Hi

I have had many of the same thoughts about the vocabulary of our theory. I think that the simplicity and consistency of terms like "testing" and "plans" have allowed us to design research but perhaps at the expense of developing a more nuanced and evocative way of framing our ideas.

I also think, however, that though our basic underlying assumptions of patient's using the therapist to work toward a healthier and more fulfilled life may seem arbitrary to other theorists, and though it may seem that we underestimate the darker sides of the human experience, I think that this very bias forces us to continually try harder to understand all our patient's behavior in the larger context of both historical antecedants and the striving toward future comprehensible goals.

Just a brief thought

Helene