"Using Assessment as a Strategic Family Intervention" 
(Excerpts from 5/92 workshop handout, (c) Richard Ebling) 

"Hi. I'd like to get everyone's name and age, so I can keep track, and
I'll be writing things down so I can be sure to remember some of the
important things." 

"I like to start out by getting opinions from the youngest person in the
room.  (if others are preparing to talk):  And I'd like you all to listen
carefully to her view of things, so you think about that and what you want
to tell me on your turn."

(to youngest, making and maintaining eye contact, practically ignoring
other family members--well, making enough eye contact to keep them
connected, but not enough to invite them to coach or answer for the child) 

	[Use age-appropriate questions here; see "Affiliation questions"
handout] How old are you?  Are you sure?  How do you know?  (approve of
answers). 

What's your favorite (color, food, dessert, TV show, game, etc)

What kind of things do you like to do for fun?  What do you like to do
with your (family, friends)? 

What kinds of things are you good at?

What kind of chores are you allowed to do at your home?

What kind of things do you get in trouble for?

What is your favorite part of school?  [recess & lunch]

Who's give the best hugs in your family?  Who's the best tickler?

After seeing that they are comfortable in the interview situation:  What
are the ways that you would like things to be different--
 between you and other people?	...in how you (do things, or feel)?		or

"What's your idea about what you (or you guys/y'all) are here for
today?...what do you want to happen as a result of coming here?" 
(specifies request for goal-definition) 

As the client begins to answer, it is helpful to guide the client into
giving a "video description" of the solutions--observable behavior without
inferences, as much as possible. 

[At this point especially--the very beginning of the interview--take
action to reduce discussion about the problem.  When a family member
volunteers stories about what someone did that was "bad", stop writing,
listen for a sentence or two (or until the client pauses for a breath or
end of a phrase), then return to your solution-oriented question
(purposely do not ask what the problem is--that tends to generate "problem
talk").  If they return to complaints, it's often easy to gently interrupt
them, thank them, then apologize "for not making myself clear"--then
return to the question, or reframe their statement somehow: So you'd like
to get along better with Susie? or, What would you like Jimmy to do
instead of hit you?  Keep in mind, however, that if it comes down to an
either-or choice--then maintaining a cooperative working relationship is
more important than an exclusive solution-focus.]

(follow up on question of goal/opinion to get as rich an answer possible)

"How will you know when it's time to stop coming here?  What will be
happening different?" (what will you be doing different that will let us
know {goal} has happened?)  "How will your mom {teacher, probation
officer, DFS} know?" 

Continuing with other family members:

Anything else you want to add right now, before Jimmy's turn (name of next
eldest child)?  Okay, let's see if you can listen as well as Jimmy did.
(or, if very young and expressing interest in playing with toys..."You can
hear while you do that, right?  and still listen? Let's see how that
works.") 

Okay, Jimmy.  What's your opinion about what you guys are here for today?
. . . . 
 (repeat same type of questions for each successively older child, then
parent(s)).  It is helpful to use the same questions for the parents, to
convey that they also have ideas, opinions, and theories about the
problem--not necessarily the only correct view. 

Maintaining a cooperative relationship:
     If one of the clients (particularly parents) seem restless during
their "turn", or if you get the sense of a "poor connection", from
nonverbal (or verbal) cues, it is helpful to ask more "affiliation
questions" of them, to re-establish a more coopera tive interaction. 

     If parents express impatience at not getting to air their whole
litany of complaints, it is often quite effective to convey intense
interest in how they'd like things to be "instead of the way they are
now"--requesting many details, perhaps agreeing sympathetically that
things have been very difficult and must change in some way.  It is
rarely, if ever, necessary to ask for more information about the complaint
(therapist's curiosity notwithstanding). 

Using exceptions: 
     Finding exceptions to the problem requires a great deal of tenacity,
flexibility, and imagination...sometimes children are delighted to find
out that although they are "always" fighting, they never hit each other
when they're asleep.  With any excep tions that are discovered, find out
as much as possible about "how to get the exceptions to happen", and ask
what it would take to get them to occur more often (if exceptions are
unpredictable, assign a prediction task).  Family "brainstorming" on the
top ic can be fun and productive; unlike discussing causes of problems
(which usually deteriorates into assigning blame), it is often quite easy
to get consensus on desired solutions.  Many families (and therapists)
find that this is sufficient to start a "beneficial spiral" (as opposed
to a vicious cycle). 

Starting (intentional) Change, getting information for forms:  With any
clues obtained, about what the "new and improved" future will be like,
ask: "What would it take to get some of those things to happen today?
(this week, this afternoon, tomorrow)  What could you do that might make
(exceptions to the problem) more likely?

In my experience, the majority of families will express some interest
and/or hope in "getting the miracle to happen" by this point. 

Also, by this point, I usually only have a few minutes left, so I inform
them that "Before we finish, now, I need to get the information for these
forms, so the chart will be right.  So I need to ask the questions from
these, now."  This allows me to draw a distinction between clinically
relevant information and bureaucratic requirements, thus reducing the
apparent importance attached to the history of the complaint.  

I often end the session (after explaining to the client our procedures for
making an ap pointment after cases are assigned) by stating (to the
customers), "Between now and when you come in next, I'd like for you to
observe, so you can tell your therapist, what things happen in your
(relationship, family, mood, etc.) that you like and that you'd like to
continue to have happen." (First Session Formula Task, from BFTC)
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Copyright 1992, 1997 by Richard B. Ebling.  All rights reserved.