ABSTRACT
Family members who say `the trouble with us is that we do not communicate' certainly do not have an interactive perspective. Families that face a problem in communicating need to appreciate that it is not the lack of communication but the nature of their communication that is not helpful in ®nding a solution to their problem. It is likely that the communication they embark on is repetitive and hence it will not be generating new information. The therapist therefore, in attempting to open communication, should see her activity as ensuring that the family are aware of how they communicate and then helping that communication develop towards the problem at hand. The most important way to do this in the initial phases of therapy is to focus on the individuals so that each person can become aware of their own activity in relation to the activity of others. By encouraging this kind of communication, the therapist helps each family member become better able at informing others about their own feelings and thoughts. This process is simply done by asking people how they were thinking and feeling at a particular time, followed by asking them how they believed other family members were thinking and feeling at the same time. Then, by asking similar questions of the other members present in a way that has a natural conversational ¯ow about it, the therapist acts as a channel aiming to help family members `hear' the views of everyone.
