The Therapist Who Told Couples to Fight More

Send us Fan MailWhat if the most effective thing a therapist could do was tell a couple to schedule their arguments?What if a child's panic attacks weren't a problem to fix — but a protection someone needed?What if the most important thing a family could do was learn to say what they actually mean?Three questions. Three different visions of what family therapy is for. This week we cover all of them.In Part 2 of the Licensure Lifeline family systems series we go deep on strategic family therapy and experiential approaches — two of the most distinctive and testable frameworks in family systems work.Strategic Family Therapy — Haley & Madanes Jay Haley built an entire approach on one belief: insight is optional, change is not. We cover directives and paradoxical directives — including why prescribing the symptom actually works. Ordeal therapy — Haley's most provocative contribution. And Cloe Madanes' extension of the model — the protective function of symptoms, and the pretend technique for working with children.Experiential Family Therapy — Virginia Satir Satir believed most human suffering came down to one thing: low self-worth. We cover her four communication stances — placater, blamer, computer, and distracter — and the belief underneath each one. Family sculpting — using the body and physical space as primary clinical tools. The temperature reading — a five-component structured communication exercise. And congruent communication as the goal of everything.We also bring all four family systems theorists together in one comparison — Bowen, Minuchin, Haley, and Satir — so you can stay in the right framework on any exam question.Four exam-style multiple choice questions at the end.Want the full picture? This week's newsletter covers three additional strategic techniques and Satir's growth model in depth. Link in the show notes — always free.SimplePractice:  Get a 7-day free trial + 50% off your first 4 monthsLicensure Lifeline Website: Access the newsletter and information about the online community.  Email Me!!: [email protected] the show