Systemic Therapy Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Im Rücken der „großen Fächer“ wie Psychoanalyse und dem Feld der Psychiatrie aber hat sich die systemische Familientherapie, heute einfach systemische Therapie, in allen Bereichen des gesellschaftlichen Lebens etabliert, ist also nicht... more

Im Rücken der „großen Fächer“ wie Psychoanalyse und dem Feld der Psychiatrie aber hat sich die systemische Familientherapie, heute einfach systemische Therapie, in allen Bereichen des gesellschaftlichen Lebens etabliert, ist also nicht allein eine nun (seit 2008) wissenschaftlich anerkannte Form der Psychotherapie, sondern wird auch in nicht-therapeutischen Bereichen wie der systemischen Sozialarbeit, der systemischen Organisationsberatung, der Mediation oder des systemischen Coachings eingesetzt. Man könnte sogar so weit gehen, dass die konkreten und handgreiflichen Techniken des Aufstellens das gegenwärtige Verständnis vom sozialen Selbst, von Familie und Gruppen maßgeblich bestimmen. Gleichwohl mangelt es an historisch-kulturwissenschaftlichen Reflexionen über die Durchsetzung des Systemischen als eines kulturellen Paradigmas eines sozialen Selbst. Der vorliegende Aufsatz möchte einen Beitrag zur kulturwissenschaftlichen und historischen Betrachtung der systemischen Therapie leisten.

In diesem Beitrag beschreibe ich einige Überlegungen dazu, wie Intuition im professionellen Rahmen genutzt werden kann. Intuition wird im weitesten Sinne als die Dynamik reflektiert, die unter bestimmten Bedingungen eine neue Gestalt... more

In diesem Beitrag beschreibe ich einige Überlegungen dazu, wie Intuition im professionellen Rahmen genutzt werden kann. Intuition wird im weitesten Sinne als die Dynamik reflektiert,
die unter bestimmten Bedingungen eine neue Gestalt auftauchen lässt. Während die neue Gestalt sich präziser Vorhersage entzieht, wird der Umgang mit den „bestimmten Bedingungen“ zum Ansatzpunkt verantwortlichen professionellen Handelns. Bildlich gesprochen: beim
professionellen Umgang mit Intuition steht nicht der Traum im Vordergrund, sondern die Bedingungen, unter denen das Träumen stattfinden kann. Die beschriebenen Überlegungen
stellen eine Notiz von unterwegs dar.

Selbsterfahrung gilt als unverzichtbare Saule der Psychotherapieausbildung (vgl. Burns 2005) und ist als Ausbildungselement in einigen europaischen Landern in (Psychotherapie-)Gesetzestexten verankert. Doch ist ihre Wirkung bis heute... more

Selbsterfahrung gilt als unverzichtbare Saule der Psychotherapieausbildung (vgl. Burns 2005) und ist als Ausbildungselement in einigen europaischen Landern in (Psychotherapie-)Gesetzestexten verankert. Doch ist ihre Wirkung bis heute unzureichend erforscht und auch von der Ausbildungsforschung weitgehend ubergangen worden (vgl. u. a. Straus & Kohl 2009). Die Kritik an den selbsterfahrungsorientierten Anteilen der Psychotherapieausbildung, insbesondere wegen der zentralen Bedeutung der therapeutischen Arbeitsbeziehung (vgl. Lieb 1998), ist jedoch weitgehend verstummt. Vorliegender Beitrag skizziert die Hauptergebnisse aus dem Forschungsprojekt „Qualitatsmerkmal oder Mythos? Die Rolle der Selbsterfahrung in der Psychotherapieausbildung“ des Departments fur Psychotherapie und Biopsychosoziale Gesundheit (Leitner et al. 2014) der Donau-Universitat Krems entlang der Forschungslinie des Departments.

