paddling in the same direction · the work of harlene anderson and harry goolishian –...

PADDLING IN THE SAME DIRECTIONDr Cathy Bettman

navitas.comacap.edu.au

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.


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


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.


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


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


Curiosity Neutrality Hypothesising The art of curious questions The idea of the therapist as a participant

in the therapeutic system Perturbation and re-organisationJust 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)


And then the Post! Acknowledging Gehart (2014, pp 138-139)

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


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)


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


The therapist as a not-knower in a being-informed 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


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”.


Case Study

paddling in the same direction · the work of harlene anderson and harry goolishian –...

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