MRI Group

Question 1

First-Order-Change:

Answer 1

MRI Group:

Change that occurs at the behavioral level only regarding family patterns of interaction.

Question 2

MRI Group

Audio File 10 and 11

Answer 2

Classical Schools of Family Therapy

~ahistorical
~assess for cycle (do more of the same that they have not been able to successfully change therapy)
~ paradoxical directives
~ goal of therapy is second-order-change.
~ therapy terminates the moment after symptom relief even if that is after the first session.
~ treatment of family is same 6 steps
~therapist takes full responsibility for change
~paradoxical is the belief that people are resistance to change and so rather than add to the resistance then the therapist instructs them to not change then the client becomes resistant to not change

Primary Contributors

Gregory Bateson (non-clinical)

Don Jackson (founder of MRI)

Virginia Satir

Jay Haley

John Weakland

Paul Watzlawick

Richard Fisch (reorganized MRI as Brief Therapy Center)

Primary Interventions:

Positioning:
Prescribing the Symptom:
Restraining the Progress of Change:

Key Terms:

First-Order Change:  
More of the Same: 
Out-of-Session Directive:
Paradoxical Intervention: 
Problem as Attempted Solution: 
Report and Command Functions: 
Second-Order Change:

Question 3

More of the Same:

Answer 3

MRI Group:
In MRI Systemic Therapy, this term refers to the problem in families being a failure to appropriately respond to normal life circumstances, making the attempted solution to the problem the problem. Families falling into this pattern end up doing “more of the same” behavior, meaning that they do more of the failed solution as opposed to trying a different solution.

Question 4

Out-of-Session Directive:

Answer 4

MRI Group:
Paradoxical interventions were typically prescribed through out-of-session directives; that is, instructing the clients to engage in behavioral change outside of the session as opposed to in the here-and-now of the session.

Question 5

Paradoxical Intervention:

Answer 5

MRI Group:
Interventions used to address the concept that families are naturally resistant to change. They either involve instructing the family not to change, or to change in ways that contradict their desired change. Now, the family’s natural resistance to change will promote them to rebel against the directive to not change, thereby experiencing the initial desired change.

Question 6

Positioning:

Answer 6

MRI Group:
A paradoxical intervention of pushing a family member further into the absurdity of their initial position, thereby making them realize their own absurdity.

Question 7

Prescribing the Symptom:

Answer 7

MRI Group:
A paradoxical intervention through instructing client’s to intentionally engage in the behavior they wish to change. They may either rebel against the therapist’s directive and experience desired change, or comply with the therapist’s directive and become aware of their control over choosing to continually engage in the undesirable behavior.

Question 8

Problem as Attempted Solution:

Answer 8

MRI Group:
In MRI Systemic Therapy, the therapist traditionally assesses that the problem is not the problem, but the attempted solutions to fix the problem reinforces the interactional behavioral sequence.
*MRI Systemic Approach

Question 9

Report and Command Functions:

Answer 9

MRI Group:
Every communication has two components, report (i.e. the content of the message) and command (a message about the relationship).
*MRI Systemic Approach

Question 10

Restraining the Progress of Change:

Answer 10

MRI Group:
A paradoxical intervention when clients come in reporting that therapy has been effective and that they are experiencing change, the therapist encourages them to slow down, and cautions them about the risk of changing too fast.

Question 11

Second-Order Change:

Answer 11

MRI Group:

Change that occurs at the level of family beliefs or rules that govern patterns of interaction.