Down the IPscope: A Case Study of Relational Assessment Practices at the Calgary Family Therapy Centre

ABSTRACT The Calgary Family Therapy Centre (Canada), under the clinical direction of Dr. Karl Tomm, has been a site of innovative practice for decades. One such innovative practice has been the development and clinical use of the interpersonal patterns diagnostic system for assessing relational concerns, therapeutic developments, and well-being. The first author studied IPscope’s development and recent use at the Calgary Family Therapy Centre using a case study format. Through interviews with clinical staff, trainees, and administrators, document reviews, ethnographic observation, and reference to the literature on diagnosis and family therapy we highlight the unique practices, experiences, and circumstances involved in the use of the IPscope and discuss my findings in the context of family therapy practice and administration increasingly dominated by expected use of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders diagnoses.