I’m looking for feedback and/or additional ideas. Borrowing heavily from some items in Timothy Carey’s Book “The Method of Levels”, I have developed a checklist that I use to set reference conditions for myself before sessions, as well as self-evaluate following sessions in hopes of providing relatively “Vanilla” MOL. Here it is. I would be appreciative of any comments, criticisms, or additions in line with the H/PCT theory. Thanks.
Andrew Nichols
MOL Checklist
Human beings are living control systems. Their perceptions and goals (reference conditions) are invisible to you. In being therapeutic you are attempting to help them shift the focus of their awareness/reorganization process up a level. Therefore…
Did you have an attitude of curiosity?
Did you avoid “assuming” anything?
Did you notice and ask about disruptions?
Did you notice shifts of topic and ask about possible connections with the focus problem?
Did you act as a resource to the pt to help them shift their awareness up-a-level?
Did you maintain a “now” focus (even on “memories”)?
Did you seek to maintain the problem focus?
Did you ask about the positive and negative aspects of both sides of a conflict?
Did you resist the urge or request to advise or suggest?
Did you resist urge to self-disclosure and internally go “up-a-level”
Did you resist trying to figure out pt’s problems or identify their conflicts?
Did you focus on helping the pt shift awareness in and up?
[From Bill Powers (2009.07.14.1501 MDT)]
AN: I'm looking for feedback and/or additional ideas. Borrowing heavily from some items in Timothy Carey's Book "The Method of Levels", I have developed a checklist that I use to set reference conditions for myself before sessions, as well as self-evaluate following sessions in hopes of providing relatively "Vanilla" MOL. Here it is. I would be appreciative of any comments, criticisms, or additions in line with the H/PCT theory. Thanks.
Andrew Nichols
That covers it pretty well. I'm CCing this reply, with your post appended, to Tim Carey. When Tim was learning MOL he used to send me audio tapes of sessions to critique. Now we can just send the recordings via internet. If you have a digital recorder or another way of creating audio files, perhaps Tim might feel like "paying it forward." Hint hint.
Best,
Bill P.
···
At 02:27 PM 7/14/2009 -0500, Andrew Nichols <anicholslcsw@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
============================================================================
MOL Checklist
Human beings are living control systems. Their perceptions and goals (reference conditions) are invisible to you. In being therapeutic you are attempting to help them shift the focus of their awareness/reorganization process up a level. Therefore...
Did you have an attitude of curiosity?
Did you avoid "assuming" anything?
Did you notice and ask about disruptions?
Did you notice shifts of topic and ask about possible connections with the focus problem?
Did you act as a resource to the pt to help them shift their awareness up-a-level?
Did you maintain a "now" focus (even on "memories")?
Did you seek to maintain the problem focus?
Did you ask about the positive and negative aspects of both sides of a conflict?
Did you resist the urge or request to advise or suggest?
Did you resist urge to self-disclosure and internally go "up-a-level"
Did you resist trying to figure out pt's problems or identify their conflicts?
Did you focus on helping the pt shift awareness in and up?
I appreciate your reply. I've also started using versions of those
questions restated as goals or "affirmations" to hopefully set some useful
reference conditions prior to sessions as well.
I've been pleased with the effect on my clinical practice thus far, and some
patients appear to be reporting what I would consider some evidence of an
engaged reorganization process between and during sessions.
Thanks,
Andrew
···
-----Original Message-----
From: Control Systems Group Network (CSGnet)
[mailto:CSGNET@LISTSERV.ILLINOIS.EDU] On Behalf Of Bill Powers
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 4:11 PM
To: CSGNET@LISTSERV.ILLINOIS.EDU
Subject: Re: MOL Checklist
[From Bill Powers (2009.07.14.1501 MDT)]
At 02:27 PM 7/14/2009 -0500, Andrew Nichols <anicholslcsw@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
AN: I'm looking for feedback and/or additional ideas. Borrowing
heavily from some items in Timothy Carey's Book "The Method of
Levels", I have developed a checklist that I use to set reference
conditions for myself before sessions, as well as self-evaluate
following sessions in hopes of providing relatively "Vanilla"
MOL. Here it is. I would be appreciative of any comments,
criticisms, or additions in line with the H/PCT theory. Thanks.
Andrew Nichols
That covers it pretty well. I'm CCing this reply, with your post
appended, to Tim Carey. When Tim was learning MOL he used to send me
audio tapes of sessions to critique. Now we can just send the
recordings via internet. If you have a digital recorder or another
way of creating audio files, perhaps Tim might feel like "paying it
forward." Hint hint.
Best,
Bill P.
============================================================================
MOL Checklist
Human beings are living control systems. Their perceptions and
goals (reference conditions) are invisible to you. In being
therapeutic you are attempting to help them shift the focus of their
awareness/reorganization process up a level. Therefore...
Did you have an attitude of curiosity?
Did you avoid "assuming" anything?
Did you notice and ask about disruptions?
Did you notice shifts of topic and ask about possible connections
with the focus problem?
Did you act as a resource to the pt to help them shift their
awareness up-a-level?
Did you maintain a "now" focus (even on "memories")?
Did you seek to maintain the problem focus?
Did you ask about the positive and negative aspects of both sides of
a conflict?
Did you resist the urge or request to advise or suggest?
Did you resist urge to self-disclosure and internally go "up-a-level"
Did you resist trying to figure out pt's problems or identify their
conflicts?
Did you focus on helping the pt shift awareness in and up?