. ▁In ▁a ▁simple ▁example , ▁the ▁question ▁" Have ▁you ▁ever ▁been ▁in ▁a ▁tr ance ▁before ?" ▁se eds ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁a ▁tr ance ▁is ▁im min ent ▁- ▁the ▁pres upp osition ▁inher ent ▁in ▁the ▁word ▁before ▁is ▁" not ▁now , ▁but ▁later ". ▁ ▁A vo iding ▁Self - Ex pl oration ▁- ▁In ▁common ▁with ▁most ▁brief ▁ther apy ▁pract ition ers , ▁Er ick son ▁was ▁entirely ▁un inter ested ▁in ▁anal ys ing ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁early ▁psych ological ▁development . ▁Occ asion ally ▁in ▁his ▁case ▁histor ies , ▁he ▁will ▁briefly ▁discuss ▁the ▁patient ' s ▁background , ▁but ▁only ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁it ▁per tain s ▁to ▁the ▁resources ▁available ▁to ▁the ▁patient ▁in ▁the ▁present . ▁IN TER V IE W ER : ▁You ▁don ' t ▁feel ▁that ▁expl oring ▁the ▁past ▁is ▁particularly ▁relevant ? ▁I ' m ▁always ▁trying ▁to ▁get ▁clear ▁in ▁my ▁mind ▁how ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁past ▁I ▁need ▁to ▁consider ▁when ▁doing ▁brief ▁ther apy . ▁ER IC K SON : ▁You ▁know , ▁I ▁had ▁one ▁patient ▁this ▁last ▁July ▁who ▁had ▁four ▁or ▁five ▁years ▁of ▁ps y cho analysis ▁and ▁got ▁now here ▁with ▁it . ▁And ▁someone ▁who ▁knows ▁her ▁said , ▁" How ▁much ▁attention ▁did ▁you ▁give ▁to ▁the ▁past ?" ▁I ▁said , ▁" You ▁know , ▁I ▁completely ▁forgot ▁about ▁that ." ▁That ▁patient ▁is , ▁I ▁think , ▁a ▁reason ably ▁c