Blame, responsibility and systemic neutrality: a discourse analysis methodology to the study of family therapy problem talk

Abstract

In this article we present discourse analysis of initial systemic family therapy sessions, focusing on family members' responses to therapists' attempts to introduce a systemically neutral, relational perspective on their troubles, by means of circular questioning and the final team message. The article draws from a qualitative study of family therapy problem talk with a sample of nine videotaped first and second sessions with six families and four therapists. The sessions were transcribed verbatim and subjected to discourse analysis following the discursive action model. Our analysis indicates that family members may decode the therapists' discursive moves as attributing blame or responsibility to them and engage in further blaming of the identified patient. We conclude by raising the implications of the present research study for the latent attributional work in clinical practice. We also stress the potential of discourse analysis methodology for studying blaming actions and for enhancing reflexivity about our models and practices.Practitioner points Family members may decode therapists' attempts for introducing a systemically neutral perspective as allocating blame to them for the presenting problem(s). Practitioners should be reflexive about their potentially blaming discursive contributions in therapeutic dialogue. Discourse analysis methodology can enhance clinicians' reflexivity about their contributions in therapeutic dialogue.