Dr. Stephen Gilligan

Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D. is a Psychologist in Encinitas, CA. He was one of the original NLP students at UC Santa Cruz; Milton Erickson and Gregory Bateson were his mentors. After receiving his psychology doctorate from Stanford University, he became one of the premier teachers and practitioners of Ericksonian hypnotherapy. He has taught in many different cultures and countries over the past 30 years. In 2004, he received the rarely given Lifetime Achievement Award from the Erickson Foundation in honour of his many contributions.

In addition to being known for his contributions to the early development of NLP, he is known for his work in Self-Relations which focuses on awakening the soul and human spirit. Motivated by his experiences as a therapist, a teacher, and by his own quest, he developed a new practice of radical awakening incorporating Ericksonian psychotherapy, Aikido, Buddhism, meditation, and the performance arts.

He has published extensively, and his numerous books include the classic “Therapeutic trances,” “The courage to love,” “The legacy of Erickson,” and the recent “Walking in two worlds” (w. D. Simon). Two new books will be published in 2009: “The Hero’s Journey” (with Robert Dilts) and “Generative Trance.”

If you have not met Steve, you are in for a treat to your body, mind and spirit. He is truly a remarkable gift to all of us. When he teaches something fascinating and essential is going on at the non-verbal and unconscious level and you find yourself capably resourceful to create a Generative Self that transforms your life in many powerful ways.