The Couple's Hypnotic Dance

Creating Ericksonian Theories in Marital Therapy

Whether gliding across the ballroom floor or arguing across the kitchen table, the verbal and nonverbal language of a couple's interaction constitutes a kind of hypnotic dance. To an outsider, the steps of the dance may seem completely improvised, erratic, and without form. However, there is an intricate pattern, which the dancers themselves may not see—though the steps come easily as soon as the rhythm begins. 

Herein lies the goal of this extraordinary book: to foster a greater understanding of mutually inspired trance and to generate strategies for eliciting positive change in marital interaction while respecting the depth of meaning in each partner’s unconscious choreography pragmatic yet richly imaginative, Dr. Kershaw builds upon, breaks away and then comes back to the work of Milton Erickson, weaving together theory, application, and demonstration to form a multidimensional perspective on working hypnotically with couples 

The therapist’s ability to translate the text—and the all-important subtext—of the couple’s communication is integral to effective therapy. Each of the ten chapters provided will add to the therapist’s fluency in this often-elusive vocabulary. 

“This is a ground-breaking book for therapists interested in applying Ericksonian approaches with couples. It offers a well-written balance of clear theory and practical techniques. I highly recommend it!” — Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D. 

“This is a dancing and entrancing book about the trance of the marital dance, à la Milton Erickson. Following Erickson, Dr. Kershaw depathologizes and resacrilizes the marital unconscious as a resource for healing marriages…Buy, read, and enjoy.” — Donald S. Williamson, Ph.D., Past President, AAMFT; Department of Family Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine 

“Marital partners often trigger in each other resourceless states—negative trance-like experiences in which partners feel devoid of satisfactory solutions. Carol Kershaw maps these interactional loops and provides Ericksonian strategies to help couples make their marriage entrancing. Therapists of all persuasions are sure to benefit from this important book.” — Jeffrey K. Zeig, Ph.D., Director, The Milton H. Erickson foundation 

“Dr. Kershaw takes the basic principle of entrancement and develops a potent theory and practice of shaping the underlying forces to help therapists work with couple systems…This is a clearly conceived, well-articulated, beautifully written book!” — Joseph C. Zinker, Ph.D., Author of Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy 

“…offers new steps and movements for many marital therapists that are set to the melody and rhythms of Ericksonian hypnosis. It offers that rare combination of theory, methods and examples written clearly and simply. I find myself imagining what it might be like to try these movements at some time in the future…and noticing how my work with couples is already change…” — Anna Beth Benningfield, Ph.D., President-Elect, AAMFT 

“Dr. Carol Kershaw’s highly readable [book] is an excellent resource for any psychotherapist. Her clear understanding of Milton Erickson’s basic therapeutic premises and work in hypnosis serve an underpinnings for the development of relevant and effective therapy techniques…” — Betty Alice Erickson-Elliott, M.S., L.P.C. 

“I highly recommend this book to professionals who are interested in broadening their skills to include Ericksonian methods, as well as to health professionals who are already versed in the work of Dr. Erickson. There is much to be learned form the presentation of Dr. Kershaw.” — Roxanna Erickson Klein