Systemic Constructions

For the first time, in April of 1990, this diverse and complementary group of systems experts presented a three-day seminar and conference in Laguna Beach, California. During those three days, an international audience of professionals watched and participated in integrating the fields of:

• Systemic Family Therapy
• Constructionism
• Hypnosis
• Second-Order Cybernetics
• Neurological theories

into a higher order of Family and Clinical Hypnotic therapies which remains today as the core of modern integrated therapies.

The conference portion included opening presentations from Gary Ruelas, Heinz Von Foerster, Humberto Maturana and Gianfranco Cecchin. Here, an overview of the history, evolution and the central enduring qualities of their specialties were presented.

The seminar portion, moderated and coordinated by Dr. Ruelas, was the clinical application, practicum and demonstration of their integrated perspectives. This included the clinical interview and intervention of a live individual client and a family. The participants of the seminar helped set up hypotheses, watch Drs. Von Foerster, Maturana and Cecchin interview the clients and formulate and enact interventions.

These audios are the recorded proceedings of this conference and seminar. They were created for the Society Archives for the private use of members to study and expand their clinical perspectives and skills. In response to the requests of others in the professional community, these recordings are now available to you as well.