Conversational Construction of Meaning in Family Therapy: Some Evolving Thoughts on Kelly's Sociality Corollary

Combining the ideas of constructivists in the fields of cybernetics, physics, biology, philosophy, social psychology, and family therapy with the ideas of Kelly, we offer some thoughts on the importance of the interactional construction of meaning. The implications of a dialogical perspective are explored by addressing three key issues often encountered in the initial stages of working with families: (1) identifying the relevant system for treatment, (2) codefining the problem, and (3) establishing the therapist's position. A conversational approach to constructing meaning, as outlined in this paper, assumes that the therapist must take full responsibility for his or her participation in the cocreation of social reality.