[From Bill Powers (2011.06.15.1430 MDT)]
Mike Acree (2011.06.15.1221 PDT) --
MA: Since this thread seems to have paused, or to have been taken off-line, perhaps a third-party comment won't be too disruptive.
There are three things which have not so far been distinguished: (a) despising, (b) making public the despising, (c) making public the despising repeatedly and emphatically. It is the last which gives the impression of a conflict, or of an unsuccessful attempt at control, like a cough that doesn't reach the tickle.
BP: MOL is an entirely "client-centered" type of process. The problem is defined by, and solved by, the client. Diagnosis is not used, nor does the therapist try to have insights into the causes of the client's problems, or make recommendations about needed changes. The therapist acts as a facilitator, not as a problem-solver. Any changes that occur are brought about by the client's own reorganizing system, and they are the changes that the client finds beneficial and possible to make in present time.
The chief tool of the MOL therapist is acquiring information by asking questions about what the client is experiencing, a process that necessarily involves bringing the client's attention to aspects of what has been discussed. In trying to get a clear understanding of the client's experiences, the therapist helps the client to see them more clearly, too, because the client must look inside to see what the answers are. The therapist also is alert for signs of conflict and tries to keep the conversation focused on any conflicts that come to light until they cease to be a limiting factor. And always, the therapist is especially tuned to detecting signs of background thoughts that indicate some higher level of organization becoming active. As soon as practicable, the questioning is shifted to the topics in the background.
Timothy Carey, probably the psychotherapist with the longest record of using MOL exclusively in his practice, has gone so far as to let clients decide when and for how long they are to have sessions. He reported that the waiting list on his national health service (while he was working in Scotland) dropped from many months to zero despite an unchanged rate of referral, apparently because of the greater efficiency of MOL over the methods previously used.
All this is by way of explaining why I have not pressed Rick to continue our exchanges. It is quite common in MOL therapy for most of the advances to take place between rather than during sessions. Often the changes are not explicitly noted; things just seem different, and others notice differences, but it seems so natural that the changes are taken for granted. That makes sense, because the processes of change that operate in MOL therapy are the same ones that are always going on. They're just focused more effectively by the MOL process.
I should think that libertarians like you, Mike, would be enthusiastic about MOL.
Best,
Bill P.