Non-Normative Systemic Therapy in a Case of Intergenerational Enmeshment

There are a number of differences between normative and non-normative systemic therapy. It is useful to understand normative thinking because that is a traditional orientation. Non-normative clinical work also has much to offer both philosophically and practically: It is characterized by the premise that people's behavior makes sense given their histories and current context. Therefore, when understood from the perspective of the individual, even his or her psychopathology would make sense. Using a composite case analyzed in normative terms and treated non-normatively, the author illustrates how to bridge these two approaches. Solution-focused methods constitute the interventions of choice.