A Way to End Parkinson's Law in the Therapeutic Process-: Sequential Psychotherapy

Abstract

Therapy often mirrors Parkinson's Law which states that work expands or contracts to fill the time available for it. Clients and therapists both bring to the therapeutic process their own sense of timing and commitment to the process. What often results is a vagueness as to the goals of the therapy and the manner in which to achieve these goals. Therapy can often lack a mechanism of transition between short and long term therapy. Sequential stages of psychotherapy offers a new model of practice in which clients and therapists operate with flexible and renegotiable contracts. The stages of therapy in sequential therapy are distinct and may be used alone repeatedly, or in one continual sequence. Often there are breaks between the different stages of sequential psychotherapy, allowing the client to practice on her/his own and go forward with the next phase of therapy when there is more time and psychological energy available.