Downgrading Deontic Authority in Open Dialogue Reflection Proposals: A Conversation Analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Communication Studies

Background:

• The Open Dialogue approach emphasizes client and family collaboration in therapy.
• Therapists face challenges balancing collaborative goals with session management responsibilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how Open Dialogue therapists propose transitions to reflecting conversations.
• To understand the negotiation of therapist authority and collaboration in practice.

Main Methods:

• Conversation analysis of 14 hours of recorded Open Dialogue therapy sessions.
• Focus on therapists' methods for initiating "reflecting conversations".

Main Results:

• Therapists routinely downgrade their deontic authority when proposing reflections.
• Techniques include framing proposals as questions, providing justifications, and using phrases like "I'm wondering."
• Highly downgraded proposals may reduce the salience of acceptance, potentially hindering the transition.

Conclusions:

• Therapists actively manage power dynamics to facilitate collaboration in Open Dialogue.
• Findings offer practical insights into implementing Open Dialogue principles.
• This research refines the understanding of "collaboration" and "power" within therapeutic interactions.