in psychology in 1976, before attending United States International University in San Diego for graduate studies, earning an M.A.
[11] A proponent of Ericksonian techniques, Yapko employs hypnosis and other non-drug-based therapies in the treatment of depression.
[12][13] In his books and articles, he presents the view that the depression is a multidimensional disorder with multiple causal factors, including biological, psychological and social influences.
[19] Yapko's 1994 book Suggestions of Abuse: True and False Memories of Childhood Sexual Trauma directly addressed the issue, explaining that some therapists use inappropriate techniques, including checklists of symptoms such as depression, low self-esteem, headaches, obesity, arthritis and acne,[18] to diagnose sexual abuse that never actually occurred.
[20] One critic, Lenore Terr, a San Francisco psychiatrist and author of Unchained Memories, stated in an interview that she felt that Yapko "overstates the problem" but she admitted that "it sometimes happens".
[26] He was also chosen to write the sections on "Treating Depression" "Clinical Hypnosis," and "Brief Therapy" for the Encyclopædia Britannica Medical and Health Annuals.