Graduation Date
1982
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Other
Program
Arts
Committee Chair Name
Dr. Ken Hallum
Committee Chair Affiliation
Cal Poly Humboldt Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Dr. Jerrald D. Krause
Third Committee Member Name
Dr. John Gai
Keywords
Art
Subject Categories
Art
Abstract
Two general factors have been singled out as being held in common by all types of psychotherapy: an educational factor (often called "content") and a factor operative in the relationship between the therapist and his client (often called "process"). Another method of categorizing these factors is to make a distinction between what is said and how it is sai{d. The craft of therapy is understanding what needs to be said—what information, admonitions, advice are necessary components of the content. The art of therapy is knowing how this content must be expressed for It to be an effective change agent. The goal of all therapy is change but before profound change can occur the possibility of change must be actively entertained by the individual or the family. Yet, contradictora!ly, many clients only enter therapy after they have fruitlessly exhausted all their resources trying to change and feel their situation is hopeless. And within the boundaries of their rigid interactional system they are likely correct. Therefore, a primary task of the therapist is to convince the client that change is possible. There are a number of conventional ways the therapist can attempt to facilitate this: he can confront and interpret; he can act as a role model, an educator, or an authority figure who prescribes changes in behavior; or he can restate old situations in new ways. All these diverse interventions come under the rubric of "therapeutic communication." As initially conceived by the practitioners of individual psychotherapy, therapeutic communication is a clear, unambiguous verbal statement designed to simply correct the patient's misinterpretation or misconception of reality. In family therapy, as well, an essential task of the therapist ¡s to be as clear, precise, and unambiguous as possible in his role of mediator of garbled messages and clarifier of confusing communications.
Recommended Citation
Englín, Kathryn, "Strategic Therapy and the Reconstruction of Reality: How Paradoxical Directives and Hypnosis Catalyze Change" (1982). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 2354.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/2354