Dr. Michele Ritterman is recognized as a pioneer in the field of hypnosis and family therapy.
One of Milton Erickson ’s leading students, she originated the concept of the symptom as a trance state influenced by various people and social structures. From this basic concept that Erickson himself admired, she framed therapy as the production of counter-inductions or hypnotic sequences that impact the symptom trance.
Dr. Ritterman was also a foremost student of Dr. Salvador Minuchin in Structural Family Therapy and Jay Haley for Strategic Family Therapy. Dr. Ritterman built upon Minuchin’s ground-breaking emphasis on power differentials in families and society, as well as Haley’s emphasis on the logical unfolding of observable sequences of interactions.
Around the world, Dr. Ritterman has taught a model of a therapy as an “awakening” from trance states, based upon a mutually elevating process of cooperative exchange of “gifts” between therapist and client, whether individual, couple, family or group.
Dr. Ritterman is a prolific author whose work has been translated into several languages. Among numerous article and papers, her classic text Using Hypnosis in Family Therapy (1982) and most recent book The Tao of a Woman (2009) are internationally published.
She has trained psychotherapists around the globe in her approach to working with couples and families. She is featured in Alex Vesely’s film about Milton Erickson, Wizard of the Desert.
Michele Ritterman items currently in the Archives:
1. The Collected Papers of Michele Klevens Ritterman 1970 – 1995. Book. English. 2 Copies.
2. The Family Therapy NetWorker: The Erickson Legacy Issue, 1960. Journal. English.
3. Hemophilia in Context – Psychological Aspects of Treating Hemophilia, Including Taped Counseling Sessions. VHS. English.
4. Hemophilia in Context – Psychological Aspects of Treating Hemophilia, Including Taped Counseling Sessions. DVD. English.
5. Hemophilia in Context: Companion to Using Hypnosis in Family Therapy. DVD. English.
6. Individual Hypnotic Induction Simultaneous. DVD. Spanish.
7. Lady with Nails, Fire Setter’s Mom. DVD. English.
8. Shared Couples Trance. CD. English. 2 Copies.
9. Suicidal Young Woman Companion to Using Hypnosis in Family Therapy. DVD. English.
10. Tao of a Woman. Book. English.
11. Televised on PEACEMAKERS, Poetic Induction In Favor of Human Decency. DVD. English.
12. Three-Minute Trance and Shifting Stance, Mexico Puebla Psychol. Conference Keynote. DVD. English. 2 Copies.
13. Tracking Special States in Couples: What’s Love Got To Do With It. DVD. English.
14. Using Hypnosis in Family Therapy. Book. English.
15. Hope Under Siege: Terror and Family Support. Book. English.
16. Liebe und Terror. Book. German. (‘Hope Under Siege: Terror and Family Support')
17. El Tao de una Mujer. Book. Spanish. (‘Tao of a Woman')
18. Poetic Induction in Favor of Human Decency, Countering the Hate Movements. Document. English.
19. Inhumanity and the Human Family. Document. English.
Michele Ritterman donated items prior to 2022,not yet located:
1. El Empleo de Hypnosis en Terapia Familiar. Book. Spanish. (‘Using Hypnosis in Family Therapy’)
2. El Empleo de Hypnosis en Terapia Familiar. Book. Italian. (‘Using Hypnosis in Family Therapy’)
3. Poetic Induction on Dealing with Good and Evil.Lecture. English.