Shifts Happen: A Confluence of Influence

Abstract

When Jeff Chang approached me to write a personal reflection article on developments I have experienced and witnessed since the first Therapeutic Conversations conference (TC 1), the first thing I told him was, “I wasn’t there, even though there are many people who will swear I was.” I have never been to Tulsa (though I’ve been to Oklahoma) in spite of the fact that I’ve had several opportunities to visit, and I’ve never attended any other TC gatherings, either. But he and I agreed that I have a somewhat unique perspective on the pioneering work of those involved in TC 1 as well as others tied to postmodern/poststructuralist ideas who have become prominent over the past four decades and whose ideas have matured in the twenty years since TC 1. While others have committed to a particular approach, I continue to work as Herbert Anderson (2003, p. 157) describes as having my “feet planted firmly in midair.” What I have adjusted as I approach my fourth decade of psychotherapy practice are some of my presuppositions about change, the human condition, and therapy. Hopefully, what follows points out loose strings one can pull to understand the threads that run through my thinking and clinical practice. People and ideas move me; techniques and research do not. Although clever interventions grab my attention, I recognize that techniques alone do not constitute good therapeutic practice. And the trend toward evidence-based practice, although valuable to our field, does not energize me or my therapy. But, even the most scintillating ideas fall short for me if the people promoting them lack integrity or are disingenuous. I have been moved by the work of many pioneers inside and outside of the field of family therapy, and my list of giants upon whose shoulders I stand is extensive. Many of my giants are not usually included in postmodern (PM) discussions, including Gregory Bateson (Thomas, Waits, & Hartsfield, 2007), Milton Erickson,