More on Milton
Milton Erickson believed that the unconscious mind was creative, solution generating, and often
positive. The unconscious mind was also seen as being separate from the conscious mind which was
seen as being limited by comparison. His style of inducing trance and suggestion work was designed
to bypass the conscious mind as indirect suggestion very often are not recognised as being
suggestions at all. Additionally, unlike many therapeutic ideas, Erickson believed that the
unconscious mind has all the resources needed in order to achieve the results he/she has come to
therapy for, and it is the job of the hypnotherapist to find a way to make these unconscious
resources conscious.
Rogers believed that the self was in essence the organismic self which has the ability to grow and
develop. The self concept is a person’s perception of him/herself which does not always correspond
with organismic self which causes incongruency. When these are in alignment, the individual will
move towards self actualization. This is seen as the desire of all people. However, when these are
not in alignment, the desire to actualize the self concept may work at cross purposes with the
deeper need of the organismic self. Rogers believed that this conflict lead to psychological distress.
There are similarities to both of these views of the working of the mind. Rogerâs view of self-concept,
could be easily compared to the conscious mind as this part of the mind has limitations. Whilst the
organismic self and unconscious mind are the real and limitlessness part of the self.
