Bringing the absent but implicit to the forefront: Disruptive behavior as a testimony of the sacred [Trayendo al frente el ausente pero implícito: El comportamiento disruptivo como testimonio de lo sagrado].

Abstract

In this article we present a discursive analysis on how the absent but implicit (ABI; White, 2003) may be brought forth in therapeutic conversations. The ABI is a theoretical construct useful to describe how problems are generated and potentially resolved in therapy. By articulating the ABI in therapeutic conversations, therapists can bring forth a person's background of values and preferences through which the problem can be better understood. We present the analysis of two family therapy sessions, part of a study on families who are dealing with disruptive behaviours by one of its members. During the sessions, the therapist conducted an internalized other interview (IOI), a useful technique to bring to the conversation the meaningful, and valued relationships consultants prefer to engage in. We identified four conversational practices (noting, naming, justifying, and situating) through which therapist and clients discursively coordinate values, ideas, or beliefs that are important for them in changing their relationships.