The Discursive Performance of Change Process in Systemic and Constructionist Therapies: A Systematic Meta-Synthesis Review of In-Session Therapy Discourse

<p>Despite the emphasis of systemic and constructionist approaches on discourse and</p><p>interaction, to date there has been no comprehensive overview of how change process</p><p>is performed within in-session therapeutic dialogue. In this paper we present a</p><p>qualitative meta-synthesis of 35 articles reporting systemic and constructionist</p><p>therapy process data from naturally occurring therapeutic dialogue. The studies were</p><p>selected following the screening against eligibility criteria of a total sample of 2977</p><p>studies identified through a systematic search of PsycINFO and MEDLINE databases.</p><p>Thematic analysis of the 35 studies’ findings identified four main themes depicting</p><p>change process performance; (a) shifting to a relational perspective, (b) shifting to</p><p>non-pathologizing therapeutic dialogue, (c) moving-forward dialogue, and (d) the</p><p>dialogic interplay of power. Findings highlight the interactional and discursive matrix</p><p>within which systemic and constructionist change process occurs. Findings illuminate</p><p>the value of qualitative research studies sampling naturally occurring therapeutic</p><p>discourse in bringing this matrix forth, particularly when utilizing discursive</p><p>methodologies like conversation or discourse analysis.</p>