A Ritualized Prescription in Family Therapy: Odd Days and Even Days

Abstract

This article presents a therapeutic tactic called ritualized prescription which is specifically aimed at breaking up those behaviors through which each parent disqualifies and sabotages the initiatives and directions of the other parent in his relation with the children. On the fundamental principle of the conceptual systemic model it is evidenced how this prescription, even in cases when it is not followed, inevitably supplies the therapists with relevant information for the understanding of the family's functioning. With families following the prescription, fast and satisfying changes are observed.

The end‐of‐session message in systemic family therapy: a descriptive study

“…Although we set out to use classical Milan-type systemic therapy (Palazzoli et al, 1978a;Tomm, 1984a, b) and the clinic was under the direction of a therapist trained in this approach, it is likely that certain idiosyncratic practices were followed which may have limited the range of messages given and emphasized some above others.…”

“…The prescriptions took various forms including the recommendation of further treatment of another type. None of the families were prescribed highly structured tasks to carry out, such as 'odd day -even day rituals' (Palazzoli et al, 197813).…”

“…It is apparent that the message usually contains one or more of a number of types of intervention (McLeod, 1989). The purposes of the message have also been described (Palazzoli et al, 1978a;Papp, 1980;Tomm, 1984b), and these tend to be shaped by the therapist's conceptualization of the process of therapy and the mechanisms underlying change.…”

“…The nature of the message may take one of several forms as described in the literature, for example, 'direct intervention' (Barker, 1986), 'paradoxical intervention' (Palazzoli et al, 1978a;Papp, 1980;Selvini, 1988), 'split opinions' (Papp, 1980), and 'prescribed rituals' (Palazzoli et al, 1978b). Of these, paradoxical interventions have received particular attention.…”

“…The format of systemic therapy as developed by the Milan group includes 'the message' through which therapists convey to families a communication on behalf of their colleagues in the observing team (Palazzoli et al, 1978a;Tomm, 1984b). Customarily, before the therapist meets with the family the team confers and attempts to develop and clarify one or more hypotheses relating to the functioning of the family system.…”