VALIDATION

(acceptance strategy)

VALIDATION-what is it?

Patient’s responses make sense and are understandable in the context in which they occur-within the client’s current life situation

Search for, recognise, reflect the validity in her response to events

How to validate

1. Observe

2. Accept

3. Place judgments to one side

Find the nugget of gold in the bucket of sand

Why?

To balance change strategies (know when to switch)

To prevent invalidationTo teach client to validate herself

What to validate?

thoughts feelings

behaviour physiology

Emotional validation

Provide opportunities to express ETeach observing and labelling emotions‘Read’ emotions-at beginning-multiple-

choice questionsCommunicate validity of emotionsWarranted vs unwarranted emotionsAvoid trying to make client feel better

Behavioural validation

Teach behaviour observation and labelling

Physiological validation

Observe and describe physiological responses

At first, feed back observations, later ask client to observe & describe

Validate physiological responses

Cognitive validation

Teach observe and describe thoughts

Facts vs interpretations/beliefsFind kernel of truthWise mindRespect different values of client

and therapist

CheerleadingValidate client’s inherent ability Assume the best Provide encouragement Focus on capabilities: belief in patient,

in team Modulate external criticism Provide praise and reassurance Stay near

6 levels of validation

1 Stay awake, look and listen, judgments aside   2 Say back to the person what they have said to

you (reflect), check accuracy 3 Saying what the person might have

felt/thought/wanted to do (articulate) 4 It’s normal/understandable (normalise)

(Past context) 5 It’s normal/understandable (normalise) (Present

context) 6 Honest response (radical genuineness)