Joy, Curiosity and Therapeutic Conversations – What Therapists Could Learn from People with Intellectual Disabilities and Autistic People

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Abstract

The article introduces some theoretical and pragmatic issues relating to Joy, as well as its use and value in encouraging better therapeutic outcomes through curious conversations with clients. We explore the role of Joy and curiosity in six fundamental practices of therapeutic work (assumptions about professionals’ expertise, history taking, their theories and models, analysis of information, therapeutic stance and decision making, nuances and distinctions) using something we call the 6D Performative Analytical Model (PAM) (details, dimensions, dynamics, dispositions, dislocations and descriptions). This is an emerging work from our teaching, consultation and workshops with other professionals, clients and service users to build a case for recognising the transformative dynamics of Joy. We employ case studies to demonstrate how Joy has altered our appreciation of the aforementioned fundamentals in our therapeutic work. Our over-reaching aim is to encourage therapists of all fields to reconceptualise how the considered simplicity of Joy as a sensation, experience and strategy can foster curious conversations and promote some fundamental principles of contemporary client oriented therapeutics: 1) an unknowing therapist is solution focused and not solution forced; 2) clients are the experts of their life and 3) Joy is best placed to foster curious conversation between experts.

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