Relationship management by means of solution-oriented questions in German psychodiagnostic interviews

Abstract

Leibniz-Institute for the German Language MannheimThe article addresses Solution-Oriented Questions (SOQs) as an interactional practice for relationship management in psychodiagnostic interviews. Therapeutic alliance results from the concordance of alignment, as willingness to cooperate regarding common goals, and of affiliation, as relationship based upon trust. SOQs particularly allow for both: They are situated at the end of a troublesome topic area, which is linked to low agency on the patient's side, and they reveal understanding of and interest in the patient. Following the paradigm of Conversation Analysis and German Gesprächsanalyse this paper analyzes the design and functions of SOQs as a means for securing and enhancing the relationship in the process of therapy. Our data comprise 15 videotaped first interviews following the manual of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics. The analyses refer to all SOQs found but will be illustrated by means of a single conversation.

Innovative studies in organized helping: Transforming relations, emotions and referents through sequentially structured practices

“…of utterances by (at least) two interactants, intersubjectivity is established in (psychotherapeutic) conversation, i.e., through the exchange of knowledge and positions, a common knowledge base emerges among the interactants (e.g., . This shared knowledge base then forms the basis for therapeutic effectiveness and relationship building Kabatnik et al, 2022).…”

“…Frequently they will also reformulate the client's experience to demonstrate understanding Scarvaglieri, 2013) or point out specific aspects in the client's behavior, narrative or expression that show them to be attentive and listening closely . Therapists may also use specific techniques, like solution-oriented questions (Kabatnik et al, 2022) to demonstrate that they are perceptive towards the client's problems and reflective concerning possible solutions. Another way of relating to the client more closely is by using role referrals that address the client in a more personal way and thereby affiliate with them (Muntigl, 2022).…”

“…Through the premise of the construction of relationships in interaction, conversation analysis can be used to analyse relationships and their construction . In successive sequences, interactants constitute linguistic actions, action goals, and relationships (Kabatnik et al, 2022). In helping interactions , it is precisely this constructional character of interpersonal interaction that is elementary.…”

“…Ribeiro et al, 2013, p. 295). Scarvaglieri et al (2022a), for example, dedicate an entire anthology to the shaping of relationships in helping interactions, in which different helping formats are examined from the point of view of the co-construction of relationships, e.g., doctor-patient conversations (Džanko, 2022;Günthner, 2022;Kuna and Scarvaglieri, 2022;, psychotherapy (Buchholz, 2022;Guxholli et al, 2022;Kabatnik et al, 2022;Muntigl, 2022;Pawelczyk and Faccio, 2022), coaching , as well as newer helping formats in the social web, such as support through illness-related forums in social media (Kabatnik, 2022). The research focuses there, for example, on the constitution of a sense of community between psychotherapist and patient (Buchholz, 2022), the face-threatening question What about you in psychotherapy (Guxholli et al, 2022) or semi-responsive answers .…”

Discursive angles on the relationship in psychotherapy

“…Frequently they will also reformulate the client’s experience to demonstrate understanding ( Muntigl et al, 2012 ; Scarvaglieri, 2013 ) or point out specific aspects in the client’s behavior, narrative or expression that show them to be attentive and listening closely ( Muntigl et al, 2020 ). Therapists may also use specific techniques, like solution-oriented questions ( Kabatnik et al, 2022 ) to demonstrate that they are perceptive towards the client’s problems and reflective concerning possible solutions. Another way of relating to the client more closely is by using role referrals that address the client in a more personal way and thereby affiliate with them ( Muntigl, 2022 ).…”