Inspiration for the Modeling
Inspiration for the Modeling - Role Modeling Theory
The following was taken from the MRM listserv on 9/18/2003. It was written by Dr. Helen Erickson in response to a question posted on the listserv from Patricia A. McKnight. I believe it offers important insight into the development of the MRM theory and to the value of listservs within the nursing theory cyber community. It is presented here for your information with permission of Dr. Erickson.
Dr. Lisa Wright Eichelberger webmaster Nursing Theory Page
Excerpt from MRM listserv Sept 19, 2003
"Patricia A. McKnight" wrote:
> I wonder if there is a possible connection between MRM and the
brilliant
> work of Milton H. Erickson, the American psychiatrist. His work forms
a
> significant part of the basis for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. (Also
> important in the development of NLP were Maslow and Fritz Perls.)
Milton
> Erickson developed a powerful model of hypnotherapy which he taught
and
> modeled for many years and the Milton H. Erickson Fdn. in Phoenix, Az
> continues that training. I have the impression that Helen Erickson,
one of
> the theorists of MRM, may be related to him.
>
> MRM uses the neo-Freudian developmental model of Erik Erikson -- the
great
> Danish analyst and developmental theorist. Milton H. Erickson and Erik
> Erikson are distinctly different people and practitioners. (Erik
Erikson,
> like Bruno Bettelheim, was a student of Anna Freud, Freid's daughter
and
> final caregiver.)
>
> regards,
> Pat McKnight
>>> helenerickson@MAIL.UTEXAS.EDU 09/18/03 16:58 PM >>>
FYI those that are reading this and haven't already heard all about it:
Milton Erickson was really the inspiration behind MRM. As my
father-in-law he
guided me for years, helped me have the courage to label and articulate
what I
believed in and what I had observed in practice. He was always very
clear that
each of us might take his work and develop it within the context of our
own
discipline (or profession). Thus you will find nurses, social workers,
medical
doctors, etc. who use the premises that his work was based on and use
the
techniques that he advocated. He was the one who gave me the idea for
the
title, MRM. Whenever I asked him for the "cookbook recipe" for his
techniques,
he replied, "You just have to model their world." As time went by, I
learned
that role-modeling was the plan of care, given the role the client had
chosen
for himself, given his model of the world.
Dad talked about his relationship with Frued. Remember that he went to
school
during the years that Freud was "the only way". Dad was trained as a
Freudian,
but decided early on that he didn't agree with the basic premises. Dad
and Erik
Erikson were alike in some ways, since both of them believed in the
inherent
goodness of mankind. Dad also believed that our un and subconscious
minds
contained information that would be helpful in healing and growth. He
didn't
believe in the need to repress primal drive, etc. An interesting article
was
written a number of years ago comparing Carl Rogers and Dad. The author
talks
about Erickson/Frued in that article.
Hope this helps clarify.
Nice to chat "with" you all! Helen