Conditioned Responses: Head Games

• Gestalt Therapy and Mental Health Care: Part 1 by Brian O'Neill, 11/3/96
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    • Hi ya Bob by Dale R. Smith, 8/20/97
      
      

Howdy, it's been awhile. Head games are easy. Head games are easy. When we were tiny tots we began to learn how practice head games. We were relaxing in the crib, we either desired something or needed something -- all we knew is that we wanted something satisfied. It could have been a drive, a primary reinforcer, or a secondary reinforcer. We learned how to get satifaction. Let me stop this rambling, least I get lost in my own discombobulation. I have at least primed the pump, you know what I am talking about, and I assume where that line of thought would end. So, we learned how to play head games as kids. We learned what was acceptable, and what was not acceptable. We also learned how to blur acceptance vs. nonacceptance. As we got older, more mature (a realitive state, depending on the situation, or what emerges from the field). Shaping: close approximations to a desired result (behavior), of course this is situational specific. During our journey through the process of life, we select nouns to cherish, nouns to keep, nouns to nourish (pronouns work here too). If we cherish certain attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, we will do anything we can (and somethings we can't) to maintain and support them, we nourish them. We treasure them. Our secondary reinforces become our primary reinforcers (at least psychologically, and in the case of addiction, physiologically). Some may even evolve into drive states. Mind games: operational definition for the moment (subject to change of course) things counselors do to support their attitudes, beliefs, and values in counseling, which may have no relationship to counseling the offender/addict; mind games: mental exercises offenders and addictss engage in to support their attitudes, beliefs and values. In both cases, neither party is willing, and often, or able to work through. I should have thought this through before writing. In treatment, I have seen all to often, counselors refer to mind games the clients are playing, and label them as mind games. A good therapist (in my opinion) would never label or even identify the mind game for the client (or allow it to happen in a group). If and when it does happen, redefining it in a therapeutic fashion gets the job done. "How is it that you are able to articulate 'whatever' which supports a position that is contrary to what you are here to accomplish? All of a sudden the so called mind game becomes a vital part of self identification (ownership, accountability to self [fiction vs. reality] in therapy. You stay with the client, keep them present, attempt to direct the therapy in the here and now. Keep them present, no introspection (at least not in the session). My thoughts on this are not what they were when I first posted the message. I will reflect (introspection) and NOW, thanks to you, include someting about this in what Joe and I are attempting to do. My project with Joe is moving a a snails pace. I have been derilict for the past several weeks. My temporary job become a job for at least a year. And folks in the community are starting to refer clients to me. I am struggling for a happy medium. Brian O'Neill's response to us on 8/1/97 Claiming sent me into a tail spin of introspection. I was playing mind games with my self (mind games also prevent us from facing reality). ...become full, ...be empty, ...be reborn, let yourself die. I have actually been attempting to do this! With some minor success. PEACE.

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