Examine, Repair and Move On Approach (e.murphy ’93)
I found I have lots more tools to use but most of all I found the approach almost opposite to what I had been doing. To look forward and motivate is great and the language tips were fantastic. I found it very inspiring – the most valuable training I have ever been on.
Jade Levell, Catch 22, Southampton
Stop Press: We train teams across the UK and beyond and we now also provide all of our training courses via MSTeams and Zoom – please get in touch via info@brief-therapy-uk.com or Tel: 07779 242 289 for further information.
Eileen Murphy devised the Examine, Repair and Move On Approach while working with young offenders in a London Youth Offender Institute, most of whom had had difficult and challenging childhoods. However, the majority of the group that Eileen worked with responded well to a focus on recognizing the realities of their current situations; discussions about personal coping strategies; an examination of alternatives; a repairing of relationships and, eventually, a move towards talking about what change would look like.
It was through the development of this approach that Eileen met and was influenced by Hawkes, Wilgosh & Marsh, winners of the Queen’s Award for Nursing for their work in Solution Focused Brief Therapy (deShazer ’85).
The Examine, Repair and Move On Approach incorporates the research from the neuro-sciences, communication skills, “influencer” language including analogies and metaphor; visuals such as The Change Balloon, The Silent Session, used extensively across mental health and child and adult social care. Our unique visual resources also include Self-Monitor Charts and “Notice-Board” charts for use within schools.
The tools of the approach are included in all of our training courses and provides a good framework for working in a Solution Focused ethos:
Meeting the Mindset:
Seasons are important to a gardener – less so to a bus driver
Timetables are important to a bus driver – less so to a gardener
Meeting the client in their view of the world and using language, analogies and metaphor that resonate allows for real listening for both worker and client.
Looking for Change:
Weight-Watchers is a very successful business because people need people to notice the change which then motivates them to continue the change.
Raising Expectations:
Mistrust is easier to betray than trust
Expecting someone to behave in a certain way can often leave a person no other choice than to follow the pattern cut for them.
Creating a Watershed:
A person’s commitment to change often requires someone to collude with them on the possibility of change – neuroscience research would indicate that Placebos are exactly that: an expectation that change can occur. The “curious” stance we take, the language we use and the visual tools we implement allow for a mapping of “when” rather than “if” change occurs. Individuals can benefit from “practising” a new behaviour in preparation for their personal change.
Opportunity for people to write their own script:
Creating an atmosphere for people to talk about how they need things to be – visualising what they will say and how others will respond, encourages preparation for change and an understanding of the likely consequences.
Visuals:
The Change Balloon; The Scaling Walk; The Relationship Map; Monitor Charts; The 24 hour Clock; The Notice Board – simple tools that externalizes the problem and helps individuals to focus on who could do what to help change take place.
The Silent Session:
Founded in the language of deShazer’s Solution Focused Brief Therapy model and the rituals and expectations of placebos and NLP, the Silent Session is a non-intrusive opportunity for the client to “talk” through their difficulty; their part in any negative pattern that exists, identify exceptions, strengths, resources and their preferred futures without having to “edit” or “translate” for the listener.
For more information about Group Work Programmes
- 6 Session step-by-step exercises for group and 1:1 sessions
- Developing as a Young Person
- Parenting the 21st Century Child
- Parenting the Teenager
- Art Expression
- Anger Control
To buy our Group Work Programmes on USB
For further information about the Examine, Repair and Move On framework – please contact us at
info@brief-therapy-uk.com
or Tel: 07779 242 289.
