« The relational | HomePage | Types of relationships »
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
The relational
Roses says:
I like "in the transference" better than "with". It's nicer I think - well way rougher and hurty, but it's nice. The therapist is making themselves much more vulnerable so it sounds a tad ouchy. But strangely enough, that's how trust is built somehow.
Graffiti says:
The interesting part about this Roses is that you entering the Twilight zone!!
Do do dodo, do do dodo... (You know the music)
The relational as I am describing it here blurs the line between therapy and non therapy. Therapists and particularly professional organisations like the Australian Psychological Society do not like such blurry lines at all!
When a client and therapist get together they have a treatment contract. That means they both agree that what is going to occur between them. The client is going to be the client and the therapist is going to be the therapist. In this country that means that both parties must abide by the laws of the land and by the rules that are provided by the various professional bodies such as professional practice guidelines and ethics rules. These clearly define the form that the relationship will take. For instance it would be considered very improper for a therapist to borrow $10,000 off a client.
If you don’t have treatment contract then none of the usual professional practice or ethics guidelines apply. For instance if two friends get together then no professional practice guidelines apply and their relationship is only bound by the laws of the land. For instance in Australia that means that neither person is allowed to assault the other but they could borrow money and so forth.
So this raises the question of can you have treatment with out a treatment contract? If you go this way then you enter into the blurry zone. There is one easy solution to all this, why go there in the first place? Why enter the relational where the therapist submits to the relationship and stops being the doctor as that instantly takes him out of the relational. Why go into the blury line between client and therapist? The answer to this is of course that very many people agree that one of the most therapeutic things for a person is to be in the relational. Its curative powers are acknowledged as being the most potent as compared to any technique one may use with a client.
How does one get there even if one wanted to. The relational as shown in the diagram:
it is not therapy and
it is not, not therapy
So what is it?
Roses asks: Do you learn from your clients Tony?
The answer is a resounding yes Roses, and that is a central feature of the relational. Every relationship changes me or has an impact on me. Some more than others but every person who I relate to weather they be my spouse, neighbour, friend or client has an impact on me and I change or transform as a result of that relating.
Every relationship impacts on us and changes us no matter who it is
If the person chooses to be in the doctor or therapist detached role then the changes will be reduced but unfortunately that also means that the therapist is less ‘engaged’ with the client and thus the client will also change less. So if the therapist lets go of being the doctor then the transformations on both sides increase and one can then say that it is more therapeutic for the client.
Logically of course it can be done. I am going to establish a family group. People can come and be in this family group if they choose. This grouping will do things like go to the movies, eat together, go on picnics, go on holidays together and so forth. Also in this group people can talk about their feelings and relationships and reactions, them self and others and so forth. Also in this group, very explicitly, there are no treatment contracts, in this group there will be no therapists and no clients. No therapy occurs in this family group as it is a family not a therapy group. In this family group people can be in the relational and there are no treatment contracts.
Graffiti
15:33 Permalink | Comments (17) | Email this
Comments
I am glad you are ok with it Graffiti.
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Hello Kenoath,
Not too sure what your comment is about kenoath?
What am I OK with?
Graffiti
Posted by: Graffiti | Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Relational "contracts". You say the psychological society might have trouble with the twilight zone.
I know they have implemented a masters degree at curtain university for Object Relations Therapy, however they will have so many big words to explain the blurry lines bit that I am sure the Psych Society will be ok too.
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Hello Kenoath
If there is no treatment contract then the professional body can't have a say in the matter even if they wanted to, which I imagine they wouldn't.
If objects relations is doing therapy then they would be able to have a say.
To be in the relational as we know means that to some extent the therapist must not be a therapist.
Graffiti
Posted by: Graffiti | Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Hi Tony,
I like your use of the twilight zone to describe the transference Tony. In the past I've likened the transference to a zone, but I think the twilight zone as a description is better. A few minutes a go I did a wikipedia search on the twilight zone and came up with the following descriptions.
" a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind."
"a place of things and ideas"
and a place (?) " between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge."
The final one sounds very Nietschean and I sometimes wonder whether old Frederick had some insight into the transference, even though I don't think he referred to it directly in his writing.
