. Unfortunately, Dr. Erickson died nine months before the Congress but was able to appreciate that 750 had already registered. The Congress, held in December of 1980, attracted more than 2,000 and was the largest meeting ever held on the topic of hypnosis. Over the next 30-plus years, the Foundation has grown to offer more Congresses; conferences on brief therapy and couples therapy; an Evolution of Psychotherapy conference; training workshops, including the Intensives and Master Classes; a rich and expansive archive; the Foundation Press which offers information resources and studies of Dr. Erickson’s methods and Ericksonian related topics; an Erickson Center for Hypnosis and Psychotherapy where patients pay on a sliding scale; a newsletter published three times a year; and more recently, a museum, formerly the home where Dr. Erickson lived and worked the last decade of his life. From its humble beginnings, the Milton H. Erickson Foundation has grown to become one of the most globally recognized and influential organizations in the field of psychotherapy today. However, it has only been possible with the support of registrants, faculty, donors, and those who strongly believe in the Foundation’s mission.
10/09/2025
🌟 Meet Our Faculty 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome Rick Miller, LICSW to the 2026 Intensive Training! 🎉
📖 He’ll be teaching “Ego Strengthening and Self-Esteem” on June 19th as part of Module 3 - Clinical Applications.
✨ Specializing in supporting male couples, Rick Miller has earned recognition for his impactful work in the field. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from him LIVE!
Quote from the book “The Wisdom of Milton H. Erickson”
Erickson, M.H., and Rossi, E.L. (1977). Autohypnotic Experiences of Milton H. Erickson In R.A. Havens (Ed.), The Wisdom of Milton H. Erickson (pp. 77). New York, NY: Irvington Publishers, Inc.
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10/06/2025
🌟 Meet Our Faculty 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome Tobi Goldfus, LCSW-C, BCD to the 2026 Intensive Training in Clinical Hypnosis! 🎉
📖 She’ll be teaching “Breaking the Habit of 'Compare & Despair' to Embracing a Life of Self Acceptance and Connectedness” on July 17th as part of Module 4 - Mastering Clinical Challenges.
✨ With expertise in ego state work and in understanding the factors that make young people on social media and gaming platforms more vulnerable to negative or traumatic experiences, Tobi Goldfus is widely respected for her contributions to the field. Don’t miss this chance to learn directly from her LIVE!
We’re thrilled to welcome Consuelo Casula, Dipl. Psych to the 2026 Intensive Training! 🎉
📖 She’ll be teaching “Hypnotic Suggestion” on January 16th as part of Module 1 - Hypnosis Basics.
✨ Consuelo Casula integrates Ericksonian hypnosis with systemic and strategic approaches, making her a renowned leader in the field. Don’t miss your chance to see her LIVE!
From the Archives
In 1983 at the Second International Congress in Phoenix, Dr. Ronald R. Brown presented his paper on Ericksonian hypnosis and trauma recovery entitled “Treatment of Two Cases of R**e Using Ericksonian Hypnosis.”
Brown highlighted how African American female survivors of sexual assault often face not only trauma, but also stigma and harmful cultural stereotypes...and that through metaphor, anecdote, and indirect suggestion, Ericksonian approaches offered a gradual, respectful path to healing and reclaiming self-worth.
💡 His paper was an important early contribution, offering one of the first formal academic presentations of Ericksonian methods applied to trauma recovery.
📸Photo taken at 1983 International Congress in Phoenix
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09/30/2025
🌟 Meet Our Faculty 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome Robert Staffin, PsyD, ABPH to the 2026 Intensive Training! 🎉
📖 He’ll be teaching “Experiential Induction” on January 23rd as part of Module 1 - Hypnosis Basics.
✨ A hypnotherapy veteran and president of the Clinical Hypnosis Society of New Jersey, Robert Staffin is widely respected for his outstanding contributions to the field. Don’t miss this chance to learn from him LIVE!
📅 Fridays | 9:00–11:30 AM PT
👉 Register now: https://www.erickson-foundation.org/intensive-training
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09/25/2025
🌟 Meet Our Faculty 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome Roxanna Erickson, RN, PhD to the 2026 Intensive Training in Clinical Hypnosis! 🎉
📖 She’ll be teaching “First Hypnotherapy Session and Ethics” on February 13th as part of Module 1 - Hypnosis Basics.
✨ Bringing deep knowledge of the interface between psychological and physical medicine, Roxanna Erickson has earned acclaim for her impactful work. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn directly from her LIVE!
📅 Fridays | 9:00–11:30 AM PT
👉 Register now: https://www.erickson-foundation.org/intensive-training
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09/24/2025
Quote from the book “The Wisdom of Milton H. Erickson”
Erickson, M.H. (1980), The Collected Papers of Milton H. Erickson on Hypnosis, Volume IV, chap. 4 in R.A. Havens (Ed.), The Wisdom of Milton H. Erickson (pp. 74). New York, NY: Irvington Publishers, Inc.
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09/23/2025
Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, is the developer of the Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (PACT), an integrative model drawing from attachment theory, developmental neuroscience, and arousal regulation. His work emphasizes secure functioning, mutual care, and the ability of partners to co-regulate during stress.
Tatkin is also the author of several influential books for both clinicians and couples, including 'Wired for Love', 'Wired for Dating', and 'In Each Other’s Care'. The Milton H. Erickson Foundation Clinical Library features an extensive collection of his past conference presentations, offering therapists practical insight into his clinical methods. https://catalog.erickson-foundation.org/speaker/stan-tatkin
Photo taken at the 2019 Couples Conference in Manhattan Beach, CA.
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09/23/2025
🌟 Meet Our Faculty 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome Dana Lebo, PhD to the 2026 Intensive Training! 🎉
📖 She’ll be teaching “Hypnosis and Performance Enhancement” on May 1st as part of Module 3 - Clinical Applications.
✨ With expertise in enhancing the performance and work-life balance of athletes, teams, and artists, Dana Lebo is widely respected for her contributions to the field. Don’t miss this chance to learn directly from her LIVE!
📅 Fridays | 9:00–11:30 AM PT
👉 Register now: https://www.erickson-foundation.org/intensive-training
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09/20/2025
🌟 Meet Our Faculty 🌟
We’re thrilled to welcome Michael Yapko, PhD to the 2026 Intensive Training! 🎉
📖 He’ll be teaching “Depression” on June 5th as part of Module 3 - Clinical Applications.
✨ With expertise in advancing clinical hypnosis and outcome-focused psychotherapy, Michael Yapko is internationally recognized for their contributions to the field. Don’t miss this chance to learn directly from them LIVE!
📅 Fridays | 9:00–11:30 AM PT
👉 Register now: https://www.erickson-foundation.org/intensive-training
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09/17/2025
From the Archives
📸 Pictured: Milton H. Erickson, MD, with his Seri sculpture collection, 1977. Taken by Alan Bergman.
Dr. Erickson collected ironwood carvings made by the Seri people of Sonora, Mexico, not just as art but as a way to connect with the spirit of transformation. Erickson would transport himself from his physical confines through the sculptures, imagining life as a dolphin, owl, pelican, etc.
Anthropologist Jim Hills, who became Erickson’s friend in the 1970s, said the carvings opened long conversations between the two about culture, identity, and healing.
Hills described Erickson as a "nurse plant," akin to the desert ironwood tree that protects young plants from heat and wind. Through their friendship, Hills found confidence, clarity, and direction that helped shape the rest of his life.
Read more about Hills and Erickson in An Epic Life II by Dr. Jeffrey K. Zeig, available in our bookstore. https://www.erickson-foundation.org/books/p/epic-life-2
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The Milton H. Erickson Foundation is a globally recognized and highly influential organization in the field of psychotherapy. The Foundation offers conferences; training workshops, including the Intensives and Master Class; a rich and expansive archive; the Erickson Foundation Press, which publishes books on Ericksonian-related topics and studies of Erickson’s methods; a newsletter; tours of the home (now a museum) where Erickson lived the last decade of his life; online continuing education; and a soon-to-be-released subscription-based service that will provide access to a vast library of digital media.
Milton H. Erickson, MD (1901-1980), was a renowned psychiatrist and one of the world’s leading practitioners of medical hypnosis. He became known for his brief, strategic approaches to psychotherapy that included the use of utilization, orienting toward, tailoring, and gift-wrapping. Stricken with polio when he was 18, Erickson recovered but several decades later endured post-polio syndrome, which eventually made him wheelchair bound. Milton Erickson was a profile in courage. Despite his chronic pain and afflictions, he tirelessly worked helping and teaching others in his private practice and seminars. And he rarely charged the students he mentored, including one young psychologist named Jeffrey K. Zeig.
Like several of whom Erickson taught and mentored, Zeig sought Erickson out in the early 1970s after hearing of him and his innovative methods. For the next several years, Zeig traveled to Phoenix to learn from Erickson, and eventually moved to Phoenix to be closer to him. In the late 1970s, Zeig began organizing a congress that would coincide with Erickson’s 79th birthday. He wanted to show Erickson his deep appreciation for all the years he spent as his student and house guest. As plans for the congress were underway, the need to establish a more formal non-profit educational foundation was recognized. In October of 1979, The Milton H. Erickson Foundation was incorporated, and Erickson and his wife, Elizabeth (Betty), and Zeig and his then wife, Sherron Peters, were the first board of directors. The current board of directors include: Helen Erickson, Roxanna Erickson-Klein, Camillo Loriedo, J. Charles Theisen, Bernhard Trenkle, and Jeffrey K. Zeig.
The First International Congress on Ericksonian Approaches to Hypnosis and Psychotherapy, held in December 1980, attracted more than 2,000 and was the largest meeting ever held on the topic of hypnosis. It was such a success that within a few years Zeig organized another conference: The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, which featured luminaries in the field. Tabbed “The Woodstock of Psychotherapy,” the first Evolution Conference was hailed as a landmark event by The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. The Brief Therapy Conference and Couples Conference, also conceptualized and organized by Zeig, soon followed. Since 1980, the Erickson Foundation has continued to offer these conferences and congress.
The Milton H. Erickson Foundation continues to grow, expanding its therapeutic reach throughout the world. And with the support of donors, registrants, faculty, and staff, it will carry on in perpetuity.