The future society may be and most likely 1. A society without human labor 2. A society of free activities and free time 3. A company dreamed of by Heinz von Foerster, Henri Atlan and Ilya Prigogine Part 1: Development issues of developed... more

The future society may be and most likely
1. A society without human labor
2. A society of free activities and free time
3. A company dreamed of by Heinz von Foerster, Henri Atlan and Ilya Prigogine
Part 1: Development issues of developed countries
1.1 They have already made and updated their industrial revolution, they are:
• A nano computer revolution that will boost the artificial intelligence foundation of automation and robotics (and aggravation of unemployment)
• A biotechnological and genetic revolution
• And to the revolution of the "service economy" where 65% of the active population produces 70% of national wealth (against 29% and 28% for industry and 6% and 2% for agriculture - France). These are the services that pay the most!
1.2 They have new groups - multinationals - and very active and dynamic social networks.
In this case, the future development for these already developed countries will focus on what? Or what is missing - the "almost" - to the development of today's society.
The perception - relatively widespread and fair - of a more technology-centric development - and its legal owners - than on humans feeds this ... but.
To which the question of "what" will bring about the future development of today's society becomes indeed relevant.

Das vorliegende Buch gehört in die Kategorie derjenigen Werke, die sich einer Besprechung im Grunde genommen entziehen, zumindest unter der Prämisse, dass die Besprechung ihnen gerecht werden sollte. Es ist vom Ansatz, vom Inhalt und von... more

Das vorliegende Buch gehört in die Kategorie derjenigen Werke, die sich einer Besprechung im Grunde genommen entziehen, zumindest unter der Prämisse, dass die Besprechung ihnen gerecht werden sollte. Es ist vom Ansatz, vom Inhalt und von der Durchführung her phänomenal. Worum geht es? Um den gründlichen und grundlegenden Versuch einer Annäherung an Beschreibung und Verständnis dessen, „was die
Welt zusammenhält“. Als Rüstzeug für dieses Unternehmen gilt die Synergetik, seinerzeit definiert als die Lehre vom Zusammenwirken, jetzt als „die Wissenschaft der Selbstorganisation“. Hermann Haken und Günter Schiepek haben sich zusammengetan, um
mit ihrem eigenen Zusammenwirken das mittlerweile weite Feld zu kartografieren, in seinen weiter reichenden Möglichkeiten zu erkunden und seine Dynamik herauszuarbeiten. Hermann Haken, weltberühmt für seine Lasertheorie und für seine Entwicklung der Synergetik als Disziplin übergreifende Metatheorie, ist als Doyen und Spiritus rector der Anwendung synergetischer Erkenntnisse auf die Erforschung des biologisch und sozial Lebendigen von außerordentlicher Bedeutung. Dies sowohl für die Fachöffentlichkeit als auch außerhalb. Innerhalb des Feldes setzt die von Hermann Haken als Chefherausgeber betreute „Springer Series in Synergetics“ seit 1978 Maßstäbe. Seine
„Erfolgsgeheimnisse der Natur“ (1981) sorgten für Bekanntheit und Interesse auch außerhalb der Fachöffentlichkeit. Günter Schiepek gehört unter den systemtheoretisch orientierten Kollegen unserer Profession zu denjenigen mit dem weitesten Horizont, dem umfangreichsten naturwissenschaftlich-mathematischen Verständnis und ist
wohl derjenige mit der größten Zähigkeit, allen Hindernissen zum Trotz ein Programm voranzutreiben. Seit den 1980er Jahren steht er für den Versuch, die Anbindung von professionellem systemischen Handeln an die Standards der Naturwissenschaften zu intensivieren sowie deren methodisches Rüstzeug für das planmäßige Erforschen
komplexen Geschehens zu nutzen.

