The Case of Linda
28-year-old divorced Hispanic female
Complains of:Feeling “unhappy”
Confusion related to sexual orientation
Unresolved grief related to death of her mother
Turbulent interpersonal relationships
Basic Philosophy
Focused on human interactionsThe “self” is social, interpersonal, &
transactionalSocial behaviors are a function of
predisposition and environmentCircular causalityCommunication includes verbal &
nonverbal content
Central Constructs
Levels of CommunicationContent Level
Relationship Level
MetacommunicationVerbal
Nonverbal
Relationship Definition
Central Constructs
Dimensions of InteractionInteractive Theorists
Control
Circular TheoristsControl
Affiliation
Central Constructs
ComplementarityInteractive Theorists
ComplementarySymmetricalMetacomplementary
Circular TheoristsComplementaryAnticomplementaryAcomplementary
Central Constructs
Impact MessagesDirect feelings
Action tendencies
Perceived evoking messages
Fantasies
Central Constructs
Laws of InteractionPast interactions are replicated in
present and future interactions
Attempts to change a relationship will stimulate efforts to reestablish it
Control of others is gained through yielding control to others
Theory of the Person
Majority of theorists do not discuss developmental issues
People carry relationship templatesCreated from our past interactions
Influence how we define relationships with others
Theory of the Person
Psychological HealthAble to display a range of interpersonal
behavior
Content & relationship messages are congruent
Able to display dominant, submissive, friendly, and hostile behaviors when appropriate
Theory of the Person
Psychological DysfunctionNarrow range of interpersonal behavior
Intense effects on others
Confirms ideas of others
Lots of misperception
Messages are incongruent
Behaviors are not reciprocal
Nature of Therapy
Assessment
InteractionalCounselor observes client-counselor
interaction
Counselor is interested in ways that the client relates to others in his or her life outside of counseling
Nature of Therapy
AssessmentCircular
Counselor’s
perception of client’s overt behavior
covert reaction to client’s behavior
Client’s
perception of counselor’s overt behavior
covert reaction to counselor’s behavior
Nature of Therapy
InteractionalBriefDirectiveTherapist “takes control”
of the relationship & dysfunctional behavior
Client “gives up” dysfunctional behavior because it becomes useless
CircularTherapist is the expert
who will diagnose and treat the client
Therapist “buys” the client’s version of the problem
Client defines relationship
Nature of Therapy
Goals of TherapyClient learn new behaviors
Client responds in a less extreme way to other people’s behaviors in interpersonal interactions
Client stops doing “more of the same”
Process of Therapy
Interactive ApproachTherapist is always one-up and client is
one-down
Focus is on the control dimension of the interaction
No stage theory
Process of Therapy
Circular ApproachStage Theory
Provide the complementary response
Decrease the complementary response
Client rejoins therapist in a healthier complementary relationship
Therapeutic Techniques
Asocial ResponsesDelay response
Reflection of content and feeling
Paradigmatic responding
Noncomplementary responding
Metacommunication
Ordeal TherapyStraightforward task
Paradoxical ordeals
Make the therapist the ordeal
Ordeals that involve 2 or more persons
Evaluation
QualitiesPrecision
Testability
Empirical validity
Research SupportOutcome research
Theory-testing research