Michael D. Yapko, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist residing near San Diego, California. He is internationally recognized for his innovative work in applying clinical hypnosis in outcome-focused strategic psychotherapy, especially in the active, non-pharmacological treatment of depression. He has been invited to present his innovative ideas and methods to colleagues in more than 30 countries across six continents, and all over the United States. He is a critic of the medical model of depression and instead advocates for a social perspective, suggesting the problem is less about neurochemistry and more about your circumstances and perspectives in how you manage them. His highly practical YouTube lecture on “How to Recover from Depression” has been viewed more than 5.2 million times.

Dr. Yapko is the author of 16 books including the new 6th edition of his classic hypnosis text Trancework, his award-winning book for professionals called Process-Oriented Hypnosis, and his popular books for a general audience, Depression is Contagious and Breaking the Patterns of Depression. His works have been translated into 10 languages. He is also the developer of the popular digital hypnotherapy mental health app called Claria in association with Mindset Health (wwwmindsethealth.com). More information about Dr. Yapko is available on his website: www.yapko.com.

On the personal side, Dr. Yapko is happily married to his wife, Diane, a pediatric speech-language pathologist. Together, they enjoy hiking in the Great Outdoors in their spare time.