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JAY HALEY

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1961;4(2):139-153.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

A general discussion of brief psychotherapy will be offered here illustrated with some of the techniques of Dr. Milton H. Erickson.^* Following a description of this style of psychotherapy, an attempt will be made to place it in a theoretical context by relating it to an interpersonal theory of symptoms.

The Stages of Brief Psychotherapy

Brief psychotherapy, defined here as from 1 to 20 sessions of treatment, does not consist of doing less of what is done in long-term therapy but is different both in theory and in method from psychotherapy based on theories of intrapsychic processes. Inevitably brief therapy is active and directive since it is designed to produce therapeutic change in a minimum amount of time. Usually the approach is used with clearly defined symptoms. When it is applied to more vague "character" problems, these are defined in terms of specific, limited goals.

The Initial . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
PALO ALTO, CALIF.

Footnotes
Submitted for publication Aug. 15, 1960.

Project for the Study of Schizophrenic Communication, directed by Gregory Bateson. Staff consists of Jay Haley and John H. Weakland, Research Associates, Dr. Don D. Jackson, consultant, Dr. William F. Fry, consultant. The research project is financed by a grant from the Foundations' Fund for Research in Psychiatry, administered by the Department of Anthropology, Stanford University, and a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, administered by the Palo Alto Medical Research Foundation, Palo Alto, Calif.

Dr. Erickson, who is in private psychiatric practice in Phoenix, is primarily known as a leading medical hypnotist. He has developed a special school of psychotherapy which has its roots in hypnosis although actual trance induction may not be used. This description of some of his methods might or might not agree with his own description. When reference is made to a case he has published, this will be noted; otherwise, the descriptions are based upon tape recorded personal communications.

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