EP95 Invited Address 03b - Changes in Therapy - Jay Haley, MA

Description:

Invited Address Session 3 Part 2 from the Evolution of Psychotherapy 1995 - Changes in Therapy
 

In the 1990's all factors of therapy are changing. The way of financing therapy is changing, there are new types of clientele, there are striking differences in ideology and the training of therapists is becoming a new kind of enterprise.

Educational Objectives:

1. To describe the general origins of different therapy approaches.
2. To describe the social context effecting therapy.
3. To illustrate professional differences in therapy.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*

Outline:

Introduction & Career Overview

• Jay Haley is introduced as a pioneer in psychotherapy, formerly director of the Family Therapy Institute.

• He clarifies his retirement and relocation to La Jolla.

• Plans to share a personal perspective on changes in therapy, using case examples.

• Highlights today’s openness to new methods due to the lack of rigid orthodoxy.

Changes in Therapy & Systemic Influences

• Managed care shifts therapy to brief, goal-oriented models.

• Growing diversity among clients requires cultural sensitivity.

• Court-ordered therapy changes the therapist's role to serving the state, not just the client.

• Reflects on therapy's historical roots, starting with Freud’s early theories.

Freud’s Theories & Impact

• Reviews Freud’s initial claim that hysteria stemmed from childhood sexual abuse.

• Discusses the shift from focusing on real events to internal processes.

• Highlights the ethical and clinical dilemmas Freud’s theories introduced.

Behavior & Family Therapy

• Behavior therapy in the 1950s promotes deliberate change over interpretation.

• Family therapy focuses on interaction patterns and symptom function within systems.

• Emphasizes present-focused interventions and systemic understanding.

Training Therapists & Use of Directives

• Notes the shift from insight-based to skill-based training.

• Stresses the difficulty and value of giving effective directives.

• Draws influence from Milton Erickson's methods.

• Encourages therapists to custom-design therapy for each case.

Case Examples & Strategy

• Case of a woman with a shaking hand illustrates symptom function within a family system.

• Emphasizes stages in family development and therapy’s role in transitions.

• Shows how well-designed directives can prompt change without hypnosis.

Alternative Perspectives

• Mary Goulding stresses client-centered therapy and internal healing.

• Advocates for letting go of the past rather than dissecting it.

• Emphasizes the therapeutic power of helping clients rewrite their personal narratives.

Audience Interaction

• Discussion on balancing technical strategies with moral responsibility.

• Debate on the role of medication—Haley skeptical, Goulding more open.

• Audience appreciates both speakers’ humor and humanity as therapeutic tools