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[Because the session presented here derives from an orientation (systems theory) different from that of analytical psychotherapy, the therapists concerned have in this instance preferred not to remain anonymous and to preface the session with a brief introduction of their way of working.
The material has been sent to three people who represent different psychotherapeutic schools of thought. They have been asked to comment on the material and the approach of the therapist in the session. The intention is to put these commentaries on the same material side by side for comparison of the different approaches and to facilitate the understanding of alternative terminologies and modes of practice - Ed]
Presenting this brief case study to the Journal poses us with a dilemma. It is quite possible that most of the readership will not share our theoretical orientation. So, in this context, how can we present an aspect of our work that is both useful and interesting yet not need the reader to be familiar with, nor require a full explanation of, our working model? We have decided to present an episode which we hope will highlight the practice aspect of our work. The episode we focus on is from the final stage of therapy and is intended to give some indication of movement in the therapeutic process.
We have summarised the earlier stages of therapy but have not the space here to elaborate on issues that were considered in depth during the therapy. In spite of this brevity we hope that readers will find this paper interesting, informative and of some potential use in their own practice.
The example we have chosen is a therapeutic ritual which is enacted within a family therapy session. We think this case has the potential to be interesting and useful in a variety of ways to therapists of different persuasions.
Our practice is within a model of therapy that has come to be known as a ‘systemic approach’. This approach has developed out of our work in family therapy, in particu