Michael Yapko, PhD, discusses the third core competency of Ericksonian therapy - being strategic. To learn more, please visit https://www.erickson-foundation.org/c...

A readiness to create a self-organized problem solving context.

In addition to emphasizing the importance of accepting the uniqueness of each individual, ET also recognizes the innate design of human beings as self-organizing creatures or “life builders.” Erickson believed that human beings are purposeful organisms oriented toward survival and growth with an innate need for mastery of internal and external life experiences. This results in a striving to overcome obstacles and challenges while drawing from organic knowledge and a life-time of learning. Therefore, in ET it is assumed that all individuals have an elemental need to seek out challenges of their choosing, to strive toward personally meaningful goals, to build a preferred future, and to exercise personal will in regard to one’s identity, relationships, and world view. This is collectively referred to as “self-agency.”