The Language of Change: Elements of Therapeutic Communication

by Paul Watzlawick

Although communications emerging in therapy are ascribed to the mind's unconscious, dark side, they are habitually translated in clinical dialogue into the supposedly therapeutic language of reason and consciousness. But, Dr. Watzlawick argues, it is precisely this bizarre language of the unconscious which holds the key to those realms where alone therapeutic change can take place.


Dr. Watzlawick suggests that rather than following the usual procedure of interpreting the patient's communications and thereby translating them into the language of a given psychotherapeutic theory, the therapist must learn the patient's language and make his or her interventions in terms that are congenial to the patient's manner of conceptualizing reality. Only in that way, he shows, can the therapist effectively bring about genuine changes and problem resolutions. Drawing on the work of Milton H. Erickson, he supports his findings with many (and often amusing) examples.


This book, then, is a virtual introductory course to the grammar and language of the unconscious.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Language, Science, Communication

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Was an Austrian-American psychologist and philosopher. A theoretician in communication theory and radical constructivism, he has commented in the fields of family therapy and general psychotherapy. He was one of the most influential figures at the Mental Research Institute and lived and worked in Palo Alto, California, until his death at the age of 85

Reviews

[Marco Svevo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il Gozzano che non ti aspetti: "Guai se non si completasse col sogno il magro piacere che la realtà ci concede".
La psicoterapia si occupa del cambiamento.
Change.
La pag. 48, l'esperimento del ratto che annega e il satori zen.
Boom.
Die Untergangsters des Abendlandes e Die Leiden der jungen Wörter semplicemente geniali.
La favolosa pagina 61: "rideva per liberare il suo spirito dalla prigionia del suo spirito" (J. Joyce).
Il libro migliora decisamente verso la fine (dopo i 2/3, diciamo): guarda caso a partire proprio dal concetto di doppio legame.
La soluzione è il problema.
Genio

[JenBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, that first chapter was a beast but now it's gotten very interesting...

[Roni Matar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, full of learnings, and quite detailed. I have studied this line of work since 2013, and for the first time I have read a book that makes this much sense. In addition to that, describes a lot of the work of Milton Erickson in exquisite ways.

[Noebonaerense90 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Después de todo lo que leí de Watzlawick, este es mi libro favorito. Es el más entendible. O quizás es el más entendible por todo lo que leí de Watzlawick antes. “Teoría de la comunicación humana” es tan no su estilo.

[Gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watzlawick riesce a fare sintesi su un tema vasto, complesso e determinante come il linguaggio, partendo e tornando al setting terapeutico, per fornire elementi chiave funzionali negli scambi quotidiani.
Il merito dell'autore, e più in generale della scuola di Palo Alto, è quello di aver spogliato di quell'aura mistica e ingessata il processo terapeutico, spostando finalmente l'attenzione sull'azione e fornendo così per la prima volta alla persona che chiede aiuto la possibilità di saggiare la propria capacità d'essere protagonista e responsabile del proprio cambiamento.

[Tg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about how language and emotions influence our ability to change, and our direct experience of reality, Paradoxical, with an excellent overview of rhetoric from Antiphon, Plato, all the way to the Stoics and Socrates......Some great examples from Dr. Milton Erickson...A small book loaded with impactful information....

"This is how you know you are not wise; You will know you are wise when you are calm, Joyfull,
Happy, and unshaken, you will live on the plane of the gods " Seneca

[Andrea Gumbaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saggio complesso per la sua categoria, parla di diversi avvenimenti accaduti in terapia facendo riferimento al lavoro di altri psichiatri /psicologi.
Suddiviso in 11 capitoli, ognuno di essi tratta argomenti diversi, senza una linea di congiunzione vera e propria, ma legati dall'ambito terapeutico che si sta approcciando.
Mi ha un po deluso e a tratti sorpreso.
Libro molto settoriale, con centinaia (125 a fine libro tutte selezionate) di citazioni a lavori esterni.

[Itziar Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a book that’s not only useful for family therapists but for any practicing psychologist. While some concepts are complex, it presents very interesting and important terms with plenty of clear examples. I loved the book because it’s engaging and easy to read. I believe it’s a great tool for psychologists, and I highly recommend it.

[Ariadna73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro describe dos teorías del cambio: los grupos y el sentido lógico e ilógico de los cambios. Describe cómo se crean laberintos humanos, y luego hace un intento por aconsejar que el individuo se centre en la totalidad de la vida para así no verse afectado negativamente por el cambio, sino más bien aprovecharse de él para su beneficio.

[David Godot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and fun, but not terribly practical

[Aaron Bolin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written and very informative. It is kind of techy in the language though; the author assumes that readers have a basic background in therapy.