Strategic Family Therapy. 

Strategic therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on finding practical solutions to specific problems and achieving desired outcomes in a relatively short period of time. It was developed by renowned family therapists, Jay Haley and Cloe Madanes, who were influenced by the work of psychiatrist and hypnotherapist Milton H. Erickson.

The key premise of strategic therapy is that people’s problems are often maintained and reinforced by patterns of communication and behavior within their social systems, such as families or other relationships. The therapist aims to identify and disrupt these patterns in order to bring about change.

Here are some key principles and techniques commonly used in strategic therapy:

1. Goal-oriented approach: Strategic therapy places a strong emphasis on setting clear, specific, and achievable goals. The therapist works collaboratively with the client to define the desired outcomes and develop a strategy to reach them.
2. Problem-focused interventions: The therapist focuses on the specific problem or symptom that the client wants to address, rather than delving extensively into the client’s past or underlying causes. The emphasis is on finding practical solutions and implementing behavioral changes.
3. Strategic interventions: Therapists use various strategic interventions to create disruptions in the problem-maintaining patterns. These interventions can include prescribing specific tasks or behaviors, giving directives, reframing the problem, or encouraging paradoxical interventions (e.g., prescribing the symptom or instructing the client to do more of what they fear).
4. Systemic perspective: Strategic therapy considers the larger system or context in which the problem exists. The therapist may examine the roles and interactions within a family or social network to identify how they contribute to the problem and identify opportunities for change.
5. Utilization of resistance: Instead of viewing resistance as something to be overcome, strategic therapists often view it as a resource to be utilized. They may use resistance as a way to gain valuable information about the client’s needs or to provoke new ways of thinking and behaving.

Overall, strategic therapy is a brief and action-oriented approach that aims to help individuals and families overcome specific problems by strategically intervening in their patterns of communication and behavior. It can be particularly effective for addressing issues such as phobias, relationship conflicts, compulsive behaviors, or other specific challenges where finding practical solutions is the primary focus.

 If you are interested in a particular topic, please send an email and I will try to write about  it or create a webinar on the topic you are looking for.