Milan Therapy

What are before/after circular questions used in Milan therapy?

"How was dad before? How is dad now?" Or "how was dad before he started drinking? How is dad now when he drinks?"

What are hypotheticals (circular questions) used in Milan therapy?

"Who do you think would ________________ ?"

What are behavioral sequence questions (circular questions) Milan therapy?

- behavioral sequence > "when James yells, what do you do?" It's asking the opinions of how others react.

What are the main goals of Milan Therapy?

- create new meaning - not fix the interactions - therapist interrupts the clients patterns so they can choose new ones - no predefined goals - reduce symptoms w/ new patterns

How do Milan therapists assess?

- observe clients language / description of self and others, how itll their language shapes their reality - change labels to verbs > "he is depressed," to "when he does depressing things...." avoids labels and focuses on behaviors and actions

What are "invariant prescriptions" used in Milan therapy?

- used with alliances - therapist helps couple client create a secret, but all know about it. Used to serve coalitions. I.e. parents go out for 2 hrs and don't tell the kids where. Used when children act out *invariant - secret

How does Milan Approach Therapy?

- with language - circular approach - positive reframe - shift how clients make meaning, viewing the problem

What are the main treatments used in Milan therapy?

1) long term brief therapy 2) pre session - hypothesize of the problem 3) have sessions w clients 4) use of intercession- therapist meets w observing team for feedback 5) deliver of intervention 6) discussion of outcome. I.e. > Meet for 1 yr, once a month

Analogically message

A metaphoric or embolism msg Ie husbands not taking out trash and acting like a 15year old, metaphor for him not being responsible and acting childish

How do Milan therapists consider the family system to be?

A network of interconnected relationships

What are rituals in Milan's intervention?

Assignments that help clients shift meaning. I.e. a wife in a triangle with husband and child, on odd days, she focuses on being a wife. On even days she focuses on being a mom. On the 7th day she tries to be spontaneous

What are behavioral difference questions (circular questions) used in Milan therapy?

Compare different patterns, "Betty is a nag. How do you ask for help?"

What primary interventions were used in the Milan approach during intervention?

Family rituals (assigning an act for the family to perform) and positive connotations (assigning a positive spin on ones behavior)

What is esthetics in Milan therapy?

How patterns emerge

What is Milan's term Counterparadox?

It's an intervention used to encourage clients not to change, so the problem intensifies to where the family is motivated to find a change. * works great with uncooperative families. I.e. therapist: "you should stay depressed so the family can stay this way."

Epistemology - in Milan therapy

It's how a family emphasizes events and how they describe it. It's how the family interprets meaning.

What are the main differences between Milan and MRI therapy?

MRI is solutions and behavior focused Milan is language / meaning focused Both focus on interactive patterns and how to interrupt them.

Who are the main people who contributed to Milan therapy?

Palazzoli Cecchin Boscolo Prata

What did Palazzoli focus on with families and their interactions?

Power aspects of interactions, he looked for power struggles in order to create healthier boundaries and break coalitions

How does Milan use "positive connotation?" As an intervention?

Reframing the problem to understand meaning someone makes or their motivation. I.e. wife nags, her way of trying to connect

How does Milan use "hypothesizing process" as an intervention?

The observation team behind the mirror conceptualizes and hypothesizes: - interventions - alliances - myths - communication patterns

What is neutrality in Milan therapy?

The therapist is on everyone's side, that and multidirectional partiality honor all perspectives

What is curiosity in Milan therapy?

The therapists sincere interest in hearing voices within the system

How does Milan use epistemology for assessment?

They are looking for errors. I.e. instead of an wife only focusing on her husbands problems, see if she is able to consider how she contributes to the problem.

How is circular questioning used in Milan?

Used to find out the structure of the system

What is irreverence in Milan therapy?

When a therapist doesn't buy in to the clients fears of the issues. The therapist believes the problem can be overcome and they model hopefulness and creativity. "Thinking outside the box"

What are comparison and ranking questions (circular questions) used in Milan therapy?

Who is the best at___________? Who is the worst at ______________? Self report and reporting of others