Partners for Collaborative Solutions
CO-DESIGNING AND TAILOR-FITTING THERAPEUTIC EXPERIMENTS AND RITUALS WITH COUPLES AND FAMILIES
One effective way we can utilize to the maximum degree client extra-therapeutic factors, such as: their metaphors, language, key strengths, life passions, and what and who resonates with them the most from pop culture, literature, theater, movies, TV, art, and music, is by incorporating this important information into co-designing with our clients’ therapeutic experiments and rituals that are meaningful to them. By doing so, we also are increasing the likelihood of the clients wanting to implement the co-constructed therapeutic experiments and rituals. The great hypnotist Milton H. Erickson long believed that we should utilize all that our clients bring to us and that therapy should always be designed to fit the clients and not the clients to fit the type of therapy we are offering. This is how we foster a cooperative partnership with our clients. Some examples of questions that could be asked to help with the co-designing of therapeutic experiments and rituals process, are as follows:
- “What lyrics would your favorite rapper Drake the adolescent’s favorite rapper) share with your parents that you think might inspire them to see you in a different light? How might that improve your relationship with them?”
- “What advice would the Black Panther and Spiderman (the adolescent’s favorite superheroes) have for you to help improve your relationship with your parents?”
- “What advice would the Brazilian star soccer player Neymar (the adolescent’s favorite soccer player) have for you to help you to score more goals with your parents over the next week?”
- “If Salvador Dali (the adolescent loves Surrealist art, particularly Dali’s artwork) were to make a painting of your family how would it look? What objects, symbols, and themes would be present? What colors would he use? How would family members look and what would they be captured doing? What do you think Dali was trying to convey to you and your family in his painting? What else?”
- “What alternative more preferred reality would Stephen Hawkins (the father is an astrophysicist) like to see with your family once you transformed as a family after successfully making through a black hole intact. What would be different?”
- “If the Buddha (the husband meditates and is interested in Buddhism) were sitting in that empty chair over there, what advice would he have for you and your wife? What would he recommend that you try over the next week to help the two of you not fall prey to conflict and arguing?”
While in conversation with our clients, certain quotes and words of wisdom from philosophers, historic figures, thought leaders, and images of characters from TV, movies, theater productions, and characters from popular books may be sparked in our minds, which also can be brought to the co-designing of therapeutic experiments and rituals process with our clients. However, what we bring to our clients during this therapeutic operation has to be either acceptable or come close to fitting their beliefs and in line with their theories of change. Being transparent, curious, and allowing one’s creativity to have no bounds will make your therapeutic work much more meaningful and enjoyable.