MRI Ideas as a Compass in the Dark: A Beginning Therapist Applies MRI Ideas to Dangerous Situations

The foundational ideas of the Mental Research Institute (MRI) can offer grounding to a therapist when working with dangerous or emotionally fraught situations. In this article, a beginning therapist discusses how these foundational ideas helped her overcome initial biases to work successfully with potentially dangerous court-mandated clients; helped her to handle an emotionally fraught situation in her own family; and clarified her work with a client in a potential domestic violence situation, which might have required reporting to child welfare authorities. Key MRI concepts including the theory of groups; the theory of logical types; first and second order change, cybernetics and positive and negative feedback; context-maintaining behaviors; attempted solutions which become problematic; and therapist maneuverability are discussed. Basic MRI interventions are defined and discussed, including but not limited to the go-slow directive, the dangers of improvement, making a “U-turn,” and how to worsen the problem. A case study is presented.