164 Canadian J o u r n a l o f C o u n s e l l i n g / R e v u e canadienne de c o u n s e l i n g / 1 9 9 7 , Vol. 31:2
p r e s e n t e d t h r e e specific strategies, e a c h w i t h case e x a m p l e s . O f t e n i n o t h e r sections o f the b o o k , this r e a d e r was left w i s h i n g f o r m o r e e x a m p l e s . M o v i n g o n to p r o b l e m i d e n t i f i c a t i o n , C o n o l e y a n d C o n o l e y c o m m e n t t h a t " T h e process . . . is m o r e d i f f i c u l t t h a n m o s t c o n s u l t a n t s b e l i e v e " ( p . 53) b u t t h e n d o n o t d e a l w i t h i t further, l e a v i n g o n e to w o n d e r a b o u t issues, p i t f a l l s a n d strategies. A n o t h e r s e c t i o n o n c o n s u l t i n g f o r o r g a n i z a t i o n a l c h a n g e suggests the efficacy o f t e a c h i n g c l i e n t g r o u p s self-analysis as a m e a n s o f o v e r c o m i n g the ineffectiveness o f a c o n s u l t a n t t r y i n g to b e b o t h e x p e r t o b s e r v e r a n d i n t e r p r e t e r . P e r h a p s this m i g h t b e a s k i l l to b e u s e d i n assisting w i t h p r o b l e m i d e n t i f i c a t i o n . C o n s u l t i n g f o r m a c r o s y s t e m c h a n g e w i l l b e o f p a r t i c u l a r interest to those w o r k i n g w i t h d i s a b l e d c h i l d r e n o r i n v o l v e d i n p l a c e m e n t d e c i s i o n s . T h e c h a p t e r b e g i n s w i t h a c h i l d o r i e n t e d o v e r v i e w o f t h e law a n d its i n t e r p r e t a -t i o n , i n c l u d i n g p r e c e d e n -t s f r o m l i -t i g a -t i o n . A l -t h o u g h o b v i o u s l y b a s e d o n A m e r i c a n statutes a n d l e g a l processes, m a n y o f the e x a m p l e s w i l l b e f a m i l i a r i n n a t u r e to C a n a d i a n s . C o n s u l t a n t s a r e c a u t i o n e d a b o u t t h e n e e d t o w o r k w i t h i n a f r a m e w o r k o f d u e process, a n d are e n c o u r a g e d to use t h e i r t r a i n i n g to h e l p p e o p l e w o r k together, to n e g o t i a t e a m o n g t h e s t a k e h o l d e r s , a n d to foster p a r t n e r s h i p s w i t h parents.
I n a t i m e o f p o l i t i c a l e u l o g i e s a b o u t "grass-roots d e c i s i o n m a k i n g " i t is i n t e r e s t i n g t o r e a d t h e statement, " C h a n g e , elusive as it is, p r o c e e d s m o r e s m o o t h l y f r o m t h e t o p d o w n " (p. 8 3 ) . C o n o l e y a n d C o n o l e y offer a straightf o r w a r d p r e s e n t a t i o n o straightf t h e r o l e o straightf t h e c o n s u l t a n t i n straightf a c i l i t a t i n g o r g a n i z a -t i o n a l c h a n g e . O r g a n i z a -t i o n a l b o u n d a r i e s , -t h e "focus o n yes-terday," a n d -t h e p r o s a n d c o n s o f i n t e r n a l c o n s u l t a n t s a r e a l l d e a l t w i t h . C o n s u l t a n t s a r e w a r n e d a b o u t b e i n g so i d e o l o g i c a l l y f o c u s e d that they are w i l l i n g to inter-v e n e regardless o f t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n a l p o s s i b i l i t i e s f o r success.
T h e final c h a p t e r o n t h e c o n s u l t a n t as t r a i n e r r e c o g n i z e s that t r a i n i n g is u n l i k e l y to b e i n f l u e n t i a l u n l e s s it is a c c o m p a n i e d by f o l l o w - u p c o n s u l t a t i o n , a s t a t e m e n t that is p r a g m a t i c b u t that c o u l d b e p e r c e i v e d as s o m e w h a t self-s e r v i n g w h e n m a d e b y a c o n self-s u l t a n t self-s e e k i n g a c o n t r a c t .
School Consultation: Practice and Training, Second Edition p r o v i d e s a c o n c i s e overview o f the t o p i c . E x c e l l e n t as a t e x t b o o k o r "first r e a d , " t h e b o o k m a y b e f o u n d s o m e w h a t l i m i t e d b y p r a c t i t i o n e r s w h o have a g o o d g r a s p o f t h e essentials o f w o r k i n g w i t h v a r i o u s g r o u p s i n a s c h o o l s e t t i n g . A s s u c h , it still offers u s e f u l r e m i n d e r s ; often those o f us i n the field c a n b e c o m e so f o c u s e d o n o u t c o m e s that we n e g l e c t to a p p l y t h e process k n o w l e d g e w e have as c o u n s e l l o r s .
Kvale, Steinar (ed.). (1992). Psychology and Postmodernism. Newbury
Park, C A : S A G E . (Softcover) 223 pp.
Reviewed by: R . V a n c e Peavy, U n i v e r s i t y o f V i c t o r i a .
T h i s is a b o o k o f t h i r t e e n c h a p t e r s , n i n e o f w h i c h o r i g i n a t e d at a 1989 s y m p o s i u m o n P o s t m o d e r n i s m a n d p s y c h o l o g y h e l d i n D e n m a r k at A a r h u s
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U n i v e r s i t y ' s C e n t r e f o r Q u a l i t a t i v e R e s e a r c h . T h e c o n t r i b u t o r s are a l l w e l l -k n o w n r e s e a r c h e r s a n d writers i n w h a t I t h i n -k o f as the m o v e m e n t f o r a p s y c h o l o g y s u i t e d f o r the twentyfirst century. I n h u m a n i t i e s , art a n d p h i l o s o -phy, the w o r l d we are m o v i n g i n t o is often d e s c r i b e d as " p o s t m o d e r n . " T h i s t e r m is a m b i g u o u s a n d d e f i n e d i n m a n y d i f f e r e n t ways. I n fact it is c o n s i s t e n t w i t h p o s t m o d e r n t h o u g h t to resist any o n c e a n d f o r a l l t i m e d e f i n i t i o n . T h e essays i n this b o o k e x p l o r e the p o s s i b i l i t i e s f o r a d i s c i p l i n e o f p s y c h o l o g y i n the c o n t e x t o f a p o s t m o d e r n w o r l d ; a n d e x p l o r e h o w p s y c h o l o g i c a l t h i n k i n g has to c h a n g e i n o r d e r to b e c o m e a d e q u a t e f o r m e e t i n g the c h a l l e n g e s p o s e d by life i n p o s t m o d e r n c u l t u r e .
R e a d e r s w h o are i n t e r e s t e d i n h o w the p a r a d i g m shift i n the sciences as i d e n t i f i e d by K u h n (1970) is finally b e g i n n i n g to m i g r a t e i n t o the s o c i a l sciences, i n c l u d i n g p s y c h o l o g y a n d its a p p l i c a t i o n s s u c h as c o u n s e l l i n g a n d therapy, w i l l find this a very c o m p e l l i n g c o l l e c t i o n o f essays. I f o u n d a l l o f the essays o f i n t e r e s t to m y s e l f as a researcher, w r i t e r a n d c o u n s e l l o r e d u c a t o r . E a c h r e a d e r w i l l p r o b a b l y r e s p o n d to d i f f e r e n t essays i n d i f f e r e n t ways. H o w e v e r , I w i l l s i n g l e o u t o n e w h i c h I f o u n d p a r t i c u l a r l y p r o v o c a t i v e .
T h i s is a n essay o n " p o s t m o d e r n i s m a n d h u m a n sciences" by P a t t i L a t h e r w h o teaches q u a l i t a t i v e r e s e a r c h a n d f e m i n i s t p e d a g o g y at O h i o State U n i -versity. J u s t a y e a r e a r l i e r t h a n the p u b l i c a t i o n o f the p r e s e n t essay, P a t t i L a t h e r ' s (1991) b r i l l i a n t b o o k , Getting Smart, o p e n e d u p n e w l i n e s o f t h i n k -i n g a b o u t e m a n c -i p a t o r y r e s e a r c h a n d p r a c t -i c e -i m p o r t a n t -i n b o t h p s y c h o l o g y a n d e d u c a t i o n . I n r e s e a r c h a n d i n p r a c t i c e , h o w d o we m o v e f r o m o u r positivist p r e o c c u p a t i o n s w i t h " t r u t h " t o w a r d the p r o d u c t i v i t y o f l a n g u a g e w i t h i n w h a t B a k h t i n (1981:358) has t e r m e d "the f r a m i n g a u t h o r i a l c o n -t e x -t ? " L a -t h e r poses f u r -t h e r q u e s -t i o n s f o r us: • i n o u r r e s e a r c h h o w d o we frame m e a n i n g p o s s i b i l i t i e s r a t h e r t h a n c l o s i n g t h e m off?
• h o w d o we create m u l t i - v o i c e d , m u l t i - c e n t r e d texts f r o m o u r data? • h o w d o we d e c o n s t r u c t a n d r e v e a l the ways i n w h i c h o u r o w n desires as
e m a n c i p a t o r y e n q u i r i e s s h a p e the texts we create?
• w h y d o we d o research? T o give v o i c e to subjugated k n o w l e d g e ? A s a n o t h e r v e r s i o n o f w r i t i n g o u r self? T o c a p i t a l i z e o n o u r p r i v i l e g e d p o s i t i o n i n a c a d e m e to f u r t h e r o u r o w n careers a n d wealth?
• w h a t c a n we d o i n r e s e a r c h a n d p r a c t i c e to increase the reflexive process lays o p e n o u r easy a n d often m i n d l e s s use o f " i m p o s e d a n d p r o v i d e d forms"?
L a t h e r sees p r a c t i c e as a n " e n g i n e o f i n n o v a t i o n " a n d argues that the l e g i t i m a c y o f k n o w l e d g e d e p e n d s u p o n its d e s c e n t d o w n f r o m t h e o r y i n t o the level o f p r a c t i c e a n d b e c o m i n g i m m a n e n t i n it. I n this r e g a r d , L a t h e r ' s p o s i t i o n is q u i t e s i m i l a r to a n o t h e r c o n t r i b u t o r , D o n a l d P o l k i n g h o m e w h o writes: "the c r i t e r i o n f o r a c c e p t a b i l i t y o f a k n o w l e d g e c l a i m is the fruitfulness o f its i m p l e m e n t a t i o n . . . the e p i s t e m o l o g y o f p r a c t i s e d has shifted f r o m m e t a p h o r s o f c o r r e c t n e s s to those o f u t i l i t y " (p. 162).
I r e c o m m e n d this v o l u m e o f essays as s t i m u l a t i n g r e a d i n g for a n y o n e w h o is t r y i n g to k e e p u p w i t h , a n d c o m p r e h e n d , the r a p i d a n d c o m p l e x c h a n g e s
166 Canadian J o u r n a l o f C o u n s e l l i n g / Revue canadienne de c o u n s e l i n g / 1 9 9 7 , Vol. 31:2
a n d t r a n s f o r m a t i o n s w h i c h are o c c u r r i n g w i t h i n s o c i a l sciences, society a n d a p p l i e d d i s c i p l i n e s s u c h as c o u n s e l l i n g a n d therapy. It s h o u l d p r o v e o f s p e c i a l value to r e s e a r c h e r s a n d supervisors o f r e s e a r c h w h o are w o r k i n g to revise, d e c o n s t r u c t , a n d r e c o n s t r u c t r e s e a r c h m e t h o d s a n d p u r p o s e s to m e e t the n e e d s a n d r e l e v a n c e c l a i m s o f the p o s t m o d e r n era.
References
Bakhtin, M . (1981). The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays. Trans. C . Emerson & M . Holquist. Austin: University o f Texas Press.
K u h n , T. (1970). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University o f Chicago Press. Lather, P. ( 1991 ). Getting Smart: Feminist Research and Pedagogy with/in the Postmodern. New York:
Routledge.
Talley, Joseph. (1992). The Predictors of Successful Very Brief Psycho-therapy: A Study of Differences by Gender, Age, and Treatment Variables.
Charles Thomas Publishers.
Reviewed by: R o n a l d W a r n e r .
A classic is a classic e v e n i f it takes a y e a r o r two to d i s c o v e r it. Talley's study is a m u s t f o r c o u n s e l l o r s a n d m a y be a classic. T h e interest i n b r i e f e r a n d m o r e cost-effective m o d e l s o f p s y c h o t h e r a p y is i n c r e a s i n g l y attractive f o r m a n y agencies a n d c l i n i c s — i n c l u d i n g u n i v e r s i t y c o u n s e l l i n g c e n t r e s — f a c i n g the c h a l l e n g e o f p r o v i d i n g q u a l i t y service i n a n e r a o f i n c r e a s i n g d e m a n d s a n d d i m i n i s h i n g resources. J o s e p h T a l l e y ' s b o o k is a n i m p o r t a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n to the b r i e f t h e r a p y o u t c o m e l i t e r a t u r e because it is the m o s t s c i e n t i f i c a l l y r i g o r o u s study, that this w r i t e r has e x a m i n e d , o f the effectiveness o f treat-m e n t at the l o w e r e n d ( n u treat-m b e r o f sessions) o f the b r i e f t h e r a p y c o n t i n u u treat-m r a n g e .
Talley's c o n t r i b u t i o n to the p s y c h o t h e r a p e u t i c o u t c o m e l i t e r a t u r e is that h e p r o v i d e s r i g o r o u s e m p i r i c a l e v i d e n c e ( b e y o n d c l i e n t satisfaction) o f the effectiveness o f t r e a t m e n t l a s t i n g f r o m o n e to seven sessions. T h e r e s e a r c h d e s i g n i n c l u d e d c o n t r o l g r o u p s , a n d p s y c h o m e t r i c i n d i c a t o r s o f t h e r a p e u t i c c h a n g e , as w e l l as a s o p h i s t i c a t e d m e a s u r e o f c l i e n t satisfaction. T h i s study, u n d e r t a k e n at D u k e U n i v e r s i t y C o u n s e l l i n g a n d P s y c h o l o g i c a l Services C e n -tre, i n v o l v e d 95 c l i e n t s ( w h o r e c e i v e d a m e a n o f 2.4 sessions) a n d 12 therapists w i t h a p r e d o m i n a n t l y p s y c h o d y n a m i c t r e a t m e n t style. T h e re-search d e s i g n e m p l o y e d a r a n d o m c o n t r o l g r o u p as w e l l as two c o m p a r i s o n g r o u p s , a n d u t i l i z e d f o u r p s y c h o m e t r i c i n s t r u m e n t s ; the Z u n g S e l f - R a t i n g D e p r e s s i o n Scale, the Z u n g S e l f - R a t i n g A n x i e t y Scale, the V i s u a l A n a l o g u e D e p r e s s i o n a n d A n x i e t y Scales, a n d the B e c k D e p r e s s i o n Inventory. A l s o i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o this d e s i g n was a 16-item C l i e n t Satisfaction I n d e x .
T h e p r e - t r e a t m e n t a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f these d e p r e s s i o n a n d a n x i e t y symp-t o m o r i e n symp-t e d scales i n d i c a symp-t e d s i g n i f i c a n symp-t l y h i g h e r scores f o r symp-the c l i n i c a l g r o u p t h a n f o r the c o n t r o l a n d c o m p a r i s o n g r o u p s . A n d at p o s t - t r e a t m e n t t h e r e was n o s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n g r o u p s o n any o f these
