Stephen Lankton, MSW, LCSW, DAHB, is a psychotherapist practising in Phoenix, Arizona. He is Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. He taught as faculty associate at Arizona State University, Dept. of Behavioral Science and Sociology until 2009 and now teaches for the ASU graduate School of Social Work.

He has been a keynote speaker, invited faculty, workshop, and seminars leader for hundreds of conferences sponsored by virtually every major national and state professional organization as well as dozens of universities, and post-graduate training centres in the US. He is internationally known for his clinical work and teaching of Strategic therapy, Transactional Analysis, Ericksonian, and Gestalt approaches to psychotherapy, brief therapy, couples therapy, and hypnosis in over a dozen countries for the last 36 years.

He has authored and co-authored bestselling professional books, some of which are now considered classics, including: The Answer Within, Enchantment and Intervention in Family Therapy, Tales of Enchantment and Practical Magic, as well as Assembling Ericksonian Therapy and his most recent book Tools of Intention. He has edited and co-edited 11 other books. He was founding Editor of The Ericksonian Monographs, and has published numerous clinical papers and chapters. His works have been translated into 7 languages.

He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Psychotherapy and the Irving Secter Award for outstanding contributions to the field of clinical hypnosis. He has become a Fellow in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT); Fellow and Approved Consultant in Clinical Hypnosis of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) and a Diplomate in Clinical Hypnosis and president emeritus of American Hypnosis Board for Clinical Social Work (AHBCSW). He is an Arizona Licensed Clinical Social Worker and serves on the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Social Work Credentialing Committee and Chair of the main board.

He created a new methodology for bringing the science of human behaviour to interface management at corporate enterprise level. As a corporate consultant his clients have consisted large US organizations including the Internal Revenue Service, New York State Human Services, New York State Tax and Finance, Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield, American Express, Xerox, and others.