The Tactics of Change: Doing Therapy Briefly

This is the how to follow up to the first book promoting the idea of second order change in psychotherapy. It's written in simple language and provides enough theory to understand the method. The book is filled with great examples of this type of therapeutic approach, using case scripts to show how the different tactics are used. What's great about the idea of second order change is that it is a concept that can be used outside of the therapeutic concept to address other challenges in life.

The Tactics of Change: Doing Therapy Briefly in Psychotherapy by John Weak and Lynn Segal was a helpful and informative read. For me, it was sometimes so detailed (or convoluted) that I needed to read over a page or two more than once to understand what they were saying. They really bring a different perspective to approaching therapy than most of the other theories that I have read about, so that made this book a helpful perspective.I think what comes out most clear after reading this book is that I need to pay attention to the client's behavior and what is sustaining that behavior. Why does that behavior persist? Weak and Segal explain that the persistence of certain behaviors is what is crucial. In this they differ from what they consider to be the norm of labeling any problem encountered as "diagnosis" and then trying to find its basic origin or "etiology." Their basic viewpoint is first, view the problems as essentially behavioral. A problem is something that is done, not something that simply exists. Second, the persistence of a problem (which is a behavior) is what needs to be focused on, not how it began. One of the main things that make this theory of therapy different is that it is short. It happens usually in no more than ten, one-hour sessions. In the book they dealt with many issues such as anxiety, marital and family conflict, depression, schizophrenia, sexual issues, substance abuse, and even psychosomatic problems. These can all be dealt with in about ten sessions. They insist that the persistence of problems is based on a vicious circle of reciprocal reinforcement between the problem behavior on the one hand and the behavior involved in attempted "solutions" on the other (Kindle, 3399-3401). The behaviors being acted out as solutions must be accounted for as part of the problem itself. In fact, the "solution" could simply be what is actually maintaining the problem behavior in the first place. Thus, the reason many people come to therapists for help. I believe that this is extremely helpful for therapists, and especially beginning therapists, to remember. They help explain and show the power that the client has in persuading the therapist for a solution when those solutions are what is allowing the problem behavior to persist. The therapy can potentially be so short because to stop the problem behavior many times all that is necessary is to stop the problem-maintaining solution. Through their understanding of the persistence of problem behaviors they have identified three main observations. I will paraphrase these three observations: (1) Early in life we pick up on culturally standard solutions for culturally defined problems. Because they are learned at such an instinctive level, many times the ability to question or change such behavior is very difficult. (2) People typically become more rigid and constrained when put in stressful situations. (3) Weak and Segal propose that the problem is not that people are illogical, as most people assume, but that people are too logical. This means that people act out of their unquestioned learned behaviors, and when undesired results occur people try to logically explain away problems rather that challenge their initial premises. (Kindle Locations 3405-3409) The great thing about this type of therapy is that it can be applied in a number of ways. It is not only helpful for an individual, but can also be used for group, couple, and organizational therapy. Weak and Segal explain that this approach works with any kind of behavior that is maintained or altered within any system of social interaction. For them, clinical problems are mainly variations of everyday human interactional problems, on conventionally defined as special problems from our "normal" human difficulties. (Kindle, 3433-3434).

I own "Change", "The Language of Change" and now this, "The Tactics of Change". To be certain, this one has been the most readable and most truly informative, and practical of the three. Perhaps this is because Watzlawick didn't help write it -- he can be way too pedantic. It includes commentaries on clinical cases with transcriptions and fantastic explanations of what the hell is going on. It gives you great pointers on what to do and what not to do in particular instances of therapy, for instance, when first meeting the client. Very useful, if you are a fool like me.I also like it more than "The Pragmatics of Human Communication" and "The Situation is Hopeless, But Not Serious". All 5 of these, ultimately, I believe, were influenced by the leadership of Greg Baetson. Obtusely theoretical; usually you're wondering if (and how) you'll ever use this stuff you're desperately trying to integrate. "The Tactics of Change" changed that.

Needed this book for graduate school in a MFT program. Explains strategic therapy theory very well. A must read for any therapist who wants to help people help themselves.

I consider it a nice and excelent compendium about brief therapy, or as the author says, the breifest it can be in the right and apropiate way.It's obvious that the author is an expert, the only con I saw is that it can be a little repetitive at the last, eventhough, it's surely a MUST READ.

A great book if you are in the therapy field, and especially focused on brief therapy!

This was a required text book for one of my graduate program's classes. It is a good book to keep to reference back to.

Probably the next best book on change in the world (after Creating Paths of Change, by McWhinney). This book is very practical in how to deal with clients requesting change. Go slow.

Brillant, non conventionnel, à mettre entre toutes les mains. Quelle que soit votre pratique de la thérapie, cela vous inspirera une saine remise en question. Une méta-méthode en quelque sorte. Quand le changement de point de vue permet de progresser...

Parfait pour les initiés au modèle intéractionnel de Palo Alto. Etape par étape, les tactiques sont rappelées ici, simplement, y a plus qu'à appliquer. L'approche systémique accessible presque à tous! A lire et à relire!