Abstract
Relating Theory (Birtchnell, How humans relate: A new interpersonal theory. Hardback, Westport, CT: Praeger; paperback, Hove, UK: Psychology Press, 1993/1996) proposes that, during the course of maturation, the person strives towards the attainment of each one of the eight states of relatedness that make up the Interpersonal Octagon. For each such state there are competent or positive ways of relating and incompetent or negative ways of relating. Relating Therapy (Birtchnell, Relating in psychotherapy: The application of a new theory. Hardback, Westport, CT: Praeger; paperback, London: Brunner-Routledge, 1999/2002; Birtchnell, Journal of Family Therapy, 23, 63–84, 2001; Birtchnell, British Journal of Psychotherapy, 30, 87–100, 2014) is directed towards the elimination of undesirable forms of relating (i.e. negative relating) and replacing them with the more desirable forms (i.e. positive relating). Where negative relating has become second nature to the patient (by way of the ‘inner me’) in Relating Therapy the therapist needs to bring into play a more deliberate (‘outer me’) modification of the patient’s relating behaviour.
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References
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Birtchnell, J. (2016). Relating Therapy. In: Birtchnell, J., Newberry, M., Kalaitzaki, A. (eds) Relating Theory – Clinical and Forensic Applications. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50459-3_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-50459-3_12
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