Stephen R. Lankton, LCSW, DAHB,

Stephen practices in Phoenix, Arizona and teaches and trains clinicians worldwide. His clinical training has been sponsored by university psychology and social work departments, state associations in clinical disciplines, and private training institutes in over twenty countries for over twenty five years.  He is the Executive Director of the Phoenix Institute of Ericksonian Therapy, and is a Faculty Associate at Arizona State University, Dept. of Sociology and Behavioral Science and Editor of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis

Stephen is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Psychotherapy and the Irving Secter Award. He is the past president and Diplomate of the American Hypnosis Board for Clinical Social Work, a Fellow and Approved Supervisor in Family Therapy, a Fellow and Approved Consultant in Clinical Hypnosis, a Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association and a Diplomate in Clinical Social Work.  He graduated from the University of Michigan, School of Social Work in 1974 and is a LCSW (10443) in Phoenix, Arizona.

Well known for his teaching of Ericksonian hypnosis and psychotherapy, he authored and coauthored 6 books  including: Assembling Ericksonian Therapy, Tales of Enchantment, The Answer Within, Enchantment and Intervention, and Practical Magic, and edited and co-edited 11 others. He was founding editor of The Ericksonian Monographs.  In addition, he has published dozens of chapters in professional works addressing family therapy, Ericksonian therapy, clinical hypnosis, brief therapy, clinical social work, constructive therapy, innovative therapy, bioenergetics, transactional analysis, and strategic therapy.

He has an extensive training background including studying with the late Dr. Milton H. Erickson, MD for five years. Before studying with Dr. Erickson he had been recognized for his work in Gestalt Therapy, and Transactional Analysis. However, his intensive study with Dr. Erickson resulted in his synthesis of a highly accountable, goal-directed, holistic, and positive approach to therapy.

As an author, trainer, clinician, editor, teacher, and corporate consultant Stephen has a number of diverse activities all related to information exchange. These include elaborating the emerging epistemology and behavioral science expertise as it applies to psychotherapy, training for mental health professionals, clinical supervision, performance psychology, corporate consultation, and the human factors in interface design.