Treating Complex Trauma and Dissociation: A Practical Guide to Navigating Therapeutic Challenges by Danylchuk Lynette S. & Connors Kevin J

Author:Danylchuk, Lynette S. & Connors, Kevin J. [Danylchuk, Lynette S.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2016-09-12T16:00:00+00:00

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Collaborative Modeling of Rational Authority

A key component of the Collaborative model, rational authority, is when the participants create something together. Whereas the Power Over model, irrational authority, is based on winning and dominating another, the act of mutually creating something leads to a sense of mastery, competence, and an experience of healthy collaboration. What follows are guidelines for structuring homework assignments to facilitate the development of an internalized locus of control.

In therapy, be mindful about giving too many directions to the client, when a question or conversation might be more effective at engaging with the person. Tasks and homework assignments need to include open-ended options, such as giving suggestions and then saying, “See if you can find a way to express what just came up in a way that feels right to you?” The client with an external locus of control will try to anticipate what mode of expression will best please the therapist, so it may help to add a message that conveys a challenge to please the self, apart from the therapist. A positive double bind might be to let the client know that you, the therapist, will be happy seeing him or her find what is personally pleasing to him or her, so pleasing the therapist turns into doing something genuinely pleasing to the self, “I’m really interested to see what pleases you, what options you choose to take.”

Give permission to the client to modify the assignment. Clients who modify assignments tend to get better faster. As clients rework and reshape the assignment into something that more closely meets their immediate needs and limitations, they are taking a more active and collaborative role in the treatment process. Working with each client to learn how the changes were important and how they were of greater benefit to the client is additional therapeutic material for understanding the client’s needs and goals.

When the client apparently alters the assignment to effectively water it down, the clinician is encouraged to explore the positive move to create safety. How these modifications provide safety, and why safety in that clinical corner is critical are vital clues to facilitate careful pacing of the therapeutic process.

Be aware of the client who feels overly compliant. Challenge the client to come up with other possible ideas or responses. Qualify statements made to the client, leaving room for interpretations that are different from the therapist’s. Offer alternative ways of seeing or doing things, leaving it open for the client to choose, or to create something else. Focus on the process, not the final decision. Teach the client how to consider different alternatives, seeing the strengths and weaknesses of each and eventually choosing the one that seems best for the client. The therapist can help with this process, adding to both positive and negative sides of each choice and encouraging the client to stay with the ambiguity for a while before settling on something to try. Analogies, such as being fitted for glasses or contacts, may be useful. The eye

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