„Therapy“ and „Evaluation“: Useful, Beautiful, Full of Respect? „Evaluation“ appears as a critical aspect when discussing therapeutic practice. The present paper now follows the question, which consequences result from applying the... more

„Therapy“ and „Evaluation“: Useful, Beautiful, Full of Respect?
„Evaluation“ appears as a critical aspect when discussing therapeutic practice. The present paper now follows the question, which consequences result from applying the criteria „utility, beauty, respect“ to evaluation as proposed by Ludewig (1988a). The preferred understanding of the relationship
between „therapy“ and „evaluation“ seems to be of special interest: what happens when „therapy“ and „evaluation“ are handled as distinguishable social systems? The proposed criteria are then discussed concerning their relative significance: „respect“ is proposed as leading-criterion, the topic of „therapeutic ethics“ being brought into mind.

This paper will explore the work of members of community learning Disability Services in attempting to support care organisations to work effectively with those they serve. Systemic practice has been increasingly recognised as potentially... more

This paper will explore the work of members of community learning Disability
Services in attempting to support care organisations to work effectively with
those they serve. Systemic practice has been increasingly recognised as
potentially useful in working with the systems of relationships that from the
context of the lives of men and women with learning disabilities. (See for
example Baum & Lynggaard (eds.), (2006); Jenkins & Parry (2006); Haydon, M.
& Elliott, N. (2004) as well as consulting with organisations more generally
(Campbell, 2000, Cecchin & Stratton, 1991). We will begin by exploring the term
‘systemic’ and what it might mean to work systemically.

This article describes a key finding that emerged from a small-scale qualitative study that explored parental views of the impact of having a child diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on family relationships.... more

This article describes a key finding that emerged from a small-scale qualitative study that explored parental views of the impact of having a child diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on family relationships. The term, protective vigilance, describes a strategy
used by parents to manage the risk that children can present to themselves and to others with whom they might come in contact, such as their siblings or peers. The term draws attention to the challenges parents face
in supervising their children in a manner that others might describe as overprotective or over-controlling. In this article the parents’ voice is heard describing their dilemmas and the article invites professionals working with families, with a child diagnosed with ADHD to consider protective vigilance as an inevitable aspect of the parental role and incorporate
this idea into their clinical practice.

The National Service Framework (DoH, 2001), which lays down standards of care and service for older people, stresses the need to ensure that older people's views about their treatment are heard and acted upon. This service evaluation... more

The National Service Framework (DoH, 2001), which lays down standards of care and service for older people, stresses the need to ensure that older people's views about their treatment are heard and acted upon. This service evaluation aimed to elicit older users' views on their experiences of systemic therapy in the NHS in North London. The psychologists used systemic therapy as one of a range of therapies offered to service users in outpatient settings at the hospital, GP surgeries and service users' homes. A lack of research in this area has meant that older adults' views about systemic therapy have yet to be heard, except perhaps during clinical work. This service evaluation therefore attempted to give voice to these views.

In the following essay I propose some thoughts concerning stability (percepts and affects) and modification (desire). The two works written by Deleuze and Guattari that I consider are What is Philosophy? and the two volumes of Capitalism... more

In the following essay I propose some thoughts concerning stability (percepts and affects) and modification (desire). The two works written by Deleuze and Guattari that I consider are What is Philosophy? and the two volumes of Capitalism and Schizophrenia – Anti-Oedipus and A Thousand Plateaus. I make reference to Joyce’s literature, although mention of Joyce in Deleuze and Guattari is rare. The reason for using Joyce is that the Irish writer seems to have more than one affinity with the texts produced in the intersecting lives (Dosse, 2011) of the two French writers.
At the same time, Spinoza, among the philosophers who influenced Deleuze, is the benchmark of my essay for understanding the distinction between stability, concerning the work of art, and the work of the unconscious. The distinction between the philosophical mainstream (particularly Aquinas) in regards to “desire” and the importance of body in Spinoza’s philosophy is the path I follow for demonstrating that Schizoanalysis is a breaking point for philosophy, for psychology and for psychoanalysis.
In continuing the line traced out by Spinoza, and followed by Nietzsche and Bergson, Deleuze and Guattari break with the psychoanalytical vision of desire as a negative instance (the missing of something to be endlessly fulfilled) and foster the positive instance of desire as a production of the unconscious. Finally I note that the distinction between the stability of the work of art and the modification of desire – in connection with the distinction made by Spinoza – permits Deleuze to entirely regain the issue concerning: “what a body can do”.

