Negotiated theory of change?

• What is the Therapist's Role? by BOL Editor, 10/31/98
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    • The client's theory of change by Scott D. Miller, Ph.D., 11/16/98
      
      

So, if I have Scott's idea down, then what I would do as the clinician is assess how my client thinks that he or she will change, accept it, and work from within it, or at least validate it in some way. To use the example, the mother believed that her daughter had a biological depression, and the presentation of the diathesis-stress model seems to have validated her conclusion - AND extend it. Perhaps this validation led to an openness to hear other possibilities (e.g., the role of the environment) because she felt heard rather than dismissed. It appears to me as though negotiation of the therapist's role is being suggested. In other words, instead of me just dictating to my client how change happens (perhaps leading to defensiveness), I meet her where she is and then add to it in order to negotiate a more adaptive role.

• Negotiated theory of change by Mark A. Arcuri, MA, 11/17/98