ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore some of the most common types of faulty process—what we call “stuckpoints”—both for individuals and for couples and families. We look at their sources and show how they underlie and create the clients’ content and presenting problems and how clinicians can assess for them in their initial session. The chapter opens by discussing several core concepts that clinicians use to begin to assess clients’ stuckpoints. We then look at the common stuckpoints for individuals: Inability to tolerate strong emotions, inability to regulate emotions, inability to tolerate making mistakes and inability to let go of the past. We then describe the three common stuckpoints of couples and families: Poor communication, emotional wounds and differing visions. The chapter describes the source and dynamics of each stuckpoint.
