The signals that this is happening are subtle. Clients become more active in diagnosing their own stories. The tone of voice changes and the content becomes more assertive. Self-blame or blame of others declines and objective analysis increases. A sense of teamwork begins to emerge when the client and helper together figure out what went wrong and what might have been the causes. In my conversation with Jim he began to sound less worried and began to explore more objectively what might have been going on with his four clients. This in turn empowered me to become much more confrontational.
