2. THE STARTING POINT
โข Are there any publications that clarify the
SF position on formulations? (Suzi Curtis)
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
3. SO I THOUGHT IโD BETTER
WRITE ONE
โข No interdisciplinary agreement as to what
constitutes a formulation
โข No literature on effectiveness
โข Nothing linked to outcomes
โข But everyone thinks itโs important
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
4. DESCRIPTIONS OF
FORMULATING
โข Core Skill of Psychologists
โข Critical skill of psychiatrists
โข Central to organising assessment findings
โข Central to interpreting meaning of clientโs
issues
โข An iterative process
โข Involves working WITH client
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
5. DESCRIPTIONS OF A
FORMULATION
โข Central aspect of good, competent
care
โข Explain clientโs problems
โข Gives road map for treatment
โข Provides yardstick by which treatment
efficacy can be measured
โข Is central to ethical interventions
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
6. I NOTICED
โข Definite focus on client problems, where
they came from, how they
developed, what maintains them and how
they ought to be treated
โข Definite Expert-driven
โข Entirely related to therapistโs view of
behaviour change
โข Clear fit with medicalization of mental ill
health
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
7. HOW IS A PERSON TO MAKE
SENSE OF VARIOUS
FORMULATIONS?
โข Attachment
troubles?
โข Crooked Thinking?
โข Chemical
Imbalance?
โข Flawed Parenting?
โข Repressed Trauma?
โข Irrationality?
โข Unrealistic?
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
8. DO SFโERS WANT TO
FORMULATE?
โข We could be seen as unethical without it?
โข It seems an excellent idea to be able to
show how our conversations with others
flow from principles we hold about โrealityโ
and โchangeโ
โข It could ensure SF workers are competent
and properly trained?
โข It places us within the therapeutic field
alongside the โbigโ players?
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
9. DO SFโERS WANT TO
FORMULATE PROBLEMS?
Nah
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
10. FORMULATIONS WITH A
DIFFERENCE
โข SF initial โformulationโ would always be:
โข Sarah is expert in her own life
โข Sarah knows what she wants to change and
keep
โข Sarah already has skills that have helped her
cope so far, and these can be used to attain
future goals
โข Sarah will know when sheโs moving forward
Talk talk talk talk
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
11. END OF 1ST SESSION
FORMULATION
โข Sarah has survived this long with humour and hope
intact by playing music, by talking to her mother, by
staying quiet, by believing in herself, and by putting on
foot in front of the other every damned day no matter
what.
โข In the long term, she wonders if she should be single
again
โข In the short term, sheโd like to notice herself feeling
more energetic in the morning
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
13. Sarah
โข Single?
โข Feel energy in
morning
โข What else?
โข What else?
โข Seeing funny side
โข Music
โข Talking to mum
โข Quietness
โข Bullied at school /
work
โข Lost jobs
โข Bullied in marriage
โข Self-
medicates/alcohol
โข Set aside iTunes
money
โข Let mum in on how
to help
โข What else?
โข What else?
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
14. SO IT TURNS OUT
โข That an SF formulation (according to Bliss)
Involves:
โข Knowing where the person wants
to get to
โข Identifying competencies to get there
โข Knowing when theyโve arrived
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
15. PLEASE CONTACT VICKY
โข E. Veronica (Vicky) Bliss
Clinical Psychologist
Brief Therapy Support Services, Ltd
106 Deepdale Road
Preston, Lancashire
PR1 5AR
01772-200589
vicky@btss.org.uk
brief.therapyservices@nhs.net
www.btss.org.uk
E. V. Bliss, September 2013
