Matters of Interpretation: Reciprocal Transformation in Therapeutic and Developmental Relationships with Youth

by Michael J. Nakkula, Sharon M. Ravitch

Overview

An effective new therapeutic model that integrates the client's and therapist's values

This groundbreaking book offers therapists and counselors an effective new therapeutic model based on hermeneutics—the art and science of interpretation. It recognizes that the clinician is not a neutral observer in the therapeutic process but brings to the interaction his or her own values, judgments, and prejudices.

Grounded in theory yet deeply inspirational, the book is filled with rich personal reflections from real-world clinicians who have used this model and found the process to be deeply transformative. This new approach not only deepens the therapeutic relationship but has proven to be especially effective with young clients at risk for negative outcomes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780787909574
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	12/16/1997
Series:	The Jossey-Bass Psychology Series
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	6.32(w) x 9.39(h) x 1.14(d)

About the Author

MICHAEL J. NAKKULA is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Psychology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he has helped to create the program in Risk and Prevention. He is also cofounder and director of Project IF: Inventing the Future, a school-based preventive collaborative involving Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Boston Public Schools. SHARON M. RAVITCH is a doctoral student in the Education, Culture and Society Program, an interdisciplinary program in anthropology, sociology, and education, at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She is a research fellow at the Cantor-Fitzgerald Center for Research on Diversity in Education at the University's Center for Urban Ethnography.

Table of Contents

AN INTERPRETIVE FRAMEWORK.

Introduction: The Forward Arc of Projection.

A Hermeneutic Methodology for Theory, Research, and Practice.

Where We Come From, What We Bring: The Historical and Relational Underpinnings of the Hermeneutic Framework.

THE TRANSFORMATIONAL ROLE OF INTERPRETATION.

Self-Reflection and Mutual Transformation.

Becoming Uncomfortable: Transforming My Praxis (Sharon M. Ravitch).

The Flight of a Black Butterfly: A Hermeneutic Investigation of Metamorphosis (Gregory Seaton).

Another Backward Arc: Further Reflections on "Expert" and "Problem" (Karen E. Liiv).

Fear and Courage: Interpretations from Beyond a Life Half-Lived (Kristin M. Carvill).

INTERPRETATIONS OF THE MISSING.

Critical Absences and Hidden Influences in Interpretation.

Meaning, Purpose, and Hope: The Case of the Disappearance (Shuna Keenan).

Treading Softly: A Critical Phenomenological Investigation of the Voiceless in the Hermeneutic Circle (Deborah H. Cheng).

The Concealed Influence and Power of Nondirective Counselors (Hugh McDonough).

The Dance of Interpretation: The Dialectic of Loss and Connectedness (Anna Mackey).

THE SOCIALIZING INFLUENCE OF LANGUAGE.

"The Rules of the Game" Applied to Play, Power, and Politics.

Language and Politics: Translating the Rules of the Game—Ayer, AHORA y Manana (John Ramirez Jr. & Marco Antonio Bravo).

Entering Play: Lessons of Grief, Joy, and Growth (Tara Edelschick).

What's Love Got to Do with It? Combining the Influences of Race and Love to Create an Effective Black Counselor (Randy B. Hayward).

Theatrical Dialogue: A Hermeneutic Analysis of Change in One Act (Robert W. Leary).

19. Coming Full Circle: The Return Art of Reflection.

Editorial Reviews

"The authors have initiated a revolutionary line of inquiry, sure to have a major impact across the full spectrum of fields that care about youth development. This ambitious theory and practice book marks a true innovation in teaching. Students . . . will gain a deeper respect for the developmental challenges and cultural complexities faced by the youth they wish to serve. Faculty and supervisors . . . will be amazed at how much more their students can learn when they are trained to use hermeneutic tools to study and support the lives of children and adolescents in the world." (Robert L. Selman, director, Risk and Prevention Program, and professor of psychology and education, Harvard University)

"How rare it is to open a chapter in a book of psychology and find a compelling story of human experience." (Frank Richardson, associate professor of educational psychology, University of Texas, Austin)

From the Publisher