Description

About the Book

Solution Focused practice (SF) is a distinct approach to psychotherapy that emerged during the 1980’s. It is genealogically steeped in pragmatic idealism and social constructionist concepts concerning the structuring and mediating qualities of language. By the year 2000, SF represented a radical challenge to the established psychoanalytic narrative and actively rebelled against over medicalising and the depth conceptualising of psychological wellbeing. At the heart of SF is the belief that to achieve change a client simply needs to do something different and imagine forward rather than over think their past. It is a can-do approach which adopts stoic pride in its refusal to actively engage in over theorising. So, this project represents something altogether different because it concerns speculative and overtly theorised application of semiotics (the study of signs) to explore what it means to define and appreciate what gives SF its distinct difference and appearance. So don’t buy it if you’re looking for a skills book (there are plenty of better ones about).

Acton Burnell has been a practicing psychotherapist for over 35 years. He has worked in several inpatient, outpatient and private settings using an array of psychotherapeutic approaches. His interest in SF started in 1998 since when he has contributed to training and conferences. In this book he and his colleagues enrol on an SF Summer School and find out first-hand how producing an end of term project really isn’t for the faint hearted. Acton works out that the signals of SF, when analysed semiotically perfectly represent the digital moment devoid of authenticity and hauntological futures.

Contents

Phase One: SEMIOTICS

• Introduction
• Caus(u)al sequence of events (traces)
• Stories about SF are Chronological and Archaeological
• Learning to do nothing in between sessions
• 100 Solution Focused Semiotic Taxonomy
• In between Blocks

Phase two: SEMANTICS

• Reflexing: who am I is not a Stage in Becoming
• Semantic Domain Analysis: Phase 2 of the Project
• The 9 Universal Semantic Relationships
• Semantic Governance of SF Technology, Formula & History
• Philosophers act because of my relationship with them

Phase three: SYMBOLICS

• Symbolic Analysis of Signification (Identifying Myth)
• post-structural Proper
• Reading Symbolism
• Fragments about Solution Focused Symbolism & Myth
• Writing Symbolism

Phase four: SIMULATION

• To be post-human is to be technological
• Orders of Simulacra
• Imaginary Signification – After the Fact