Adding Written Reflections to the Reflecting Team

Abstract

The benefits of letter-writing in couples and family therapy are reviewed, noting the previous absence in the use of letters as part of a reflecting team format. The authors discuss their experience on a reflecting team at Massachusetts General Hospital and the rationale for the addition of letter-writing to the reflecting team process. A case vignette involving a couple who received several team letters is discussed in light of their reports that the letters facilitated their ability to hold onto dual perspectives, remind them of positive changes they had made and serve as an ongoing shared record of the consultations. Also mentioned are the benefits for the therapist: the letter as a touchstone when the therapy goes awry and the freedom the therapist experienced during the spoken reflections, knowing she would later receive a written account. The benefits of using the letter to facilitate the teaching of the reflecting team are also highlighted.