EP85 Invited Address 09a - Therapy: A New Phenomenon - Jay Haley, MA

Description:

Educational Objectives:

1. To understand how psychotherapy developed
2. To recognize new ways in which therapy is evolving

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*

Outline:

• Introduction of Jay Haley

  • Educational background: UCLA, Berkeley, Stanford.

  • Roles at the Mental Research Institute, Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, and University of Maryland.

  • Author of Strategies of Psychotherapy, Conversations of Milton Erickson, Uncommon Therapy.

• Opening Remarks

  • Praise for the Erickson Foundation’s large-scale event.

  • Haley identifies three core mysteries in therapy: schizophrenia, hypnosis, and therapy itself—each involving paradox and controversy.

• Therapy in the 1950s

  • Shift from viewing conditions as personal traits to seeing them as interpersonal phenomena.

  • Erickson influenced trance as an interpersonal process in hypnosis.

  • Rise of family therapy and therapeutic milieus in response to schizophrenia.

• Defining and Researching Therapy

  • Therapy is difficult to define and measure.

  • Debates over whether therapy causes change or if change happens spontaneously.

  • Sullivan’s ideas encouraged interpreting symptoms in social context.

• Theories and Complexity

  • Over time, therapeutic theories tend to become more complex and less grounded in observable change.

  • Therapy practices vary by setting—private vs. public—and financial structure influences theory.

  • Hypothetical: What if therapists were paid based on outcomes rather than time?

• Therapy Guidelines and Ethics

  • Haley's recommended practices:

    • Keep therapy brief and behavior-focused.

    • Prioritize present concerns and observable results.

    • Involve the family and use direct interventions.

  • Critiques therapist training that emphasizes personal therapy over skill-building.

  • Calls for ethical self-discipline alongside technical competence.

• Critique by Salvador Minuchin

  • Notes Haley’s paper blends multiple eras of his thinking.

  • Acknowledges the moral intent: warning against misuse of therapeutic power.

  • Appreciates Haley’s clarity but stresses the need for ongoing debate and humility in the field.

• Therapeutic Change and Cultural Influence

  • Questions reliability of measuring change through research alone.

  • Notes cultural shifts may guide therapy as much as empirical data.

  • Emphasizes evolving definitions of success in therapy (e.g., fewer hospitalizations).

• Final Thoughts

  • Encouragement to remain open to diverse perspectives in therapy.

  • Recognition of therapy’s complexity and ongoing evolution.

  • Session ends with thanks to Haley and a light anecdote.