z (1988): "Whitaker sees all symptoms as mere signals of, or even noisome distractions from, the real existential problems faced by families—birth, growing up, separation, marriage, illness, and death" (p. 88).
Thus the symptoms become symbolic representations and the therapy is a way to bring those symbols up from the family's collective unconscious life. There is nothing mysterious or Freudian about the subconscious or unconscious. In this sense, Whitaker once again is operating under rules set by Adler, who stated:
The unconscious is nothing other than that which we have been unable to formulate into clear concepts. These concepts are not hiding away in some unconscious or subconscious recesses of our minds, but are those parts of our consciousness, the significance of which we have not fully understood (Adler, 1935, p.3).
Whitaker feels the role of the therapist is to be confrontational and challenging—as opposed to many therapists who play a much more passive role. Whitaker has been known to use gentle ridicule, boredom, indifference, to make outlandish suggestions and off-the-cuff statements. Whitaker has stated that, for any therapy to work, he needs to be "captured" by the patients (Napier & Whitaker, 1978).
As well, Whitaker believes in the centrality of the mother when it comes to family therapy: "The mother is so central a person in the family that we couldn't afford to have her pulling against us … if mothers lack interest in the process, it will founder. They are truly the key to the family's psychological life and the gate through which any intruder must enter" (Napier & Whitaker, 1978, p. 94-95).
Overall, Whitaker pushes for a model of therapy that makes the most use possible of the the
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