By Betty Alice Erickson MS

With all these accomplishments, she is most proud of her book, already printed in three languages, Tribute to Elizabeth Moore Erickson, widow of Milton Erickson. This work is a dedicated labor of admiration that expresses Baker’s deep sensitivity and appreciation for the strength of the woman who provided and nurtured the opportunity for Erickson to make the great contributions he made in so many areas. Written in Baker’s signature expressive and poetic style, she brings a depth and delight to readers in this carefully done and even more carefully researched piece. Already published in Spanish and Portuguese, it has recently been published in English. Baker has generously donated her royalties to the establishment of an educational scholarship in Elizabeth Erickson’s name.

Baker came to New York from São Paulo, Brazil, in November 1967, to marry Michael, the young American architect she met in South America early in 1966 while both were attending an international graduate program sponsored by the Organization of American States and Yale University. Rightfully proud of her Certificate of Simultaneous Interpreter and Translator by the Institute of Modern Languages, Washington, D.C., 1970,

Baker takes her linguistic talents very seriously. She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, and has an excellent knowledge of French. She even learned some Swahili when she and her husband were working in Tanzania, East Africa—their daughter is named Arusha because that was the town in which the Bakers lived and because it sounded so melodious and easy to pronounce both in Portuguese and English. Baker received her MSW in Massachusetts in 1980.

While studying for her degree, she discovered Jay Haley’s “Uncommon Therapy” and was intrigued by Erickson and his therapeutic approaches. The seeds of her interest in Erickson’s wife were sown by Haley’s dedication of that book to Elizabeth Erickson. Baker thought, “There must be something uncommon about this lady too!” Moving with her family to Phoenix in 1985, she continued to look for a therapeutic orientation she felt truly “at home” with, and found Ericksonian approaches to be a balance for her clinical skills honed from her residency in Marriage and Family at the Phoenix Interfaith Counseling Center In her quest to learn more about Ericksonian methodology, she took Intensive Training with the Erickson Foundation in 1989-90. Upon completion of the Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced levels of training, she was recruited by Jeff Zeig for faculty positions. Additionally, she has taken specialized training with The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, CA, from Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson. This training fits well with Baker’s own particular model of Ericksonian Therapy.

Having lived and worked on three continents, Baker provides a diversity-oriented, culturally focused, solution-focused broad range of therapeutic approaches to individuals, couples and groups. Her ability to conduct therapy in three languages and her deep understanding of cultural identification makes her a tremendous asset. Marilia’s multi-cultural talents reach far beyond her clinical work. Over the years she has maintained and cultivated professional contact with colleagues in Brazil. In 1995, she was one of the Founding Directors of the first Erickson Institute in Brazil which was in Sao Paulo and in 1999, accepted a position on the Board of Directors of the Erickson Institute of Florianopolis, Brazil. In addition to those activities, she has served on the faculty of Erickson Institutes in the US, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and is planning to present soon in both Poland and in Argentina. Baker has also worked extensively in various capacities with the Centro Ericksoniano de Mexico, with Teresa Robles. To add to, but in no way to finish her list of professional accomplishments and involvements, she also holds positions as International Liaison for the Brazilian Society of Hypnosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is on the International Editorial Board for the Journal Pensando Familias of Porto Alegre, Brazil and on the Advisory Board for the Phoenix Friends of Carl G. Jung. Baker continues to receive invitations to present for the major meetings of the Erickson Foundation, and is a guest editor for the Foundation Newsletter as well as being a Therapy & Training Affiliate of the Phoenix Institute of Ericksonian Therapy.

A Brazilian colleague, Ricardo Feix, MD, summarizes the pivotal influence her informal liaison role has played. “Marilia Baker has been truly an ambassador-at-large, in Phoenix, for all the Brazilian, Latin-American and Iberian Peninsula Institutes. She has worked tirelessly, facilitating, supporting, and caring, lending her intelligence and love to many institutes for many years. She works with elegance, sweetness and precision bringing together ethical thinking and information for new institutes, and for all professional colleagues. More than a messenger, Marilia has been a brilliant channel of light building historical bridges to multiply Erickson’s legacy.”