Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
14:32
Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Trying differently: A relationship-centered approach to representing clients with cognitive challenges.
David M Boulding1, Susan L Brooks
1Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada.
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
|October 5, 2010
Summary
This study introduces Relationship-Centered Lawyering to improve legal practice, especially for clients with cognitive challenges like Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FA/NB). It offers practical relational interviewing techniques for lawyers.
Area of Science:
- Legal Practice Innovation
- Cognitive Impairment Science
- Social Work in Law
Background:
- Lawyers, especially criminal defense attorneys, frequently encounter clients with cognitive challenges.
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Neuro-Behavioral Disorders (FA/NB) represent significant cognitive impairments impacting legal interactions.
- Existing legal frameworks may not adequately address the unique needs of clients with cognitive disabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the utility of Relationship-Centered Lawyering in enhancing legal practice.
- To provide a theoretical and practical framework for lawyers working with clients with cognitive challenges.
- To highlight the specific application of this framework for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Neuro-Behavioral Disorders (FA/NB).
Main Methods:
- Development of relational theory by Brooks and Madden.
- Analysis of the science underpinning cognitive impairments, with a focus on FA/NB.
- Illustration of the relational framework through Boulding's 'external brain' strategy and relational interviewing techniques.
Main Results:
- The Relationship-Centered Lawyering framework offers a practical approach to legal practice.
- Relational interviewing and the 'external brain' concept provide actionable strategies for lawyers.
- The framework is particularly effective when working with clients with FA/NB and other neuro-behavioral disorders.
Conclusions:
- Relationship-Centered Lawyering enhances legal practice by prioritizing client relationships.
- Understanding cognitive impairments, such as FA/NB, is crucial for effective legal representation.
- The proposed framework and techniques offer valuable tools for legal professionals serving vulnerable populations.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy, pioneered by Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, is a structured approach to addressing psychological distress by focusing on the influence of thoughts on emotions and behaviors. All cognitive therapies involve the basic assumption that human beings have control over their feelings, and that how individuals feel about something depends on how they think about it. Unlike psychoanalytic methods that delve into unconscious processes or humanistic approaches emphasizing...
01:26Modeling in Therapy
Modeling, a key technique in therapy, uses observational learning to help clients acquire and practice new skills by watching therapists demonstrate desired behaviors. This approach, rooted in Albert Bandura's concept of vicarious learning, plays a significant role in therapeutic interventions for various psychological conditions, including social anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...
01:26Couples Therapy
Couples therapy is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals in intimate relationships address conflicts, improve communication, and foster healthier dynamics. It is appropriate for couples at various stages, including those who are dating, married, or in long-term partnerships, and aims to support partners in navigating their unique relational challenges.
Core Principles and Techniques
Couples therapy often incorporates cognitive-behavioral principles to identify and modify negative...
Core Principles and Techniques
Couples therapy often incorporates cognitive-behavioral principles to identify and modify negative...
01:25Beck's Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy is a psychological approach designed to address distortions in thinking, which can lead to negative emotions and unrealistic beliefs. These cognitive distortions often influence how individuals interpret and respond to situations, exacerbating emotional distress. Below are some prevalent cognitive distortions, their characteristics, and examples of how they manifest in thought processes.
Arbitrary Inference
Arbitrary inference involves making conclusions without sufficient...
Arbitrary Inference
Arbitrary inference involves making conclusions without sufficient...
01:17Cognitivism
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
01:24Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) are grounded in the belief that our thoughts profoundly influence our emotions and actions. Advocates of CBT emphasize three core assumptions: first, that cognitions are identifiable and measurable; second, that they are central to psychological functioning; and third, that irrational or maladaptive beliefs can be replaced with rational and adaptive ones. This transformative approach to therapy has paved the way for specific models such as Albert Ellis's...