"By inviting educators from diverse backgrounds to participate in creative conversations I had hoped to reflect on experiences that had helped construct our theories of environmental education, and inform practice. I sought consistency... more

"By inviting educators from diverse backgrounds to participate in creative conversations I had hoped to reflect on experiences that had helped construct our theories of environmental education, and inform practice. I sought consistency across the espoused ethics of co-participants, namely critical perspectives grounded in environmental justice. However, this quest was interrupted by a growing awareness of the interference of power dynamics between myself and the other participants, and of my own commitment to respect the stories being told. This narrative describes my “dance” of meaning making.
The community dance examining privilege, identity and meaning is a study of how I may be contributing to the same oppressive situations I passionately strive to work against. Concepts of knowledge, power, and identity ebbed and flowed within stories drawn from the mountains of Tanzania to the hills of Colombia, and from the frozen shores of Kirkland Lake to the trout filled streams of Karman, Iran. Making meaning is itself an act of power and privilege, so I danced to make room for multiple understandings of these stories, of environmental education, and of research. This work offers an experience of disruption that raises questions and broadens the inclusion of people, ideas and other life into “accepted” research and pedagogical practices.
Conventions embedded within research and education were disrupted throughout this reflexive process. As the author of this text, I was uncomfortable with the role of being the dominant voice, and consciously chose not to impose my interpretation on the stories shared by co-participants. The struggle to resist the very privilege in which my own education practice and this research process are so deeply steeped revealed normative forces that often threaten to undermine attempts by educators and researchers to act according to critical theories and environmental justice ethics. To accept the invitation to dance with the text is to step into the rhythmic intricacies of a collaborative process of reflexion. Circling hand-in-hand and giving weight to fellow dancers’ movements shifts individuals from being carriers of truths to being community members sharing in the collaborative process of dancing the world into existence."

Samenvatting: Voor systeemtherapeuten is het werken met mensen-in-interacties dagelijkse kost, maar in de cognitie- en geesteswetenschappen is het een relatief nieuw idee. Daar wordt er meestal van uitgegaan dat cognitie, intelligentie en... more

Samenvatting: Voor systeemtherapeuten is het werken met mensen-in-interacties dagelijkse kost, maar in de cognitie- en geesteswetenschappen is het een relatief nieuw idee. Daar wordt er meestal van uitgegaan dat cognitie, intelligentie en gedrag individuele aangelegenheden zijn, bovendien terug te brengen tot hersenfuncties. Deze focus heeft ervoor gezorgd dat het moeilijk wetenschappelijk te onderbouwen is hoe en waarom psychotherapie werkt. Net om op deze vragen te antwoorden, helpt het om sociale interacties te kunnen onderzoeken. Hier introduceer ik een filosofisch-wetenschappelijke benadering die bestudeert hoe mensen deelnemen aan sociale interacties, en hoe ze elkaar en de wereld daarin en daardoor samen begrijpen. In deze theorie, genaamd participatory sense-making – vertaald 'deelnemend zin-geven,' spelen lichaam, context, en beleving een centrale rol, alsook het feit dat zowel mensen als sociale interacties voortdurend aan zelf-behoud doen. Aan de hand van voorbeelden leg ik de theorie en haar relevantie voor de systeemtherapie uit. — In de introductie tot het Handboek Systeemtherapie schrijven de redacteurs dat " theorie kan gezien worden als het conceptueel instrumentarium van een systeemtherapeut " (Savenije et al. 2014, p. 17). In dit artikel stel ik een nieuwe theorie binnen de cognitiewetenschappen en de filosofie van de geest voor die de systeemtherapeutische theorie en praktijk kan ondersteunen. Ik belicht hieruit een aantal elementen die hopelijk systeemtherapeuten kunnen inspireren.

