A Tale of Two Farms (of Template Discordance and Shame)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Therapists are regularly exposed to verbal memories in the clinical setting, but the automatic behavior of patients can provide an additional window into the past. Template theory uses the concept of a relational template to aid us in tracking back from observable behavior in the consultation room, to developmental events that, through repetition, have encoded those behaviors the patient now automatically exhibits, sometimes out of awareness. A relational template is comprised of three elements: 1) observable automatic behavior, 2) automatic expectancies of others, and 3) relational premises, or beliefs. Any of the multiple relational templates residing in both patient and therapist can be activated in treatment; synchronous pairings blend, while discordant templates create conflict, which may manifest in the therapist’s affect. A clinical tale of two disparate experiences involving the topic of “farming” is recounted to demonstrate how an awareness of discordant templates between therapist and patient can expand the understanding of a patient’s history. Exploration of differences in behavior and worldview in the analytic pair led to increased understanding of past histories of shame, which helped to resolve a therapeutic impasse. Therapists who understand the origins of their own attitudes, can intuit a different developmental history that gave rise to contrasting beliefs and behaviors in their patients. In this way, observation of automatic non-verbal behavior can be used to deepen our understanding of the patient’s developmental history, facilitating insight and the therapeutic process.