[[C202003141155 Questions can be interventive]] [[04-03-2024]] - Reading [[Article - Karl Tomm Part 1 interventive interviewing]] - Therapist will indefinitely exert an effect on the client, whatever said or unsaid will be interpreted. - The posture you adopt will frame the kind of questions asked. - Linear or Circular. - The position of neutrality: not committed to any positions. Do not foreclose any possibilities. Then we can remain flexible. **There are different types of neutrality** **Types of Neutrality** 1. **Indifferent Neutrality:** The therapist accepts everything the client says without showing particular interest or investment. This, ironically, can make the client feel like the therapist doesn't genuinely care about them as a person. 2. **Affirming Neutrality:** The focus here is on accepting clients as they are, recognizing their humanity regardless of their behaviors or beliefs. This stance can be supportive and confirming, making the client feel understood and valued. The author sees this as complementary to "caring circularity" discussed earlier. 3. **Aloof Neutrality:** This occurs when a therapist struggles to accept the client without necessarily agreeing with them. This leads to the therapist maintaining a greater degree of distance, perhaps coming across as slightly disengaged. 4. **Strategic Neutrality:** This is where neutrality starts becoming less of a mindset and more of a technique. Here, the therapist might try to be deliberately neutral (like equalizing talk-time) in order to shift dynamics within the family system. It's a calculated choice, not a genuine stance of acceptance. - **Neutrality as the foundation:** The therapist prioritizes a posture of understanding, accepting the client's current state. This helps them see the situation clearly and avoids judgment. - **Strategic, not aimless:** While grounded in neutrality, the therapist still uses interventions and strategies. However, these interventions should grow from a deep understanding derived from their neutrality, not an imposition of the therapist's own pre-determined agenda. ==This is what #Juliana would said about having an "edge".. if we are too similar, then there is no edge of difference. == **The Therapist's Thought Process** The passage suggests therapists mentally cycle through the following concepts in a continuous loop: 1. **Circularity:** Observe the family dynamics and how their behaviours form feedback loops within the system. 2. **Hypothesizing:** Formulate possible explanations and understandings of the family's patterns and problems. 3. **Strategizing:** Make decisions for how to proceed. What information to gather? What questions or techniques to use? 4. **Neutrality:** Intervene with the chosen strategy, then step back into a position of open-minded observation, accepting any response the family offers. 5. **Back to Circularity:** Observe how the family reacted to the intervention, then begin the cycle again. **Reading the Room: Cues to Change Posture** The therapist should learn to pick up on subtle indicators within the therapeutic environment that suggest their current approach might not be optimal: - **Atmosphere of Constraint or Opposition:** This might mean the therapist is being overly strategic (pushing too hard for change) making the client(s) defensive. **Solution:** Shift to a more neutral stance. - **Dull or Boring Session:** This suggests a lack of strategy or purposeful direction. **Solution:** Adopt more strategizing and hypothesizing approaches. - **Lack of Direction Despite Hypotheses:** If the therapist has ideas but the session feels unproductive, it's time to refocus on circularity. Pay closer attention to the family's immediate feedback and experiences to refine hypotheses. **Openness to Refinement** Beyond responding to in-the-moment cues, the therapist should constantly reassess their overall approach. - **The Danger of Drift:** Continuous interaction with the family can inadvertently cause a therapist's stance to shift. For example, excessive "caring circularity" might drift into naivete if the family has deceptive tendencies. - **The Need for Self-Awareness:** Therapists must monitor changes in how they themselves feel during a session to detect when adjustments might be needed. # Part 2 - Interventive Interviewing: Part 2. Reflexive Questioning as a Means to Enable Self-Healing* ![[Karl Tomm Interventive Interviewing Part II - Reflexive questioning read.pdf]] [[Karl Tomm]] - https://www.evernote.com/shard/s5/sh/c5db62ab-8356-4e28-a242-2d50955e464d/ut9yWgxjJkRTDTlWGxBVYJY-Ec_0day8SGplnzVZQZ2tHO_aRPepF60hBg - ![[Interventive Interviewing Part 3.pdf]]