The article is a manager's guide to radical change programmes and explains why change is often so difficult to manage successfully. Based on practical experience and supported by relevant theory, it provides a definition of types of... more

The article is a manager's guide to radical change programmes and explains why change is often so difficult to manage successfully. Based on practical experience and supported by relevant theory, it provides a definition of types of change projects and a conceptual framework for managing change before discussing in some detail the barriers to change. The article pays particular attention to the politics and emotions surrounding change. It also provides a discussion of the various ways of resourcing change projects.

Abstract This paper describes the use of a creative genogram that combines the client's objective and subjective phenomenological experience of his family constellation. The creative genogram includes personal symbols, colors, and... more

Abstract
This paper describes the use of a creative genogram that combines the client's objective and subjective phenomenological experience of his family constellation. The creative genogram includes personal symbols, colors, and shapes, as well as varying the overall page designs and formats of the basic family genogram. Taken together, the objective and subjective attributes of the genograms create a group narrative of the impact of culturally embedded identities on shared familial experiences. The creative genogram technique integrates a contextualized or “objective” experience of reality with a hermeneutic or “subjective” understanding of that experience. Thus, this interdisciplinary approach helps to counteract the flooding of difficult external realities within social work and family therapy, as well as the exclusive focus on subjective reactions within dynamic and art therapy that ignores the social context. The paper describes how creative genograms were applied through personal examples derived from a group of social work students.

Los fenómenos clínicos pueden conceptualizarse desde tres niveles distintos (individual, interaccional y sistémico). Cada modelo psicoterapéutico tiene su foco principal de aplicación en uno de esos niveles. Entendemos que la... more

Los fenómenos clínicos pueden conceptualizarse desde tres niveles distintos (individual, interaccional y sistémico). Cada modelo psicoterapéutico tiene su foco principal de aplicación en uno de esos niveles. Entendemos que la epistemología constructivista proporciona un marco integrador, capaz de operar en estos distintos niveles. Nuestra propuesta se basa en la teoría de los constructos personales de Kelly y en el constructivismo sistémico, e incorpora una gran diversidad de procedimientos de intervención terapéutica, que se presentan en este artículo: explicitación de la teoría del problema, la rejilla conversacional, el escalamiento familiar, el cuestionamiento circular, el nudo del problema y la entrevista en zig-zag, el uso de los equipos terapéuticos, el de rituales y el de varias tareas escritas.

Die multikulturellen Städte der Schweiz verfügen über langjährige Erfahrungen mit Zuwanderern aus Krisen und Kriegsregionen. In der Schule manifestieren sich Symptome des posttraumatischen Stresses oder Anpassungsstörungen in Form von... more

Die multikulturellen Städte der Schweiz verfügen über langjährige Erfahrungen mit Zuwanderern aus Krisen und Kriegsregionen. In der Schule manifestieren sich Symptome des posttraumatischen Stresses oder Anpassungsstörungen in Form von Lern- oder Verhaltensproblemen, Depressivität oder Aggressivität. Psychotraumata bei Schulkindern aus Flüchtlingsfamilien werden häufig nicht diagnostiziert und als heilpädagogisches Problem oder „interkultureller“ Konflikt beurteilt.
Die betroffenen Kinder leiden oft beträchtlich, aufgrund der belastenden Erlebnisse und der unsicheren aufenthaltsrechtlichen Perspektiven ihrer Familie im Aufnahmeland. In der Praxis stellt sich immer wieder die Frage, wie solche Kinder behandelt werden sollen. Erfahrungen in Zürich zeigen, dass gruppentherapeutische Verfahren ein Mittel der Wahl sind, um Verarbeitungsprozesse in Gang zu setzen und um Isolations- und Schuldgefühle durchzubrechen. Neben therapeutischer Hilfe brauchen kriegstraumatisierte Kinder in der „Fremde“ ein sicheres und emotional unterstützendes Umfeld. Dazu gehört die pädagogische Professionalität von interkulturell kompetenten Lehrpersonen. Dazu gehört auch die Beratung der verunsicherten Eltern, die oft selbst durch Flucht und eigener Traumatisierungen beeinträchtigt sind.

Systemic couple therapy applied to a lesbian couple.

The article introduces discourse analysis as a fruitful approach to psychotherapy change-process research. Extracts are presented from a successfully resolved, client-specified, problematic theme that was selected from a successful... more

The article introduces discourse analysis as a fruitful approach to psychotherapy change-process research. Extracts are presented from a successfully resolved, client-specified, problematic theme that was selected from a successful 8-session psychodynamic-interpersonal therapy of a female client presenting with a major depressive episode. The study offers a heuristic demonstrating (a) how resolution of the client's problem evolved from implications raised by the client's own description of her predicament and involved the therapist's legitimation of a morally defensible account of the client's actions and (b) how cultural meanings can be brought into the consulting room as intimately personal problems. The implications of studying therapeutic change as a discursive activity comprising the use and negotiation of sociocultural meanings are discussed.

In chapter 10, Linday Finlay writes with Anna Madill , to describe and explain some different ways to analyse data. Four contrasting types of analysis are outlined with practical exemplars: narrative, thematic, discursive and creative.... more

In chapter 10, Linday Finlay writes with Anna Madill , to describe and explain some different ways to analyse data. Four contrasting types of analysis are outlined with practical exemplars: narrative, thematic, discursive and creative. Each type of analysis highlights different aspects and so enables different insights. As such, qualitative analysis is always tentative, partial and emergent....

Back cover text: Real Social Science presents a new, hands-on approach to social inquiry. The theoretical and methodological ideas behind the book, inspired by Aristotelian phronesis, represent an original perspective within the social... more

Back cover text: Real Social Science presents a new, hands-on approach to social inquiry. The theoretical and methodological ideas behind the book, inspired by Aristotelian phronesis, represent an original perspective within the social sciences, and this volume gives readers for the first time a set of studies exemplifying what applied phronesis looks like in practice. The reflexive analysis of values and power gives new meaning to the impact of research on policy and practice. Real Social Science is a major step forward in a novel and thriving field of research. This book will benefit scholars, researchers, and students who want to make a difference in practice, not just in the academy. Its message will make it essential reading for students and academics across the social sciences.

Systemic consultation provides an opportunity for clinicians working with complex cases and behaviours of concern to reflect on interpersonal dynamics that may be inhibiting change. This approach to case review is drawn from systemic... more

For many families, having a child with autism can be a long-term worry and involvement. Parents worry how their children will cope beyond the family home and they worry about the impact on their siblings. For parents, siblings, partners... more

For many families, having a child with autism can be a long-term worry and involvement. Parents worry how their children will cope beyond the family home and they worry about the impact on their siblings. For parents, siblings, partners and children of people with an Autism Spectrum Condition, there are challenges which can impact on their own wellbeing. Exhaustion, stress, worry and the misunderstandings of others are some of the main issues for both autistic people and their families. Health and social care professionals are often undereducated in the impact of autism in people’s lives and this affects whether and how people with autism and their families feel about approaching services. Because autism is a hidden disability, you can't always tell if someone is autistic. People with autism and their families are often subject to stigma and discrimination, misunderstanding and criticism.
Family therapists have a great deal to bring to the world of autism. We specialize in communication, coordination, working with people’s strengths and interests. We work collaboratively with family members to find new ways of going on in our everyday relationships and co-construct a safe reflective space that can lead to change without compromising people’s identities and values.
In this chapter, we argue the case for systemic family therapy to be included in the resources offered to autistic people and their families. First, we offer some background information on autism. We discuss trends in autism theory, diagnosis, research and treatment methods and look at how autism can impact on people’s lives. Then, we introduce new systemic theory and practice for working with the impact of autism in families through sharing examples illustrating how systemic family therapy improves communication. Finally, we highlight areas for developing systemic family therapy training, practice and research on autism.

