A Probation Technique

Date01 December 1959
Published date01 December 1959
AuthorR.R.W. Golding
DOI10.1177/026455055900900402
Subject MatterArticles
/tmp/tmp-17zjHs4v8R9R8m/input
A PROBATION TECHNIQUE
By R. R. W. GOLDING
THE majority of the opinions and facts expressed in be valueless but would mask or so distort my knowledge
this article are not original in conception or practice
and understanding of him that they would hide and might
but are the results of discussions with and advice from
even prevent my ever obtaining that knowledge and
my former colleagues in Oxford. Nevertheless, the decision
understanding. I believe that the purpose of obtaining this
to express them is entirely my own. though I venture to
very subjective knowledge of a probationer, by means of
think that many of them are shared by my colleagues.
which I am able to obtain some understanding of him,
Where they are not shared it is probably due to my mis-
is for the purpose of treating him psycho-therapeutically.
interpretation of our discussions, my reluctance to admit
To clarify what I envisage by psycho-therapy I shall con-
their conclusions or my stubbornness in not accepting
sider, very briefly, my conception of the difference between
their advice.
psycho-therapy and psycho-analysis. I propose to do this
not
I
only for the sake of clarity but because at one time
propose to divide this article into two parts. In the
this
first I shall consider
question gave me some concern since I felt that I
some of my opinions and my reasons
for holding them and, in the second, the
might inadvertently stumble into an analytical situation
way in which
with the
I
probationer and fearing that, because I was out
attempt to put these opinions into practice.
of my depth and not capable of dealing with the material
Much of my present thought and practice was engen-
being presented to me, I might do the probationer con-
dered by my dissatisfaction of the way in which I was
siderable harm. Now I do not think this danger exists,
practising probation. I felt that this was analogous to a
for I do not believe that I have the wit, knowledge or
person who, from time to time, visited someone who was
training to conduct any interview at anything approach-
presumably ill and in bed. He took him some fruit, chatted
ing the level of an analyst and, further, that the material
to him (often against his wishes), smoothed his bedclothes.
which I thought might be dangerous cannot possibly be
occasionally filled his hot water bottle, advised him to
stumbled on, or recognised, inadvertently. I think that
keep his windows open as much as possible and always
the analyst tries to remove or diminish the unconscious
left reassuring him that providing he took the visitor’s
conflicts and problems which are the basic cause of the
advice he would soon be well. At the same time he only
patient’s unhappiness, aberrant behaviour, or conscious
had a very vague idea of what was wrong, if anything,
maladjustment; whilst the psycho-therapist tries to give
and much of the time questioned the patient’s need to
the client insight into his symptoms and the discomfort
stay in bed at all. Sometimes he felt certain that the
that they produce, in the hope that by so doing the client
patient would die anyway. But no matter which of these
will come to accept, and adjust to them. While I believe
feelings he had, they were enveloped by a glow of self-
that the psycho-therapist can be helped by being suffi-
righteousness at the unselfishness of his actions and self-
ciently knowledgeable to have some hypothesis or tenta-
admiration for all the trouble he was taking, coupled with
tive diagnosis of the causes of these symptoms, I do not
the thought &dquo;well, anyway, if he dies I’ll have done all
believe that the interpretation to the client of his present
that I could&dquo;. This realisation of my unconsidered, pur-
behaviour, in terms of development during the first five or
poseless and often ineffectual behaviour caused me some
six...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT