Healing Implicit Trauma: Harnessing Unconscious Processes and Neuroplasticity

Traditional therapy approaches that rely heavily on conscious insight can miss the profound healing potential that emerges when clinicians learn to work with clients' unconscious resources. Dan Short has spent over three decades mastering the art and science of Ericksonian hypnosis, becoming one of the world's leading authorities on unconscious process work and brief therapeutic interventions.

As Director of the Milton H. Erickson Institute of Phoenix and Executive Director of the Phoenix Institute of Ericksonian Therapy, Dr. Short represents the direct lineage of Milton Erickson's revolutionary approach to psychotherapy. His book Hope and Resiliency, co-authored with Betty Alice Erickson and Roxanna Erickson Klein, has been translated into seven languages and stands as a definitive guide to Ericksonian principles. His extensive research includes over 1,500 hours studying the original Erickson archives, giving him unparalleled insight into the master therapist's methods.

Dr. Short's expertise spans Ericksonian hypnosis, brief therapy, domestic violence treatment, trauma therapy, and couples/family therapy. His approach demonstrates how therapeutic relationships themselves become vehicles for transformation when practitioners learn to engage clients' unconscious wisdom. He specialises in showing clinicians how small shifts in language, timing, and therapeutic presence can create profound changes that bypass conscious resistance and accelerate healing.

What sets his training apart is depth combined with practical application. Short doesn't just teach hypnotic techniques - he shows practitioners how to cultivate the therapeutic artistry that makes Ericksonian approaches so effective. His international teaching at institutes in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Japan gives him cross-cultural insights into how unconscious processes operate across diverse populations.

For your practice, expect to gain specific skills in therapeutic hypnosis, tools for accessing clients' unconscious resources, and frameworks for creating transformational therapeutic relationships. His methods particularly benefit clinicians who want to move beyond symptom-focused approaches to facilitate deeper, more lasting change.

Quick Win: Short's "therapeutic choice architecture" technique helps clinicians structure conversations so clients naturally discover their own solutions - often creating breakthrough insights that traditional directive approaches miss.

Qualifications

• Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2000
• M.A., Counseling, University of North Texas, 1993
• APA-accredited internship, Houston, TX, 1996
• Licensed Clinical Psychologist
• Nearly 30 years of clinical experience
• Over 1,500 hours of research in Milton Erickson archives

Authored Books

• Making Psychotherapy More Effective with Unconscious Process Work (2020)
• From William James to Milton Erickson: The Care of Human Consciousness (2020)
• Transformational Relationships (2010, Zeig, Tucker & Theisen)
• Hope and Resiliency (2005, co-author with Betty Alice Erickson & Roxanna Erickson Klein, Crown House Publishing, translated into Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian)

Teaching & Roles

• Director, Milton H. Erickson Institute of Phoenix
• Executive Director, Phoenix Institute of Ericksonian Therapy
• Adjunct Faculty, International Society of Hypnosis (ISH) Educational Board
• Clinical Instructor, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
• Visiting Faculty, Various Ericksonian Institutes Worldwide
• Former Associate Director, Milton H. Erickson Foundation
• Former Executive Editor, Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter (5 years)

Professional Practice

• Private Practice Psychologist, Scottsdale, AZ, 2003–present
• Clinical Supervisor, Graduate interns, various programs, ongoing
• Former Graduate Faculty Member, Argosy University
• Consultation groups for professionals, Phoenix metropolitan area

Featured Publications

• Multiple professional articles, book chapters, treatment manuals
• Blog author, Behavior.net
• Collaborative author, SAGE Encyclopedia of Counselling and Theory
• Academic researcher with extensive publications in professional journals

Speaking & Training

• International conference faculty worldwide
• Milton H. Erickson Foundation conference presenter
• Visiting faculty: France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Japan
• YouTube presentations on Ericksonian therapy
• Global educational workshops and seminars

Ready to unlock your clients' unconscious healing resources? Discover how Dr. Short's Ericksonian methods can transform your therapeutic presence and help clients access profound change through their own innate wisdom.