This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Neander, K. Articles by Skott, C. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Bridging the Gap — the Co-creation of a Therapeutic Process

Reflections by Parents and Professionals on their Shared Experiences of Early Childhood Interventions

Örebro University, Sweden, kerstin.neander{at}orebroll.se

Carola Skott

Göteborg University, Sweden, carola.skott{at}gu.se

The aim of this study was to explore parents' and therapists' experiences of treatment processes in early childhood interventions. The parents and their therapists reflected on their experiences in joint interviews. The interpretation led to the crystallization of five central themes. The starting point was marked by 'parents' fear versus professional(s') confidence'. This formed the background against which both parties aimed at 'making sense of the situation'. The subsequent therapeutic process was characterized by the parents' and the professionals' 'striving for reciprocal responsiveness' and it led to the 'alteration of inner images'. Finally the two parties made a 'retrospective reflection on the nature of the relation'. Together these themes constitute the co-creation of a therapeutic process by bridging a gap that is created by fear, by power differentials and by differences in familiarity with the context. The parents shoulder responsibility for creating a cooperative relationship, and this is facilitated if they meet a 'normal, friendly and knowledgeable therapist who is capable of admitting that he/she may be wrong'.

Key Words: client's perspective • early childhood intervention • investigative partnership • Marte Meo method • therapeutic relationship • treatment processes

Qualitative Social Work, Vol. 7, No. 3, 289-309 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1473325008093703


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?