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Essay/Comment. Instruments of ‘Instant’ Change? A Question of Timing
Author(s) -
Perry Ron
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1467-8438
pISSN - 0814-723X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1467-8438.1988.tb01244.x
Subject(s) - instant , psychology , intervention (counseling) , psychological intervention , field (mathematics) , focus (optics) , project commissioning , cognitive psychology , publishing , family therapy , applied psychology , social psychology , psychotherapist , political science , law , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , psychiatry , pure mathematics , optics
Much current writing and a good deal of training in family therapy tends to focus on ways of intervening that can assist, facilitate, and hasten change. Less attention tends to be given to an equally important question: “WHEN is the right moment for this particular intervention?” The expert and gifted therapists who are the writers and teachers have generally acquired exquisite skills in timing (including assessment). Their writing tends to take these skills for granted and more attention tends to be given to the instruments to be used than to the question of timing. Some training in timing may be possible. At least some extended reflection on the question of timing may increase the dialogue around the use of powerful interventions which, if introduced rashly, can alienate clients, and even at times bring the field of family therapy into some disrepute.