ABSTRACT
This chapter provides instruction for exploring the important information with strategies that become interventions. In family therapy, there is a rich tradition in the art of asking questions. Two dimensions of the assessment process capture the content and process of each person’s relational journey: interactions and changes over time shed light on past and present influences in the family drama. The approaches previously noted adopt the premise that the identification of developmental patterns of interaction is an important step in developing hypotheses that are born out of client experience and that address nodal events related to key patterns. Assessments become interventions by guiding conversations toward systemic processes that involve communication regarding content and process. The narratives about strengths and resilience in the face of adversity are important outcomes that therapists should pursue when constructing timelines. For the beginning practitioner, creating a sense of chronological movement along the continuum is the primary goal.
