A journey from blame to empathy in a family assessment of a mother and her sons.
Psychotherapists undertaking conjoint family treatment often feel stymied by the intensity and refractoriness of blaming among family members. Therapists feel drawn in as judges and referees, roles which do not seem to offer a possibility for constructive therapeutic activity. Embedded within the blameful exchanges, however, may be occasional moments of reflection by one or more members. Attending to these thoughtful experiences, rather than focusing on the angry exchange affords the therapist the opportunity of depending understanding and empathy among the family members. The family session described herein illustrates this evolution from blame to empathy.
Zinner
J
J
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, George Washington University School of Medicine, USA.
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004645:Empathy; D005196:Family Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy*