Patterns in Interpersonal Interactions

"At a time when more and more family therapists find themselves tacitly accepting the seemingly inevitable instantiation of individualistic (DSM) diagnoses and individualistic models of empirically validated therapies, Dr. Tomm and his talented, sophisticated colleagues offer a clear and compelling alternative (or complementary) perspective. I am heartened by the authors’ invitation to make sense of client, supervisory, and societal conundrums and transformations in terms of the patterns of interaction unfolding between people. When innovators like these produce fresh and challenging work such as this, our field is renewed and enlivened, and our relationships are provided a template for moving toward patterns of wellness."--Douglas Flemons, PhD, LMFT, Co-author of Relational Suicide Assessment Professor of Family Therapy and Clinical Professor of Family Medicine Nova Southeastern University

"This book is one of the most powerful demonstrations of relational patterns and their significance in our personal lives that I have ever encountered. With passion, focus, logic, and imagination, Karl Tomm and his colleagues demonstrate why it is so important to move beyond the individual in both our everyday understanding and our therapeutic practices. The present volume overcomes the limits of diagnostic categories by offering them as grounds for dialogue. The book is overflowing with good ideas, both inspiring and practical."--Kenneth Gergen, President, The Taos Institute

"At last! A social constructionist approach that focuses squarely on interpersonal patterns, never loses sight of larger societal processes, and can measure and track change! In a world that demands accountability, this will help my students integrate the foundations of family therapy with the relational ideals of postmodern practice." --Carmen Knudson-Martin, PhD, Professor and Director of PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy, Loma Linda University

"This book makes a critical contribution to the related fields of therapy, counselling, and psychological services. We have been poised, waiting for the next big idea and the IP scope fills this void. This will undoubtedly become a preferred practice approach solidly built on theoretical foundations that provides a clear framework for inquiring, understanding, deconstructing, intervening, and reflecting on patterns of interaction. It should be included in all therapy and counselling training programs." -- Barbara McKay, Director of the Institute of Family Therapy, London

"This volume is a welcomed voice in an ever-increasing world of pathologizing discourse. What we frequently define as a destructive, crazy, or "bad" person is unhinged by the palpable power of IPscope (i.e., the scope of interpersonal patterns). Extending this approach to explore broader issues of conflict and human challenge reminds us how significant our relational engagements are with others - at all levels - from the dyadic to the global; this is a powerful reminder of how important our relational lives are to our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the planet." --Sheila McNamee, PhD, Professor of Communication, University of New Hampshire and Co-Founder & Vice President, Taos Institute.

"Here in Europe, I have been hearing rumors about HIPS and PIPS for years. Finally now, here’s the book that explains the IPscope model, and helps me to understand why these rumors sounded so unbelievably enthusiastic. The IPscope is a fascinating relational diagnostic system for distinguishing interpersonal patterns. The different chapters in the book tell the story of the IP Scope and how it can be applied in therapy, training, supervision, and in many other domains of life. I warmly recommend this book."--Peter Rober, PhD, Professor of Marital and Family Therapy, Leuven University, Belgium

"Karl Tomm and his colleagues at the Calgary Family Therapy Centre have been steadily building on his influential conceptual framework of Interpersonal Patterns. This book offers 25 years of development in an exciting and accessible form. Richly illustrated with clinical and training material and integrated with current thinking over many areas it will be of enormous value to trainers, researchers and therapists." --Peter Stratton, Emeritus Professor of Family Therapy, Leeds Family Therapy & Research Centre, UK

"This is one of the most important works on systemic therapy in the past decade. It will change how the next generation of therapists and counselors learn and practice systemic therapy." - Diane Gehart, PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, California, USA