ABSTRACT
In Director's Chair, the therapist and family rehearse the problem and solutions as if the family members are actors and the therapist is the director. Family members re-create the times when the problem exists. Family members are to "act" how they typically behave when the problem occurs. For example, if a child typically acts out when Mom is on the phone, Mom would pretend that she is on the phone when the scene begins. The identified child acts his or her part by throwing a tantrum, yelling, and so on. The therapist rates the acting ability of each individual through emphasizing the strengths displayed in each scenario by each member. For example, the therapist emphasizes the parts of the scene in which the child was not engaging in the defiant behavior. At the end of each scene rehearsed, the therapist gives feedback about what strengths he or she saw. At this point, the therapist also asks family members to give their own feedback about other members' strengths. For example, after the therapist emphasizes the strengths of the child not engaging in defiant behavior, the therapist turns to Mom and asks her to describe other strengths she saw. Mom may offer that she liked the way the child came into the room, or other strengths the child exhibited through the scene.
