ABSTRACT
The idea of “starting with the familiar, can be traced back to the work of Gregory Bateson. Bateson describes learning as resulting from the “news of difference” (Bateson, 1972). News can only be interpreted as different if it is compared to the familiar, the complement of difference. A therapist who recognizes that learning occurs within the context of the familiar approaches clients from a position that honors the familiar world of the client. The therapist starts with the familiar not because it allows the therapist to join or assess the system but because it is the context for new ideas that will be meaningful to the client.
