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Fishing for Barracuda: Pragmatics of Brief Systemic Theory
Fishing For Barracuda ? Is this a book about therapy? Most certainly! In fact, it is about working systemically with the most challenging families and individuals, the ones who have already defeated therapist after therapist. At the same time, Joel Bergman presents a multitude of therapeutic tactics that will be useful with a wide range of families, from minnows to submarines.
Drawing extensively upon his own experiences as a therapist and as a family member, Bergman shares strategic interventions that are paradoxical, humorous, shocking, and effective. He focuses in particular on the therapist's need to "stay alive", to control the momentum towards change, and to make every therapeutic session dramatic and meaningful.
As the title implies, some families can involve therapists in potentially lethal contests. Bergman's goal is to balance the odds, to help therapists develop the skills to change families quickly. Numerous case studies demonstrate his pragmatic way of using rituals, metaphors, and other strategies to hook families and then send them on their way with new resources - without being devoured!
Drawing extensively upon his own experiences as a therapist and as a family member, Bergman shares strategic interventions that are paradoxical, humorous, shocking, and effective. He focuses in particular on the therapist's need to "stay alive", to control the momentum towards change, and to make every therapeutic session dramatic and meaningful.
As the title implies, some families can involve therapists in potentially lethal contests. Bergman's goal is to balance the odds, to help therapists develop the skills to change families quickly. Numerous case studies demonstrate his pragmatic way of using rituals, metaphors, and other strategies to hook families and then send them on their way with new resources - without being devoured!
- GenresPsychology
96 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 8, 2012
One of the most easy-to-read books for working with families and couples whose members get "stucked" at some point in life because of their relationships.
In this manual, the autor brings all his experience and presents a series of techinques for working with barracuda, those difficult people who seem to defeat mental health professionals.
However, it has some points that I think that are dated or may be questionable. I am talking about the cultural aspects.
The families treated, the definition of goals and, therefore, the evaluation of change, it all seems to be based in a traditional middle-class model of what a family is supposed to be. Of course this could be explained in terms of the date when the book was written, but the reality here is that cultural, sexual and social diversity is something that Bergman almost never addresses.
Maybe he is just describing the type of families that in fact came to him to seek help, but it's a surprise to me that most of those people fit-in an heterosexual middle class family model.
There are no gay children nor parents, or grandparents in charge of their grandchildren as if they were their parents, single moms, etc.
In any case, it remains as a classic manual for starters in the field of intervention with families and a book to check for well-trained practicioners.
In this manual, the autor brings all his experience and presents a series of techinques for working with barracuda, those difficult people who seem to defeat mental health professionals.
However, it has some points that I think that are dated or may be questionable. I am talking about the cultural aspects.
The families treated, the definition of goals and, therefore, the evaluation of change, it all seems to be based in a traditional middle-class model of what a family is supposed to be. Of course this could be explained in terms of the date when the book was written, but the reality here is that cultural, sexual and social diversity is something that Bergman almost never addresses.
Maybe he is just describing the type of families that in fact came to him to seek help, but it's a surprise to me that most of those people fit-in an heterosexual middle class family model.
There are no gay children nor parents, or grandparents in charge of their grandchildren as if they were their parents, single moms, etc.
In any case, it remains as a classic manual for starters in the field of intervention with families and a book to check for well-trained practicioners.
December 2, 2021
Si bien no me veo con los conocimientos y capacidades para llevar a cabo alguna de las técnicas que se proponen aquí, me ha resultado un libro muy enriquecedor sobre el hecho de cómo el terapeuta puede llegar a vivir o no una sesión y sobre cómo aprovechar el rol para seguir creciendo. Recomiendo mucho este libro.
January 11, 2026
Muy buen libro! Mega sale de lo convencional en terapia y creo que es divino para principiantes.
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June 6, 2018Pescando barracudas
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews