Brief Therapy

Key Persons:  Palo Alto Group - Bateson

 Key Concepts:

1. We create our own reality.
2. Follows a General Systems Theoretical framework.
3. Present behaviors maintain the problem.
4. Communication between family members is the problem.
5. Align with family to gain trust and use influence to make change.

 Therapy Strategies:

1. Get concrete descriptions of the problem (behavior) as defined by the client.
2. Find common denominators between family members.
3. Gain trust before attempting solutions.
4. Use influence to get client to do something completely different.
5. Present behaviors that are maintaining the problem and examine cognitively for what function the symptoms have in the family.

 Key Words:

1. Palo Alto
2. Communication
3. Descriptions of problem
4. Function of the symptom