I guess you're partly right about the therapist in the relational Tony ( ie, in your final paragraph). Then again, I'm not sure whether certain therapists have always worked "in" the transference, but not had the kind of language we are now beginning to have available to describe what's happening. Perhaps some therapists just did it, without knowing what they were actually doing Tony, I don't know.
Perhaps also, we have to transform the term therapy Tony, so that it takes account of the newer ways of working and doesn't cunjer up the kind of pictures we still associate with the medical model of intervention. I guess this'd be a very long job, but expect it'll happen eventually.
Best wishes,
Jack.
Posted by: Jack | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Sounds like your family group will be fun.
"Privyet" from Moscow
Kahless.
Posted by: Kahless | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Hello Kahless,
which I assume is what "Privyet" means
Tony
Posted by: Tony | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Hello Jack,
In its day the Twighlight zone was really, really, really spooky (These days it would be corney).
It was not about space ships and aliens and so forth but would take just normal everyday situations and add one twist to get the scare effect.
I can even still recall one. This everyday surburban guy finds a stop watch in the street. He discovers that when he stops it the world and everyone in it stops as well except for him.
One day when walking out of a bank with huge amounts of money he drops the watch and it breaks. He can't start it again and thus the world is stopped for all time. Here is a man who has every thing and he goes slowly insane because he can't talk or relate to anyone as they are all stopped for ever.
That is one solution Jack, to transform the term therapy, or one can create a new thing that is not therapy and not, not therapy.
Of course there are people already in the world who are not therapists but by the way they naturally relate to others they are doing the relational with others and those around them benefit psychologically from that.
Tony
Posted by: Tony | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Actually Tony,
I imagine The Twilight Zone creators were a bunch of Psych therapists all getting together having a cuppa at a conference. I guess i imagine that most of the things that happen on or in The Twilight Zone, would be the type of things that people actually do experience or perceive they experience but are unable to explain it properly, all written down in a script. You're right though, i've always seen it as corney cause it's stuff that could be thought of as real. That's where it gets it's creepyness from i suppose. (Asking again, doesn't look like it does it?)
Umm, so... how much do you need to borrow?
You're doing a family? That's just a tad intense don't you think? I gather you've been in a family before. By golly goodness me! And you're the dad? You'll have to be i guess cause you're the therapist. It would be more effective if people didn't know who the therapist is so there every one would be on even keel. Ooo that would be fun!
I guess all families have somekind of ranking system...
I like you're experiments, don't know if i'd like to be apart of one but i must say you seem to be willing to trail blaze. I'm a Star Treky so it all makes sense to me. Not one of the cast, but i enjoy watching it on telly. Haven't seen it for years now. It's probably all different. Ohh well...
We're supposed to embrace change aren't we?
Oh yes! That's what i was going to say. If there are no guidelines then the therapist could do terrible things Tony. See, my idea (from what i've learned here) of a therapist is a person (therapist) who is willing to take people (clients) by the hand and help these people remember how to live and encourage them - once they remember - to gradually edge their way out of the therapy door and begin to live it once again. (Yeah, asking again) It's a beautiful pursuit! Actually very noble. But... (most people have a butt) There are not nice people out here in the world Tony. It's a tad frightening.
What back up do you have that you are accountable to?
Who watches (guards) your back from your clients and vice versa?
Also, and much more importantly for right here and now - I hope Wednesday is nice to you. It's always nice when that happens...
Posted by: Roses | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Ohh my goodness! I forgot!
Hi Kahless!
Have fun! Stay warm! Stay safe! Travel carefully!
Jack,
I'm so 'into' what you found The Twilight Zone means! Wow!
Roses
Posted by: Roses | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
So what is your role in this "family group", Tony.
Posted by: Madeleine | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
I would think that 'Brother Tony' would be better than Godfather of the Family.
kenoath
Posted by: kenoath | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Tony Blanco
Posted by: kenoath | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Godfather Tony, Brother Tony. :-) That's funny Kenoath. The mind boggles.
Posted by: Madeleine | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
I am the leader of the family Madeleine.
Graffiti
Posted by: Graffiti | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Hello, Leader of the Family.
Posted by: Madeleine | Wednesday, 17 October 2007
Reminds me of a Gary Glitter song....
I am the leader
I am the leader
I am the leader of the gang woa yeh!
Posted by: kahless | Thursday, 18 October 2007
The comments are closed.