Realizing Relational Preferences Through Transforming Interpersonal Patterns

Abstract

Family therapy has often been conceptualized as a conversational process whereby therapists and clients generate new meanings. Based on a 3‐year study of conversational practices observable in successful family therapy processes of Chilean families with a child/adolescent who is engaged in disruptive behaviors, we looked for clinical examples of Transforming Interpersonal Patterns (TIPs). TIPs are a key aspect of the IPscope, a framework we used to explore the meaning‐making processes in family therapy. TIPs constitute a novel approach to explore therapeutic processes by identifying empirically traceable conversational practices involved in generating “new meanings.” TIPs are involved in bringing forth and discursively articulating (“talking‐into‐being”) clients’ preferred ways of relating and living (i.e., relational preferences or RPs). We analyze conversational data from successful family therapy sessions/treatments, and present an emergent model of five categories of conversational practices making up TIPs, namely: Preparatory TIPs, Identifier TIPs, Tracker TIPs, Transformer TIPs, and Consolidator TIPs. We have called them “realizers” because these conversational practices help families talk‐into‐being (or “make real”) particular relational preferences. We also offer user‐friendly descriptors of realizers’ subcategories (e.g., Measuring TIPs) which may help practitioners to recognize, learn, and perform these conversational invitations. Theoretical consequences and future lines of research are discussed.

Therapeutic change process as reifying relational preferences: an exploratory study into family therapy for behavioural problems (Proceso de cambio terapéutico como reificación de preferencias relacionales: un estudio exploratorio en terapia para problemas de conducta)

“…For this study, we identified 27 conversational micro-practices, which we called realizers. Assuming a theoretical principle of reflexivity (Gaete et al, 2020; Tomm, 1987), or the notion that a human system engaged in conversationally bringing forth its preferred way of living together may reflexively activate (‘realize’) that very way of living. Through these realizers, participants produce agreements on preferable ways of relating (PR), including ways of doing (behaviours), feeling (emotions) and thinking (values).…”

“…That is, M traces an RP when she witnesses a change (without linguistically or explicitly articulating what the change consists of). The fourth column of Table 3 shows six other tracing realizers, which have been described in another previous report for this same study (Gaete et al, 2020).…”

“…Although there are no efficacy studies associated with the IPscope, its principles are coherent with the four evidence-based effectiveness principles outlined above (Carr, 2019). The framework has been particularly useful in orienting our qualitative change process studies to identify specific or ‘basic’ conversational practices linkable with interpersonal patterns likely involved in maintaining parent-child conflict (Gaete et al, 2019, 2020; St. George et al, 2015). Particularly fruitful is the notion of Transforming Interpersonal Patterns (TIPs) as ‘middle’-range relational patterns reflexively involved in dismantling PIPs as ‘high’-range relational patterns maintaining problematic behaviours (e.g., coercive patterns; Forgatch & Patterson, 2010; Kim & Kochanska, 2015).…”

Disruptive Behavior in the Postdisciplinary Society

“…Part of the difficulty here may be technical: instead of effectively handling PDB, traditional responders may feel that they only escalate in conflict. Former effective disciplinary methods such as punitive and exclusionary strategies beget only more turmoil and conflict ( Patterson, 1982 ; Baumrind, 1991 ; Borum et al, 2010 ; Omer, 2011 ; Osher et al, 2014 ; Gaete et al, 2020 ; Gaete and Gaete, 2021 ). Whether it is imposing alien preferences coupled with disregarding such views, criticizing coupled with defending, or blaming, accusing, and attacking coupled with counterattacking, such interpersonal patterns of mutually triggering behaviors may arguably acquire life on its own resulting in increasing appearances of PDB (see Tomm et al, 2014 ; Sametband and Strong, 2018 ).…”

Editorial: The Systemic in Couple and Family Research and Couple and Family Therapy

“…This issue contains several fine examples of research aimed to inform practice and practice that incorporates research and raises research questions. To single out one example, Gaete et al () present a research study extending Tomm's () concept of transforming interpersonal patterns (TIFs). At the heart of this paper is a simple and persuasive idea: There are family experiences that promote problematic interaction patterns and others that lead to more positive family experience.…”