Great Originals (Ackerman and Whitaker)

Question 1

Nathan Ackerman and him being an integrationist

Answer 1

-He believed that System’s thinking and Psychodynamic thinking could be used together.
-What is going on inside people?
-What is going on between people?
-How do these two perspectives interact?

Question 2

Ackerman’s tactics in therapy

Answer 2

-Creating a meaningful, emotional bond
-But he also wanted to stir things up (bring out secrets and hidden ideas)
-Connected to homeostasis because it followed the belief that you had to really intervene in families to actually make a change / difference

Question 3

the “originals” response to homeostasis

Answer 3

-At that point, “homeostasis” was so revered as a concept, that everyone had to react to it in some way.
-As we have moved into being fully multicultural, that generation moved into homeostasis.
-Due to that concept, people felt treatment needed to be powerful enough to shift a family, that at some unconscious level, was fighting change.

Question 4

what did Ackerman emphasize

Answer 4

-Alignments
-Non-Verbal Cues
-He addressed this when non-verbal’s did not match what people were saying verbally
-Honest Interchange
-He believed in “tickling the defenses,” in a sense provoking people to say what was really on their mind.

Question 5

what did Ackerman discuss in therapy vs. what did he not discuss

Answer 5

-Ackerman was fascinated in why a family might feel free to discuss some issues, but would be so private on others.
-He believed that the discomfort with sex, aggression, money and beliefs needed to be challenged.
-Things needed to be stirred up, bring secrets out.

Question 6

Ackerman’s view on conflict&WasHeMoreInterestedInContentOrProcess

Answer 6

-Only by getting the hidden conflicts to be brought up could new solutions be created.
-Ackerman was more interested in Content than Process.
-Where are you on the Content—Process continuum?

Question 7

the role of the symptom in the family according to Ackerman

Answer 7

The symptom was part of a recurring, predictable pattern intended to assure equilibrium for the individual, but in doing so, impaired the family homeostasis by distorting family roles.

Question 8

clinical goals Ackerman

Answer 8

The Three R’s
-Reeducate
-Reorganize
-Resolve

Question 9

Ackerman’s process

Answer 9

-Move into the “living space”
-Stir interaction
-Family achieves “meaningful emotional exchange”
-Self awareness grows
-Understand the connection between intrapsychic
-Self Awareness—systemic role in functioning—new patterns of family relatedness

Question 10

whats happening with MFT in the 1960s

Answer 10

Each person has a distinct theoretical foundation:
-Whitaker—Experiential –Symbolic Interactionist
-Minuchin—The structure of the family creates interactions.
-Ackerman—the psychodynamics of the individual are important but must be understood actively by the family. And, each person must be able to express honestly.
-Satire—expressing oneself, metaphorical language and physical engagement.
-Strategic: People are in a rut, not ill (per se.) but stuck. One’s perception of the situation, and the people involved must shift.

Question 11

the experiential movement

Answer 11

Following the strict rules around proper treatment and the importance of theory in both the Psychodynamic schools, and the Behavioral schools, the Experiential Movement pushed a different direction.
-This Class
-Whitaker, Satir and Gestalt (Johnson-modern era)

Question 12

experientialist thoughts on theory

Answer 12

Warned against the dangers of a theory. Therapy, in their opinion, was not helped by theory, but rather, constrained.
-Theory is useful to explain what happens, rather than guide your interventions

The Experientialist felt that creativity and intuition were shoved aside to respect theory.

The Experientialists felt that theory was good at explain what had occurred, after the session.
-Theory should be a good support for you, but you should not feel trapped in a theory

Question 13

how to replace theory

Answer 13

Rely instead on:
-Accumulated residue of experience
-Freedom to let real relationships occur
-Authenticity was key.
-Felt that obsessive interest in one’s fantasy life was unhelpful, but the fantasy between people was important
-Metaphor was highlighted to tap into a different, more shiftable, part of the brain.

Question 14

explain the idea of anxiety being increased in therapy (whitaker)

Answer 14

-Anxiety is the motor to make therapy work.
-The therapist, while helping to increase anxiety, is also very caring so the family can trust being more anxious.
-Tolerance for anxiety was increased.

Question 15

who was carl whitaker

Answer 15

-Symbolic Experientialist
-Largely anti-theory
-He felt that theory would keep a therapist from sitting with the anxiety-provoking experience of the family.
-Therapy is a process of expanding the experience of the family (and therapist)—GROWTH was the goal.

Question 16

breakthroughs in therapy according to Whitaker

Answer 16

-When family members risk being “more separate, divergent, even angrier” they then risk being closer, more intimate.
-Therapist entirely authentic
-How justified.

Question 17

some of Whitaker’s beliefs

Answer 17

-People are alienated from their emotions and frozen into devitalized routines.
-Did not work on symptoms.
-“Process not progress.”
-Risks are important, the greater anxiety in the room, the better the chance for growth.

Question 18

Whitaker’s beliefs about number of people in session

Answer 18

-Whitaker was rare in that he would not run a session unless everyone was there. He felt that otherwise he was permitting one person to be the scapegoat.
-Health is a process of perpetual becoming.

Question 19

explain whitaker’s idea of increasing the craziness

Answer 19

-Increase interpersonal stress
-Family’s power comes from “shared anxiety.”
-Expand by including extended family.
-Push them hard enough that they push back and create family boundaries.
-Don’t permit cross-generational alliances.

Question 20

explain exploding the myth of individuality

Answer 20

-For Whitaker, the family may be absurd and out-of-control, but they are a unit and need to be recognized as such.
-Believed strongly in co-therapy. One of the therapists has to lose himself/herself in the family. One of the therapists remains outside the emotion of the family.

Question 21

explain whitaker taking control in session

Answer 21

Absolute control through
-Indifference
-Boredom
-Sometimes would pretend he fell asleep, to try and get the family to form a coalition against him. Wanted them to fire him
-Pushing family away
-Waited for the backlash.

Question 22

explain symbolic experimentalist

Answer 22

-If a question popped into Whitaker’s brain, he felt he had the right (and maybe even the responsibility) to ask it, since it was part of the “symbolic experience.”
-Full therapist freedom.