Collaboration and Change

An intention of this chapter is to show how theory can be used to serve—but not dominate—a collaborative relational process in pursuit of beneficial change. Two myths about change and the use of theory are highlighted and challenged. The distinction between Jessica Benjamin’s ‘surrendering to the Third’ and ‘submission’ is illustrated with a verbatim extract from a clinical session. The need for collaboration to be both a cognitive and emotional endeavour is further emphasised. Fourteen aspects of collaborative therapy are briefly discussed, ranging from principles to practice.