Strategic Theory Flashcards
This model is really annoying in that it has multiple people and organizations who created it. There are three in particular. What are they?
MRI Brief Therapy
Haley and Madanes’ Strategic
Milan Systemic
Yeah. Barf. Oops, I meant “thank you all for your contributions to the field.”
The main idea of all of these practices, and the general understanding of what “strategic” therapy” is…
It’s a problem-centered approach; it’s pragmatic. The therapist is less interested in “understanding” and more interested in creating change.
MRI Brief Therapy:
There are three main steps for this branch of strategic. What are they?
- Define a resolvable complaint
- Identify attempted solutions that maintain the complaint
- Understand the client’s language for describing the problem.
MRI Brief Therapy:
What is a one-down stance?
I’m just a dumb therapist, what do I know?
…right?
MRI Brief Therapy:
Describe an example of a paradoxical intervention.
Prescribe an increase in the intensity of symptoms. Your goal is to tire them out; when they get tired, they’re more likely to find alternative solutions.
Example: Okay, I think the solution is to argue more about this subject. You normally argue for half an hour? I’m going to suggest you argue for an hour instead.
Haley and Madanes:
Where, confusingly, did Haley and Madanes both spend time working before developing their own model?
The MRI Institute!
“But wait, Elaina, isn’t that what we just went over?”
“Absolutely, yes it is! How fun!”
Haley and Madanes:
What is prescribing the symptom? What does it accomplish?
Telling a client to engage in a problem behavior. It shifts the behavior from involuntary to voluntary, hopefully encouraging them to give up the behavior altogether (or proving that it is a voluntary behavior after all).
Haley and Madanes:
What are “pretend techniques”?
Have the family pretend to have the symptom together.
Example: Why don’t you pretend you love each other for X amount of time?
Haley and Madanes:
How do you “prescribe ordeals”?
Suggest family members do something horrible every time the behavior occurs.
Example: Can’t sleep? Clean the house. Pay your bills. Give yourself a bikini wax.
What did Haley and Madanes believe about labeling the problem?
They believed that telling the family what to do leads to resistance. “If a problem can be solved without the family’s knowing how or why, that is satisfactory.”
Milan Systemic Model:
How do you use positive connotation?
Identify the positive impact of behaviors. How is this protecting the family?
Example: thank the child for being the symptom bearer
Milan Systemic Model:
What is invariant prescription?
Hey parents, why don’t you pretend to have a secret? Whisper in corners, act suspicious. Make sure your kid knows you have a secret. Continue until the symptoms stop.
Does anyone remember anything else about this??
These are the main themes of each, as far as I can tell:
MRI Brief Therapy:
The goal is to eliminate the problem. Families get stuck in vicious cycles when they fail to solve the problem.
Haley and Madanes:
The goal is to create functional boundaries/hierarchy. Problems stem from disturbed family hierarchies. Creativity is a heavy influence.
Milan Systemic:
The goal is to develop a systemic perspective of the problem. Start with a hypothesis and prove/disprove it. Co-therapists and observers are used.
