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WHO IS AN EXPERT? One of my favorite business cards of all time was one a friend had. It simply consisted of his name, phone number, and his title — Expert —. On my therapeutic journey I’ve often mused on what it means to be an expert. We’d all like to be one, and be considered as such by our clients and peers, but what does that mean? And how does one get there? Early on I imagined an expert as one who always knew what to do. In a therapist, this would mean nodding and saying, “Um hmm,” a lot while listening to or examining your client, in a way that conveyed, “Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I’ve seen your situation before, and I know just what to do.” Then he or she proceeds to do it, and Zap! Zoom! you’re fixed. Since we largely see what we believe we will see, I cheerfully projected this motif onto expert practitioners who treated me. I marveled at the ‘gift’ they had, and wondered if I would ever be so blessed. I can see now that I suppressed, or passed off as fluke, any evidence of hesitancy or puzzlement they exhibited. Tom Bowen becomes, in this sense, a very problematic role model. By all reports, he had an uncanny facility and accuracy in diagnosis. Apparently he was able to bypass the more pedestrian modes of assessment that other practitioners would require. And of course, his brevity of treatment and success rate are legendary. Although occasionally mentioned, who will elaborate on and emphasize earlier days (or even later ones) when he sweated and fumbled, tried one approach after another, and walked grooves in the floor trying to figure what some patient needed? Who is there to promote Mr. Bowen’s spirit of curiosity and resourcefulness, rather than just a portion of his repertoire? These are questions that have inspired my methods and courses, especially the Bridge classes. After decades in the therapeutic field, I have the mixed blessing of being considered by many to be an expert. Much to my surprise, I find that the degree to which I’m successful is proportional to realizing, with each new client, that I really don’t know in advance what to do. All the best techniques I’ve learned and found and now teach have come through this basic admission, or perhaps, surrender. This way each person’s individual body gets to explain what it needs. Yes, one does develop familiar approaches and alternatives; but they are all probative, fit to be abandoned in a heartbeat if not producing results. Yes, other people do consider it a mysterious “gift”; but they don’t see the underpinnings. Yes, the processing gets quicker and more graceful the more one practices; but it’s a factor of becoming more comfortable with the discomfort of having to find your way — every single time. Gene Dobkin This article is reprinted with permission from In Touch, Journal of the Bowen Therapists’ European Registry. |
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U.S. Bowen |