Neutrality in couple and family therapy was first defined by the Milan group (Selvini et al. 1980). Since then, neutrality has primarily been defined as (1) the clients believing that the therapist is not aligned against any one person and (2) the therapist not internally aligning with or against any person.
Neutrality has also sometimes been referred to as a therapist not bring personal values into therapy or not taking a stance regarding client behavior. These ideas of neutrality have been consistently rejected as being both impossible and destructive (Fife & Whiting 2007; Doherty 1995).
Neutrality from the Perspective of Clients
Selvini et al. (1980) said that if a therapist maintained a neutral stance and after a session the family was asked whom the therapist supported or sided with or what judgments the therapist made regarding each individual or the family as a whole, the family would be “puzzled and uncertain.” (p. 11). Cecchin is quoted as saying if each family member was...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aponte, H. J. (1992). Training the person of the therapist in structural family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 18(3), 269–281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.1992.tb00940.x.
Campbell, D. (2003). The mutiny and the bounty: The place of Milan ideas today. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 24(1), 15–25.
Doherty, W. J. (1995). Soul searching: Why psychotherapy must promote moral responsibility. New York: Basic Books.
Fife, S. T., & Whiting, J. B. (2007). Values in family therapy practice and research: An invitation for reflection. Contemporary Family Therapy, 29, 71–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-007-9027-1.
Selvini, M. P., Boscolo, L., Cecchin, G., & Prata, G. (1980). Hypothesizing – Circularity – Neutrality: Three guidelines for the conductor of the session. Family Process, 19, 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.1980.00003.x.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Woolley, S.R. (2019). Neutrality of Therapist in Couple and Family Therapy. In: Lebow, J.L., Chambers, A.L., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_541
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_541
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-49423-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-49425-8
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences