The construction of _hard case_

Esteban Laso (eslaso@ibm.net)
Tue, 19 Aug 1997 00:45:51 -0500


Hi everybody

I'm finishing my grade and starting my dissertation. In a few words, it
will be a comparative research about the construction of _hard (difficult,
complex, etc) cases_ between the beginner psychotherapists and the
professionals with long experience (over ten years of practice). Following
Wittgenstein's _the meaning is the use_, I presume that the former will
more likely use those words in a quotidian way while the later will maybe
refuse to apply them to a particular case or will use them enclosed in
quotation marks. Anyway, I guess there will be a difference between both
groups. The professionals have made his experience not only over the people
they've seen but also over the narratives they have been using to exchange
his ideas with his associates or within his supervision groups; they have
skill not only in _treating_ a case but also in _talking_ about it. A word
like _difficult_ is far to preemptive to be useful -_this is a difficult
person_ says nothing about how to deal with him -except that is better not
to try!
I'd like to get comments about this. I'd also like to know about writings
that may be of any help.

Thanks a lot,

Esteban Laso
eslaso@ibm.net

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