MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS OF NEW YORK
The Methods Of Therapy
The therapy involves exploring person's various current socially constructed individual, couple, and family scripts and relating them tothe social worlds in which they are anchored..
Brief Short Term Therapy
Brief Treatment has certainly been done in many cases in the past, it is only with in the past 10 years or so that therapists have begun taking it seriously. Currently,encouraged by many different factors, managed health care and limited numbers of allowable sessions beingone, a great number of therapists have begun proposing that many kinds of problems are resolvable by brief therapy. It is our belief, however, the most important factor underlying the onset of the brief therapy models is the theoretical questioning of the historic socially and psychologically entrenched models of "the personality,the psychological pathology and the psychotherapeutic techniques" which flow from this view.
In addition, in light of the research (see deShazer, 1986 for a review of solution focused information and Messer & Warren,1995 for a review of research on the brief psychodynamic models) on outcome studies on the brief therapy models, we now have a yardstick to compare these therapies taking us beyond anecdotal claims and speculations.
Narrative Therapy
The Narrative View (White, 1986) is based on the idea that people have a story about them selves and the irproblem and that this story is one which has been told many times. Because it is very entrenched in their belief systems, it is less likely that they will notice other aspectsof their experiences that do not fit with their dominant story, i.e. their shadow stories (Atwood, 1996).Therapeutic questioning of these shadow stories enables persons to expand their original story to include their alternative experiences. This expansion thenprovides a broader vision and thus holds new potentialfor growth and change.
Solution Focused Therapy
Wittgenstein. L. (1975) stated: "The classification made by philosophers and psychologists are like those that someone would give who tried to classify clouds by their shapes."
Solution Focused Therapy is based on a shift in therapeutic thinking from trying to understand and locate pathology in individuals to assisting them with constructing solutions to the problems presented. This is based on the idea that often people's solutions to problems ( what they found helpful) seemed to have no direct relationship to the problems presented (Lipchik, 1986; Molnar & deShazer, 1987).
Solution Focused Therapy (Continued)
In this view, the therapist asks questions and prescribe stasks that assists clients with focusing on their owndefinitions of therapeutic goals, with an emphasis onutilizing their own existing and potential resources.
Solution therapy emphasizes staying open for possibilities of change as clients and therapist alike search for solutions that will work for the client. The client sets the goals and is an expert on his or her own life events. The therapist assists in creating a framework that is positive, embedded in a solution focused dialogue
Therapy in this approach is viewed as a joint undertaking to which both the client and the therapist are considered experts--the client as an expert in knowledge of his or her own life experiences and the therapist an expert in assisting to construct a workable solution to the client's issue. For more information on this approach, please visit http://www.brief-therapy.org.
Possibility Therapy
Bill O'Hanlon used to be a Solution Focused therapist. A life-long seeker of knowledge, he branched off from the solution folks and coined the term Possibility Therapy.He added two main concepts to the solution focused approach: (1) possibility --that there is hope for change and potential for things to work out to the client'ssatisfaction and (2) acknowledgement of the client's feelings --that they are heard, validated, and respected.In this view, the client's emotions are considered just asimportant as the client's goals. In my opinion, BillO'Hanlon is one of the most creative therapists in the field today. He is continually exploring, seeking and altering his view based on new knowledge. For mor einformation on his view and to purchase his books and tapes, please visit his website.
Imago Relationship Therapy
Imago Therapy is a relationship Therapy developed by Harville Hendrix, PhD and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD. It is based on their experience of mending relationships,including their own marriage. Harville and Helen have written best-selling books including “Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples” and “Keeping the Love You Find: A Guide for Singles” and "Giving the Love That Heals: A Guide for Parents."
Imago Therapy is used mainly with couples but also can be a very effective method of therapy working with parents of all ages and their children and/or parents. The therapy focuses on building trust in relationships by teaching some communication skills which very quickly create a feeling of safety. Many couples immediately experience an opportunity to connect more deeply with their partners, helping them to appreciate them more, and revive the passion and hope in their relationship. For more information on this approach and to find a certified Imago Therapist in your area, please view GetitngTheLoveYouWant.com
Other
Other methods of therapy are also available. More psychodynamically based therapies are available for those individuals who wish to explore their motivational bases of behavior or who wish to examine how their childhood experiences influence their current behavior.These therapies tend to be Longer Term Therapies.
To schedule an appointment call or E-Mail us at jatwood@optonline.net