Wie kommt es, dass einem manchmal eine Zustimmung die Lust am Weitermachen verhageln kann? Wieso ist es manchmal so diffizil, die richtigen Worte zu finden, wenn man einen doch „nur“ unterstützen möchte? Und was wäre eigentlich ein... more

Wie kommt es, dass einem manchmal eine Zustimmung die Lust am Weitermachen verhageln kann? Wieso ist es manchmal so diffizil, die richtigen Worte zu finden, wenn man einen doch „nur“ unterstützen möchte? Und was wäre eigentlich ein plausibler Hintergrund für die gängige Wendung, dass die Botschaft stets von den EmpfängerInnen bestimmt werde? Mit solchen und ähnlichen Fragen ist man dicht an dem, was mir seit einiger Zeit unter dem Namen „Self-Determination Theory“ (SDT, Theorie der Selbstbestimmung) eine ziemlich hilfreiche und weiterführende Anregung geworden ist. Als Edward Deci und Richard Ryan im Jahr 2000 die SDT einem umfassenderen Fachpublikum vorstellten, konnten sie auf die Ergebnisse von etwa 30 Jahren Forschung zurückgreifen. Das vorliegende Buch verdankt sein Entstehen dann dem offenbar fruchtbaren Impuls, den 1999 eine erste, exklusiv der SDT gewidmete Konferenz setzte. Die meisten der hier versammelten Beiträge entstammen diesem Umfeld.

The hypothesis of the following essay is that any relationship, even a friendship, is asymmet-ric. At the beginning of the essay, I will analyse asymmetry as the basis of any exchange. Where surplus and subtraction are viewed as... more

The hypothesis of the following essay is that any relationship, even a friendship, is asymmet-ric. At the beginning of the essay, I will analyse asymmetry as the basis of any exchange. Where surplus and subtraction are viewed as interactions' continuous plateaux. I will focus on surplus and subtraction as a way of local strategizing with no general Strategy. Homer's Ulysses is the paradigm of subtraction (Metis) while Shakespeare's Portia the one of surplus (Mercy). As Marcel Mauss (1990), Georges Bataille (1976) and other authors claim: the gift is never free. Subtractions and surplus are always constitutive parts of the exchange, even though the surplus is not always exploitation (as seen with Portia) and the subtraction is not always submission (as in Ulysses). This implies that the rational exchange, in which I sell you something and you buy something from me—providing an adequate quantity of goods, money, or else—is utopic and ideological. The aim of the essay is to support a trans-disciplinary investigation concerning the exchange and to approach asymmetry from different scientific and literary perspectives, an essay on what Gilles Deleuze (1997) called " critical and clinical ". So literary critics and clinical approach are mingled, both of them belong to " life as we know it " (Bérubé 1998).

Phronetic organizational research is an approach to the study of management and organizations focusing on ethics and power. It is based on a contemporary interpretation of the Aristotelian concept phronesis, usually as ‘prudence’.... more

Phronetic organizational research is an approach to the study of management and organizations focusing on ethics and power. It is based on a contemporary interpretation of the Aristotelian concept phronesis, usually as ‘prudence’. Phronesis is the ability to think and act in relation to values, to deliberate about ‘things that are good or bad for humans’ in the words of Aristotle (1976:1140a24–b12). Phronetic organizational research effectively provides answers to the following four value-rational questions, for specific problematics in management and organization studies: 1. Where are we going with this specific management problematic? 2. Who gains and who loses, and by which mechanisms of power? 3. Is this development desirable? 4. What, if anything, should we do about it?

With regard to the dynamics of human experience and behavior, Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy relies mainly on Kurt Lewin’s dynamic field theory of personality. This is done including a re-interpretation of Lewin’s theory in some... more

With regard to the dynamics of human experience and behavior, Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy relies mainly on Kurt Lewin’s dynamic field theory of personality. This is done including a re-interpretation of Lewin’s theory in some aspects on the basis of critical realism. Human experience and behavior are understood as functions of the person and the environment (including the other individuals therein) in a psychic field (life space) which encompasses both of these mutually dependent factors. The anthropological model of this approach is, hence, not monopersonal but, a priori, structural and relational in nature. It does not one-sidedly focus on the ‘inner components’ of a person, but on the interrelation of the individual and a given environment, which affects experience as well as behavior. After a brief introduction into these basic concepts this lecture will focus especially on Lewin’s concept of tension-systems, which may be considered as the Gestalt theoretical counterpart of Freud’s drive theory and defining basic assumptions in Gestalt Theoretical Psychotherapy how the person moves through her/his life experience.

Spiritualité et politique : la nécessité de la prière Le système nous veut triste et il nous faut être joyeux pour lui résister, aurait dit Gilles Deleuze (c. 1987). Mais encore ? Quelles perspectives politiques une analyse... more

Spiritualité et politique : la nécessité de la prière Le système nous veut triste et il nous faut être joyeux pour lui résister, aurait dit Gilles Deleuze (c. 1987). Mais encore ? Quelles perspectives politiques une analyse anthropologique et clinique du phénomène religieux ouvre-t-elle ?

Aim: To identify therapists’ views on sexual boundaries and the strategies they employ to manage them in therapeutic practice. Method: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of 13 accredited, experienced... more

Aim: To identify therapists’ views on sexual boundaries and the strategies they employ to manage them in therapeutic practice. Method: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of 13 accredited, experienced practitioners of psychotherapy or counselling. A grounded theory approach, informed by principles from Free Association Narrative methodology, was employed, in which team members used debriefing sessions for extending depth of understanding of the interviews. Findings: There is consensus about boundaries at the extremes, but variability about fantasy, flirtation and touch. A core process was generated from accounts of successful management of sexual attraction. We identified four problematic ways of reacting to boundary pressure, each with potential to harm clients and therapy. Discussion: A participant-observer stance was conceptualised as essential for managing threats to boundaries, consistent with the empathic stance. Minor boundary crossings were viewed by interviewees as both potential precursors of more serious transgressions, and as opportunities for understanding the client's difficulties. Implications for practice: These span training, accrediting organisations, supervision and therapy practice.

The dialogic orientation quadrant (DOQ) is introduced as a new tool for learning and teaching Solution-Focused dialogue. Written excerpts illustrate its intended use as a functional analysis of how the coach contributes to the client... more

The dialogic orientation quadrant (DOQ) is introduced as a new tool for learning and teaching Solution-Focused dialogue. Written excerpts illustrate its intended use as a functional analysis of how the coach contributes to the client curating their narratives. It further encourages readers to use it as a tool to observe their own sessions as well as other videotaped conversations.

When doing research on topics that are sensitive and involve core dimensions of the researcher’s identities and subjectivities, the process of inquiry is likely to generate significant emotions, attachments, and reactions that transgress... more

When doing research on topics that are sensitive and involve core dimensions of the researcher’s identities and subjectivities, the process of inquiry is likely to generate significant emotions, attachments, and reactions that transgress traditional forms of data and research positions. If embraced and addressed, the researcher’s emotional reactions can be an important source of reflexivity and data as well as creativity, motivation, and engagement. This relational aspect of the research parallels psychotherapists’ experience of reacting to their clients’ concerns and narrations. This process—called countertransference (CT)—may leave the researcher open to vulnerability and the need to account for the necessary presence of personal biographies and identities in qualitative inquiry. From my research with refugees, I provide examples of my CT reactions and interpretations and the ways in which they became crucial assets to the study.