Invitation To Possibility Land

For many years, mental health professionals have attended the seminars of Bill O'Hanlon. The author and co-author of over a dozen books has captivated audiences with his informative, humorous, and interactive teaching style. An Invitation to Possibility Land takes participants a step further. In the context of a week-long training limited to 10 participants, O'Hanlon moves to a new level of experience that cannot be duplicated in his large workshops. The author shares riveting stories, metaphors, interchanges with participants, transcripts of therapy sessions during the week, and many more teaching points that allow this book to read like a novel. The book explores many current issues facing therapists in today's climate such as how to make therapy briefer and how to work with abuse victims. It offers the reader a chance to experience, along with the participants, an in depth training where subjects such as hypnosis, brief, Ericksonian, solution-oriented, and narrative therapies, and the use of language, are explored. Welcome to Possibility-Land.

Bob Bertolino, Ph.D. received his doctorate in marriage and family therapy from St. Louis University. He is Director of the Family Therapy Institute and of Family Court Services and Youth in Need Inc., in St. Charles, Missouri, founder of Therapeutic Collaborations, a forum for consultation and training, and an adjunct professor at St. Louis University, the University of Missouri-St.Louis and Lindenwood University. He has authored or co-authored three books and has written various articles and book chapters on working with youth and psychotherapy supervision and training. Dr. Bertolino has taught workshops in the United States on solution-orientated and possibility therapies, Ericksonian hypnosis, and collaborative approaches for youth care workers. He is both a licensed professional counselor and a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Missouri. Bill O'Hanlon, M.S., is a licensed mental health professional, certified professional counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist. He has authored or co-authored 14 books and 28 articles or book chapters. He has produced or co-produced six audiotapes, two computer programs, and several videotapes about therapy. Since 1977, Bill has taught over 600 therapy seminars around the world and has been a top-rated presenter at several national conferences, including the Family Therapy Network Symposium, The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Conference, and two major Ericksonian conferences. He was a developer of brief solution-orientated therapy and is a contributor to Ericksonian therapy and collaborative/constructivist approaches. He is on the advisory board of the Journal of Collaborative Therapies and the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors.

Chapter 1. Welcome to Possibility-Land. Introduction. Opening Doors. Mission statement. Group Member Introductions. Observational and Conversational Items. Chapter 2. Language is a Virus. Creating an Awareness of Language. Implications of Constructivism, Postmodernism, and Modernism. Attending to Metaphors. The Collaborative Approach. Escaping Dogma. Chapter 3. Cindy. Individual Therapy Involving Hypnosis. Group Observations, Reflections and Feedback. Talking Hypnosis. Chapter 4. Evolving Conversation. What's coming across? Stories, Myths, and Fairytales. New Roads of Possibility. Chapter 5. Trancepersonally. Inner work. Practicing Hypnosis. Continuing Conversations. Valuing Internal Experience. Chapter 6. Jill and Eric. Therapy with a Couple. Group Observations, Reflections, and Feedback. Continuing Conversations. Chapter 7. Pathways with Possibilities. What's Coming Across? What Do You Call It? Acknowledgement and Possibility. Chapter 8. Lynn. Individual Therapy without Hypnosis.