Ottar Ness

DISSERTATION TITLE:

Learning New Ideas and Practices Together 
A Co-operative Inquiry Into Learning to Use Johnella Bird’s 
Relational Language-making Approach in Couples Therapy

This dissertation recounts the process and experiences of five family therapists (including myself) from the Trondheim Family Therapy Centre, in learning Johnella Bird’s relational language-making practices. Adapting John Heron’s Co-operative Inquiry, we engaged in a collaborative learning process with an added focus on making sense of our learning process itself. Through reading, viewing videotaped demonstrations, participating in group discussions, practicing, sharing personal reflections, and receiving feedback from couples as clients, we learned to use Johnella Bird’s relational language making practices.