In the chapter titled "Cybernetics of Therapeutic Change," Bradford P. Keeney (1983) offered an illuminating glimpse into how therapists can apply cybernetic concepts to actual therapeutic interventions (pp. 150-186). More specifically, Keeney's (1983) description and interpretation of Bateson's use of the self-corrective nature of the cybernetic system to illuminate the absurdities of the behavior or problem of clients has transformed my perspective about therapeutic interventions (pp. 164-8). What makes this therapeutic approach so unusual is the fact that it seems to go against the typical thinking processes of most human beings and professionals. Before reading this chapter, it seems logical to me that whenever I encounter someone who exhibits problematic behavior, I will attempt to dissuade him from pursuing this behavior. Certainly, I would not have considered my efforts to exert a negative impact on the well-being of this individual. However, in reading about Bateson's work, I realize that I often operate from a limited perspective. Thus, I am totally unaware of the possible interrelationships existing between components within the larger system that encompasses my little universe, and its relationship to other systems, which extend beyond my awareness and knowledge.
However, even as I struggle to comprehend the concepts of the cybernetic system and integrate them into my knowledge base, I encounter greater difficulties in trying to apply them to therapeutic interventions. The importance of acknowledging the role of the unconscious process in therapy was particularly hard for me to accept and apply to this profession on the first reading. According to Keeney (1983), therapists and their clients might be better able to come up with effective strategies by abandoning their conscious efforts to discover solutions (p. 162). This approach contradicted my belief about the purpose of the therapeutic interventionùto utiliz...