VIDEO: Stephen Brooks Teaches the Importance of Unconscious Nonverbal Communication in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy    1. Ideomotor Response Ideomotor response is a phenomenon in which a person's unconscious mind can be communicated with through the use of muscle movements. Ideomotor response is often used in hypnosis as a way to communicate with the unconscious mind and to access information that is not available to the conscious mind. To test for ideomotor response, the Ericksonian hypnotherapist will ask the client's unconscious mind to focus on a particular object or thought and then to indicate their response by moving a finger - often on either hand to indicate yes or no. If the client is able to move their finger unconsciously in response to the hypnotist's suggestions, then it is likely that they are experiencing ideomotor response. Extensive research has been dedicated to investigating the ideomotor response phenomenon, a fascinating concept that has captured the attention of professionals across various fields, including psychology and hypnosis. This intriguing phenomenon establishes a connection between one's thoughts or mental imagery and physical responses, such as muscle twitches or movements. Understanding the intricacies of ideomotor response can provide valuable insights into how

Milton H. Erickson Ericksonian Hypnosis is a method of indirect hypnosis named after Dr. Milton Erickson. A prominent American psychiatrist and psychologist, Erickson is widely regarded as the “father of hypnotherapy”. His discoveries have influenced a wide spectrum of therapy from strategic family therapy to neuro-linguistic programming. Dr. Erickson found that indirect suggestion could result in therapeutic behavioral change. He preferred to converse with clients using metaphors, contradictions, symbols, and antidotes to influence their behavior rather than direct orders. As a patient himself who suffered extreme pain after contracting polio at an early age, he thought it critical to “put yourself in the patient’s shoes” and truly understand the client’s present situation. Unlike Freud – who encouraged self exploration – Erickson adopted a form of brief therapy where a patient’s past history is not the focal point of change. Recalling one conversation with a patient with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder who showered a dozen times a day, he asked the patient about the present rather than their past. Specifically he would ask about the process: “Do you wash from the neck down, or do you start with your feet and wash up? Or do you start with your