PADDLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. Dr Cathy Bettman

Transcription

1 PADDLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION Dr Cathy Bettman

2 Gehart (2014, p. 135), Mastering Competencies in Family Therapy Just as in marriage, in which a commitment to one person entails a commitment to an entire family, once you decide to commit to a theory, you are also committing to the broader philosophy that is the theory s foundation. I believe therapists who are clear about their philosophy of what it means to be human (ontology) and how people learn and change (epistemology) are best positioned to handle the variety of problems with which skilled therapists must learn to work. Once you commit yourself to a theory and philosophical stance, it ironically becomes much easier to dance with others.

3 Bertrando (2007), The Dialogical Therapist: Dialogue in Systemic Practice Bertrando (2007) contends that theoretical purism is a myth and that anyone working in the counselling field undergoes innumerable influences throughout their personal and professional lives. An epigenetic model The idea of substitution being impossible Every change in theory or practice connects up with those experiences that have proven themselves useful Not a simple linear process of accumulating new ideas over time, but rather a system of concepts and of experiences recursively connected and in continual evolution

4 Still Bertrando (2007) In our work we find inspiration in the meaningful voices to which we have been exposed during our professional career In accordance with our epigenetic view, we integrate within our more recent version of the systemic model, the theories learned in the past and all the meaningful voices professional or simply human) that inspire us in our daily practice and life.

5 My inspiration - briefly Lifeline and Carl Rogers Empathy, Unconditional Positive Regard and Congruence Not much about the Actualizing Tendency, the Organismic Valuing Process or Conditions of Worth or External Locus of Evaluation

6 And then: Relationships Australia (NSW) in the glorious 90 s Post Milan with emphasis on the Post! From Milan: Moving away from pathology The importance of context Circular causality as against lineal Behaviour having a function and being positively connoted

7 Curiosity Neutrality Hypothesising The art of curious questions The idea of the therapist as a participant in the therapeutic system Perturbation and re-organisation Just by the way, there was still very much an element of strategic expertise, hierarchy, the therapist as content expert, intervener and privileged meta-knower (Anderson, 1997, 4)

8 And then the Post! Acknowledging Gehart (2014, pp ) Social Constructionist ideas Reality Objectivity is not possible Knowledge and truth constructed within and between people culturally, historically and relationally bound Truth and reality constructed by language and relationships Language and words describe meaning but also make meaning Language is generative, gives order and meaning to our lives and our world, and functions as a form of social participation (Anderson, 2007, 3) Societal and political influences dominant discourses

9 And the Post grew! Learning different languages Solution Focused Questions as taps on the shoulder Narrative The work of Harlene Anderson and Harry Goolishian Conversation, language and Possibilities (1997) Paolo Bertrando the Dialogical Therapist Someone whose therapy is guided by the use of systemic hypotheses but who also works in a more collaborative manner, in dialogue, to produce a hypothesis actively created by both therapist and clients Open Dialogue Jaakko Seikkula (Finland)

10 In the words of Anderson (2007, 4) where it has led me epigenetically A system contextually based and a product of social communication We are a system of individuals who are in a relationship through language A philosophical stance inviting a collaborative relationship and process A collaborative partnership between people with different perspectives and expertise

11 The therapist as a not-knower in a beinginformed position the therapist is uncertain and regards knowledge as evolving A therapist as an expert in creating a dialogical space and facilitating a dialogical process A focus on generating possibilities and relying on the contributions and creativity of all participants

12 A shared inquiry that relies on the expertise of all persons participating in a conversation A therapist who is public about, shares, and reflects on his or her knowledge, assumptions, thoughts, questions, and opinions Change as evolving through and the natural consequence of a generative dialogue and collaborative relationship A therapist and a client as co-investigators who participate in creating what they find.

13 Case Study