Symbolic Experiential Flashcards
Main Ideas
~ anxiety is a good thing and can be channeled
~individual health create system health
~emotional suppression causes many family problems
~ authentic therapists
~ therapist had ‘grandparent’role with children
~ responsibility to change lies with family
~ all family members including generations must be present
~most important aspect of therapy is therapists own personality and psychological health.
~viewed therapists as healers and artists… Learn the education then be yourself and not stuck with using it.
~ abandoned structured therapy and relied on spontaneous therapist reactions
~ when therapist sets structure so all family is there when therapist said when it would work. Hypothesized that if the clients aren’t willing to meet the counselors requirements then they won’t likely be invested in therapy.
Contributors
Carl Whitaker (main)
August Napler
David Keith
Walter Kempler
Affective Confrontation
The therapist’s intentional confrontation with the family where he or she will directly and openly share his/her subjective emotional experience working with the family
Activating Constructive Anxiety
Therapist’s effort to reframe symptoms as efforts towards building competence by focusing on the positive attributes of anxiety as means toward self-growth
Battle for Initiative
After the therapist wins the battle for structure, the family must win the battle for initiative- that is realize and demonstrate that they are responsible for change, no the therapist
Battle for Structure
Therapist must first win the battle of structure if therapy is to be effective- this entails determining who attends the session, what time sessions are, how frequently sessions occur, and for how long. If the family is not willing to meet these expectations set by the therapist, then they are not prepared to invest in the growth-process and change would be unlikely.
Bilateral Pseudo Therapy
Occurs when family members attempt to play therapist to one another- this is avoided.
Fantasy Alternative
Discussing problematic or stressful situations in fantasy based “what if” terms or deemphasizing stressful situations by suggesting absurd fantasy alternatives (ex. maybe if you medicated your husband, he wouldn’t be so emotional)
Person of the Therapist
Symbolic Experiential Therapy attributes the psychological factor in effective therapeutic outcomes. The therapist is encouraged to be authentic and real with his or her clients, relying on the spontaneity of their emotional responses as they remain present with the family.
Individuation
A primary goal in growth-oriented therapies, encouraging each individual family member in becoming more and more oh who they are.
Fight Toward Health
When a family would abruptly stop showing up for treatment, Whitiaker would take this as a positive sign that the family experienced profound growth and no longer requires therapeutic support. Whitaker would always be supportive of a family’s request to terminate therapy regardless of the phase of treatment.
Redefining Symptoms
Symbolic experiential therapists will often redefine symptoms from pathological to efforts toward growth.
Expanding Distress
This is a process of expanding the symptom to the system, that is, expanding the distress to include each member, shifting the nature of anxiety within the family, and reducing blame and scapegoating.
Family Interaction
Healthy family interaction is characterized by flexibility and openness to life experiences.
Existential Encounter
The therapist’s willingness to both receive the family’s reactions to them as well as disclose their own reactions to the family.
