Description: This panel brings together clinical, somatic, and social perspectives on depression, challenging single-cause explanations and one-size-fits-all treatment. The discussion ranges from component-based and body-centered approaches to prevention, community intervention, and the limits of medication-focused care. Therapists are invited to think more broadly about depression as a relational, learned, and socially influenced experience, and to expand their role as educators, change agents, and advocates for resilience.
Syllabus Description: This panel brings together international clinicians to examine depression from biological, psychological, social, and cultural lenses. The discussion explores trauma, embodiment, and the “freeze” response, as well as prevention, coping skills, and the social contagion of mood. Participants gain practical insights for working with individuals and communities, addressing both personal suffering and systemic factors that shape resilience and recovery.
Educational Objectives:
*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*
Marilia Baker, MSW, is a multicultural, multilingual Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is a Board member of the Phoenix Institute of Ericksonian Therapy; member of the Advisory Board for Phoenix Friends of C.G.Jung; International Advisor and Consultant, Centro Ericksoniano de México, and Institutes Editor for the Milton H. Erickson Foundation Newsletter. She conducts presentations and workshops locally and internationally. Ms. Baker is the author of A Tribute to Elizabeth Moore Erickson: Colleague Extraordinaire, Wife, Mother, and Companion, also published in Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
Maggie Phillips, Ph.D, is a licensed psychologist in full-time private practice in Oakland, California. She is director of the California Institute of Clinical Hypnosis and past-president of the Northern California Society of Clinical Hypnosis.
Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D. (professional psychology, clinical specialization), is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applied clinical hypnosis, developing brief psychotherapies, and the strategic treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his work in more than 30 countries across six continents. He is the author of 15 books, including his most recent, The Discriminating Therapist. He is a recipient of numerous awards for his many contributions to the field, including the Milton H. Erickson Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jeffrey K. Zeig, PhD, is the Founder and Director of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation and is president of Zeig, Tucker & Theisen, Inc., publishers in the behavioral sciences. He has edited, co-edited, authored or coauthored more than 20 books on psychotherapy that appear in twelve foreign languages. Dr. Zeig is a psychologist and marriage and family therapist in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona.