About this Book

Although Carl Whitaker's work is considered brilliant, creative, and innovative, his techniques are commonly viewed as being beyond the reach of the average clinician. Some have thought his therapeutic successes reflect his personal charm, rather than a clearly formulated, consistent, replicable approach to therapy. Reshaping Family Relationships offers a model for understanding the process of change in family therapy from a symbolic-experiential perspective. It will offer a vivid picture of symbolic-experiential therapy, highlighted by clinical vignettes of the work of Dr. Whitaker, as well as the authors. Clinical material and case discussion illustrate each component of this approach.

The symbolic-experiential model not only identifies the various stages of the therapy process but discusses the different interventions that are typical at each stage. The six stages of therapy included in the core variables of this model are: (1) generating a relational point of view (2) creating a therapeutic alliance (3) stimulating a symbolic context (4) activating stress to fuel change (5) catalyzing change through symbolic experiences (6) the end of therapy: moving out and moving on.

This is a new perspective for examining, organizing, and utilizing the central ideas and theoretical tenets of Dr. Whitaker's many contributions to the field. Building on his previous works, this book presents a more rigorous analysis and integrated conceptualization of symbolic-experiential therapy. Carl's accumulated wisdom is presented in a fashion easily accessible to the average clinician.