Tempations of Power and Certainty

Narrative psychotherapy was developed to question traditional, essentialist, foundational epistemologies of clinical practice. However, the very practices it sought to take on may be sneaking in through the back door. Narrative however might escape historical tendencies of reification and dominance. In fact these tendencies are only a slight miscue in its development. Instead of succumbing to old habits of perfectability, or certainty, narrative can relax, and just learn to relate. This article presents three key points in this regard: concentrate on what is useful, work backwards from what people want to achieve and 'widen the circle'.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why narrative therapy need not fear science and ‘other’ things

Amundson

2001

“…Knowledge, behaviour and change are conceived as linearly caused with clinical outcomes being derived from a logical validation of accurate and adaptive perceptions, cognitions and behaviour (Mahoney, 1988). Numerous scholars (Amudson et al, 1993;Anderson, 1996;Gonzalez et al, 1994;Hoffman, 1990;Loos and Epstein, 1989;Mahoney, 1988;O'Hanlon, 1993) have delineated the pragmatic clinical implications from a modernist clinical stance. Modernist models of therapy represent an attempt to discover the objective truth and the underlying or 'real' problems of clients.…”

Section: Oversight Versus Paradigmatic Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A contextual perspective of clinical judgement in couples and family therapy: is the bridge too far?

Ivey

Scheel

Jankowski

1999

This paper reviews the clinical judgement literature and discusses its applicability to the practice of couples and family therapy. Key findings and conceptual foundations are highlighted. A contextual perspective is advocated to guide future investigations and to enhance the generalizability of the literature to the real-life experiences of therapists. Suggestions for theory development and future research are provided.The ascribed importance of therapist judgement to the clinical and counselling practices of psychology, psychiatry, social work, marriage and family therapy, and other mental health disciplines is perhaps best exemplified by the burgeoning numbers of texts devoted to interviewing and assessment. Articles and volumes are published at an exponential rate detailing the evaluative, diagnostic and treatment planning arts employed by mental health practitioners. Such attention is paralleled in formal training and continuing educational experiences. Over the course of a typical therapist's career, substantial time and energy is invested in activities designed to enhance his or her ability to accurately and efficiently determine the nature of client concerns and appropriate plans for intervention. Practitioners are consequently impressed early on in their development with the critical, if not central role of clinical acumen. Therapists commonly subscribe to the premise that client outcomes are, in the main, attributable to their personal proficiency in assessment and treatment decision-making. Amplified by the growing influence of managed care, practitioners

“…In the milieu of contemporary US family therapy today, such ideas are considered not only manipulative but violent. The lexicon of American family therapy is changing from 'power' to 'empowerment'; from 'certainty' to 'curiosity'; from 'control' to 'collaboration' (Amundson et al, 1993). Again, these are Gary Bischof not ideas unfamiliar to Europeans.…”

Section: A Second-order View and The Decline O F The Therapist As Expertmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contemporary family therapy in the United States

Sprenkle

Bischof

1994

Major issues in contemporary family therapy in the United States are described. Issues from outside the field impacting family therapy include health care reform, family ‘values’, multiple forms of ‘family’, and the growing aging population. Issues within the field include the challenge of social construction theory, the decline of the expert, the feminist critique, sensitivity to culture, rediscovering individuals within families, focus on strengths and resources, a both–and attitude toward collaboration with other professionals, emphasis upon the person of the therapist, and convergence of ‘schools’ of family therapy. Therapists in the United States are also opening up the private process of therapy through reflecting teams, including clients in therapist thinking, multi‐family groups, and through psychoeducational groups. Finally, attempts to bridge the gap between research and practice are analyzed.