milan therapy

Question 1

hypothesis in Milan therapy

Answer 1

-“…a supposition made as a basis of reasoning without reference to its truth; as a starting point for an investigation.”
-Coming up with every possible scenario that might be systemically at play in this case
-It establishes a starting point, each hypothesis is either confirmed or invalidated.
-The hypothesis comes from the information that the therapist has even prior to the first meeting.
-Example of mother and son. 1st: missing dad XXX 2nd: son resents boyfriend ***
-OED: “supposition made as a basis for reasoning without reference to its truth.”
-Cross off ones that are not reasonable, until there are only workable hypotheses left

By having a list you are saying there is a whole range of possibilities that might be happening here
-Also providing you with a wider scope of what might be happening

Question 2

explain genius of Milan

Answer 2

Figuring out ways to “break the game”
-Establish “the game”
-Positive Connotation of all behavior
-Ex. Daughter who develops an eating disorder to take care of her family, acknowledging that she is selfless for doing this
-Use Circular Questions

Question 3

explain circularity

Answer 3

-“The capacity of the therapist to conduct his/her investigation on the basis of feedback from the family in response to the information he/she solicits about relationships and therefore about difference and change.”
-This process demands that the therapist free herself/himself from the cultural conditioning of thinking about things, so that they always think in terms of relationships.
-Completely in support of Bateson.
-When you pose a question and you are looking for everyone to weigh in on a particular issue
-Can help stop fighting with circular questions, because everyone is curious what everyone thinks about this question

Question 4

explain the relationship of others

Answer 4

-Every member is invited to tell how she/he sees the relationship between two other people. The investigation of a dyad, through the eyes of a third.
-Communication, in this context, cannot be avoided, even though dysfunctional families avoid communication.

Question 5

explain collecting information

Answer 5

Specific interactions in specific circumstances

Differences in behavior (More or less
-Who interferes most? Who gets most bugged?
-Who stays home the most?

Before and after
-Did your mother and brother fight more before or after dad got sick?

What if
-What if Dad got out and found a job?

Question 6

how do these questions help

Answer 6

-Stop and Think, rather than follow standard path
-Cut into fights and escalations.
-Triggers more the same type of thinking—”Difference Thinking”
-Bring up difficult topics
-Worse case scenarios.

Question 7

explain neutrality

Answer 7

-This is actually used to refer to the consistent shifting of alliance, since each question to a person implies some alliance.
-The therapist is allied with everyone and no one, at the same time.
-Different than Bowen who believed that you had to at points take each party’s side at different times, they believed in traditional neutrality where the therapist was not taking a side, aligning with everyone at the same time

Question 8

explain the Milan team

Answer 8

create hypotheses, ask circular questions to get data and rule out some hypotheses

• Avoids moral judgements
• Resist linear traps
• Gives feeling of mystery
• Team is seemingly more powerful than single therapist.

Question 9

goal of the Milan team

Answer 9

Break the contradictory pattern so that the family is free to change.

Remember:
-The mind is social
-Shift from “to be” to “to show” (rather than “father is depressed,” “father shows depression.”) Such a shift pushes away from an internal orientation.
-Systems are always changing. They only appear to be stuck. There is no fixed image of how the family should be.