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It must be in the nature of such discussions to want more information, and this may be particularly so after reading this material to some extent because it is part of an ongoing assessment, but also because of the level of uncertainty for everyone shown in the background material. The parents want answers to their questions about Steven and are frightened of what they might hear; they are also very uncertain about what to do for the best, whether in terms of what help to accept or how to respond to Steven. Maggie is also afraid that they might have compounded his difficulties through responding the wrong way. The psychotherapist is uncertain about the nature of Steven's difficulties, what treatment modality might be best and about the parents’ ability to commit to ongoing work with Steven. The solution that is described hints at a compromise, a time-limited piece of work with several aims: to find out more about Steven, to try and engage the parents in parent work, to assess their ability to support Steven in therapy at a later date, if it is thought appropriate, and finally to help Maggie come to terms with Steven's difficulties. Maggie comes weekly but is seen jointly with Steven every other week. There was clearly a question about whether Steven should be seen at all during this time but he was included because of the fear that the parents would not attend without him also being seen. It would also ‘be easier' the therapist goes on to say, ‘to use what came up in joint sessions with Steven to help her think and reflect about difficulties, and to help her make more use of her individual sessions’. The father, Peter, would be seen every couple of months with Maggie.
A great deal of thought has gone into reaching this decision and I like the creative response to so many unknowns; however, it did seem a lot to manage, many different needs and tensions to keep in mind. After reading the session, which admittedly is still