Giving advice on advice-giving: a conversation analysis of Karl Tomm's practice. 2006

Shari J Couture, and Olga Sutherland
Division of Applied Psychology, University of Calgary, AB. s.couture@shaw.ca

In this article we challenge a common definition of therapeutic advice as a linear, one-way accomplishment, enacted by therapists toward clients. We also offer a novel conception of advice as a dialogical "performance," to which both therapists and clients contribute. We discuss the results of a conversation analysis of a family therapy session by Karl Tomm, showing sequential practices employed by a family therapist and a family as they jointly work out common ground to set the stage for the therapist's eventual offering of advice. We discuss the results of this study in light of the literature on advice provision in various contexts.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D003376 Counseling The giving of advice and assistance to individuals with educational or personal problems.
D005196 Family Therapy A form of group psychotherapy. It involves treatment of more than one member of the family simultaneously in the same session. Therapy, Family,Family Therapies,Therapies, Family
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000416 Alberta A province of western Canada, lying between the provinces of British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Its capital is Edmonton. It was named in honor of Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p26 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p12)

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