Teaching hypothesising skills from a post‐Milan perspective

Abstract

The Milan model relies upon careful hypothesising, a therapeutic stance of neutrality and circular questioning on the part of the therapist in order to release new information into the family system. Current thinking incorporates a postmodernist perspective which challenges the traditional process of hypothesising. This postmodern challenge is in part due to the use of the term ‘hypothesising’ which is strongly associated with reductionism or structuralism, which relies on the scientific method. As a clinical activity, the actual process of hypothesising is a complex, cognitive task and often a relatively unpopular activity which is difficult to teach to students. This paper discusses the therapeutic benefits and limitations of hypothesising and proposes a structure for teaching hypothesising to students learning to work with couples from a post‐Milan perspective.