On the Use of Formulations in Short-Term Psychotherapy

Abstract

There are many ways of investigating talk to demonstrate the evolving therapeutic relationship. While Chapter 5 examined some ‘active listening’ devices, this chapter investigates a second listening device used by therapists in this therapy to demonstrate not just listening but also understanding. The use of formulations, more commonly known as reflecting back techniques as mentioned in the Introduction, are frequently found in short-term practices, as they are a very important tool in the three therapies examined here. Previous CA investigations of psychotherapy in general found that formulations are devices used by the therapist: 1) to express to clients their understanding of what they said but also, 2) to guide them to consider their presenting problems from therapy appropriate perspectives (Davis, 1986; Hak and de Boer, 1996; Buttny, 1996; Madill et al., 2001; Vehviläinen, 2003a; Drew, 2003; Peräkylä, 2004; Antaki et al., 2005; Hutchby, 2005; Antaki, 2003, 2008; Bercelli et al., 2008). These two uses of formulations, however, may be somewhat inconsistent with the therapists’ professional understandings of what they do with formulations in therapy. A person-centred therapist, for instance, might think of formulations as empathic responses (see Rogers, 1995; Brodley, 2001; Freire, 2007; Witty, 2007). A CBT therapist may use formulations to clarify what the client said and also to lead the client to think about their problem from a different perspective (Antaki and Jahoda, 2010).