Perspectives on the Therapeutic Relationship

Unit 7 Perspectives on the Therapeutic Relationship

Weekly Learning Record 3

Student name: Elena Stavreva

A bit of experiment with my learning records. Today I will be using elements (questions) from Gibb's cycle of reflection, as a support base.

What happened?

Day 3 – one tutor, one lecture, one reading discussion and one presentation about character, focusing on humility, everyone from the group was there and one person had their birthday on that day.

What were your thoughts, feelings, emotions?

What was good and bad?

What was your analysis?

I was really looking forward to this lecture because part of my expectations were built on the reading we had to do beforehand. It was absolutely enjoyable reading the essay. You read first with your heart and then with your mind. This is one of my sequences about reading.

I love the feeling while entering the room and seeing the people from the group. I already feel attached. It doesn't mean that I don't see things that I don't like or find irritating.

There was a feeling of a bit of confusion and nervousness on my side during the reading discussion as I usually don't remember well and have to use my notes but when you do in a big group, the atmosphere feels more competitive and I usually have the sense that there is less time for me to mumble.

The structure of the systemic perspective contains an element for the therapeutic relationship which is defined as engagement and appears to be equally imoprtant as the different sequences emerging, following the process. Some of the cases considered in the reading extract stated that right move, actions and techniques could be used but if there is no engagement on a person to person basis, change may be hindered or the therapeutic process may be delayed in its development. It seems the working alliance is clearly defined but quite fluctuant and depending a lot on the dynamic of the engagement process. Engagement sounds to me a lot like motivation, encouragement and even empowering as the process goes further.

Engagement encompasses several ideas important for the therapeutic relationship. There is a need to construct the relationship around and on the basis of a circle of security which gives the client the freedom to trust, to go out and try new ways in order to promote the change in their life and come back on the same safe ground knowing that they are accepted. The secure enough relationship is a place from where the client may take initiative and try new behaviours and approaches. It is a place where the therapist can

step forward and improvise or use different techniques, try different approaches. (7.1)

Using “clean language”, I would say, is really crucial because when the person is coming from a point of view of not being understood, very often misunderstandings easily occur. Interesting observations here about the mirror neurons and the kinesthetic empathy. I would love to read more on the subject. Another element was the so called “joining” which for me could be summarised in leading and following simultaneously, getting to know the person behind the problem. Finally one of the the ideas I totally embraced is asking the client to treat themselves with questions.