The art, science, and techniques of reframing in psychiatric mental health nursing

Abstract

Reframing is a powerful psychotherapeutic intervention. Changing the "frame" in which a person perceives events can change the meaning the person associates with the events. This article describes several types of reframing strategies that have been developed within the context of a model of human behavior and communication known as neurolinguistic programming (NLP). Fundamental assumptions of the NLP model are discussed and several reframing techniques are described. A set of strategies that clinicians can use to redefine behaviors and expand a client's model of the world are illustrated. Development of theoretical and clinical applications of the NLP model and reframing techniques in psychiatric-mental health nursing is an important task for the 1990s.

Using decision trees to characterize verbal communication during change and stuck episodes in the therapeutic process

“…The above result indicates how a DT reveals the complexity of the combination of attributes in a therapist-patient conversation. This is consistent with theoretical concepts of psychotherapy according to which the purpose of therapy is to generate new meanings through therapeutic conversation (Watzlawick et al, 1974 ; Watzlawick, 1976 ; de Shazer, 1979 ; Capps, 1990 ; Pesut, 1991 ), with resignifing as one of various attributes that contribute to changes. In future research we intend to carry out a pilot study of the application of the proposed teaching method to the measurement of student learning using DT's.…”

Principles and strategies for teaching therapeutic responses to self‐harm

“…Metaphors contribute to communication by making imagery more vivid, revitalizing overused and common terms, and compacting the complex into simple, but descriptive images (Ortony 1979). Metaphors can extend knowledge because they use the meaning of one phenomena to promote understanding of something else, providing a way of thinking about the unknown in terms of the known (Billings 1991, Pesut 1991). Used deliberately in the therapeutic relationship, metaphorical thinking may offer new solutions to recalcitrant problems and suggest new possibilities for nursing practice.…”

Depression, Psychosocial Resources, and Functional Ability in Older Adults

“…A par tic u larly useful psychotherapeutic tech nique is cog ni tive reframing. Cog nitive reframing changes the frame in which a per son per ceives events dif fer ently, and these changed per cep tions can change the mean ing a per son asso ci ates with an event (Pesut, 1991). For exam ple, reframing the older adult's desire for con trol over ADLs (often per ceived neg a tively by care givers and fam ily) from "being con trol ling" to "ensur ing that the job is done the way she/he wants it done" changes the mean ing asso ci ated with the event.…”