Constructivist - Solution-Focused, Narrative, and Collaborative Language

Question 1

Theorists of Solution-Focused:

Answer 1

1. de Shazer
2. Berg
3. Weiner-Davis
4. O’Hanlon

Question 2

Major Concepts of Solution-Focused:

Answer 2

1. There is no absolute reality, therapists should not impose their view of “normal” on client system.
2. Co-construction and deconstruct problem-focused thinking
3. De-emphasis on history and underlying pathology and focusing on the future.
4. Finding exceptions
5. Scaling questions, miracle question

Question 3

Theory of Dysfunction in Solution-Focused:

Answer 3

1. The meanings people attribute to behavior limits the range of alternatives they will use to deal with the situation.
2. Focus remains on problem and restricted set of behaviors.

Question 4

Theory of Change in Solution-Focused:

Answer 4

Solutions develop out of amplifying a pattern that already works while simultaneously de-emphasizing the problem or its cause.

Question 5

Stages of Therapy in Solution-Focused:

Answer 5

1. Initial session - attempted solutions, exceptions, miracle question, formula first session task
2. Subsequent sessions - discuss how client views changes in the problem, find exceptions, assigning tasks
3. Termination - reaching goal

Therapy is brief and can be with one person or entire family.

Question 6

Stance of Therapist in Solution-Focused:

Answer 6

1. Directive, in control
2. Engaging
3. Collaborative

Question 7

Methods/Techniques of Solution-Focused:

Answer 7

1. Complimenting
2. Formula first-session task
3. Scaling questions
4. Miracle question
5. More-of-the-same assignments

Question 8

Diagnosis/Assessment in Solution-Focused:

Answer 8

1. Identification of solution that includes goal
2. Can family identify exceptions?
3. Can family follow through on interventions?
4. Degree of focus

Question 9

What is the formula first session task?

Answer 9

Solution-Focused

Clients assigned to observe their lives between the first and second session to notice what they would like to continue to have happen.

Question 10

Theorists of Narrative:

Answer 10

1. White
2. Epson
3. Hoffman
4. Anderson

Question 11

Major Concepts of Narrative:

Answer 11

1. Language is all important; emphasis is on meanings.
2. Dominant story/cultural discourse, re-authoring, unique outcomes and sparkling events
3. Hermeneutics (interpretation) and Objectification.
4. Problem creates the system, problems are directional/relational. Symptoms are in the relationship between people, NOT in the person.
5. How an event is constructed is how it is experienced.
6. We can never know reality, we can only know our construction of reality.

Question 12

Theory of Dysfunction in Narrative:

Answer 12

1. Family members participate in the problem.
2. Internalization of the problem.
3. Family unable to distinguish problem in “time”

Question 13

Theory of Change in Narrative:

Answer 13

1. Family members realize participation in problem.
2. Time is “collapsed” to allow conditions for new responses to develop.
3. Family finds alternative solutions.

Question 14

Stage of Therapy in Narrative:

Answer 14

1. Externalizing the problem
2. Charting relative influence (how contributing to the problem and learning to separate and control the problem)
3. Collapsing time (coherent story of externalized problem, exceptions, and the roles family members play)
4. Raising dilemmas (how would the problem continue)
5. Setting Experiments

Therapy is short-term.

Question 15

Stance of Therapist in Narrative:

Answer 15

1. Co-creates system with family.
2. Neither direct or indirect
3. Allow clients a voice in the process of their treatment

Question 16

Methods/Techniques in Narrative:

Answer 16

1. Questions and summaries
2. Externalizing/objectifying the problem
3. Dilemma questions, landscape-of-action questions (find sparkling events), landscape-of-meaning questions (to encourage positive self-view)
4. Escape meetings (outside of session, family working together to escape the problem)
5. Note taking and sharing
6. Therapeutic certificates and letters

Question 17

Diagnosis/Assessment in Narrative:

Answer 17

1. Family’s experience of the problem
2. Language of the family
3. Ways family members participate in the problem

Question 18

Theorists of Collaborative Language Systems:

Answer 18

1. H. Anderson
2. T. Anderson
3. Goolishian
4. L. Hoffman
5. M. C. Bateson

Question 19

Major Concepts of Collaborative Language Systems:

Answer 19

1. Problems are created through language, not fixed entities.
2. Postmodern, philosophical stance; non-pathologizing
3. Problem-determined system = people participating in focusing on the problem
4. Problem-dissolving therapy - once the problem is dissolved, the system organized around the problem also dissolves.

Question 20

Theory of Dysfunction in Collaborative Language Systems:

Answer 20

1. Problems are maintained in language by a problem-determined system.
2. The view of the problem hampers any successful means of resolution.

Question 21

Theory of Change in Collaborative Language Systems:

Answer 21

1. Generate new meaning about the problem.

2. Clients take new action to resolve the problem.

Question 22

Stages of Therapy in Collaborative Language Systems:

Answer 22

Therapy is a continuous process.

1. Focus on language and interaction.
2. Dialogical conversation - collaboration of exchanging and discussing ideas, feelings, etc.
3. Termination is mutually and collaboratively determined.

Question 23

Stance of Therapist in Collaborative Language Systems:

Answer 23

1. Multipartial, not knowing, honors clients’ reality
2. Listener
3. Responsive, compassionate
4. Egalitarian partner, co-explorer

Question 24

Methods/Techniques in Collaborative Language Systems:

Answer 24

1. Conversational questions
2. Not-knowing approach
3. Reflecting team (T. Anderson)
4. Shared inquiry

Question 25

Diagnosis/Assessment in Collaborative Language Systems:

Answer 25

1. Co-constructed by therapist and client system through “shared inquiry”, linguistic stories.
2. Focus on what client system presents.
3. Conversational questions are utilized.

Question 26

How do the constructivist/postmodern models differ in problem conceptualization and intervention?

Answer 26

Solution-focused:
Problem is de-emphasized, build off of exceptions.

Narrative:
Problems arise from problem-saturated stories and are externalized and personified in a process of co-authoring new stories.

Collaborative Language:
Problems are constructed and maintained by problem-determined system and are dissolved through collaborative conversation, finding new meaning.