Portrait · Yveline Rey
Meeting Yveline Rey, a pioneer of systemic family therapy
In this special episode of the Confidences de thérapeutes series, I have the honour of welcoming Yveline Rey, a key figure in the field of family and systemic therapy. If you take even a slight interest in these disciplines, it is quite likely that you have already heard of her work.
A life devoted to training therapists
Yveline Rey has devoted several decades to training family therapists around the world, in particular through CERAS, which she founded in Grenoble and which continues its existence today in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Her impressive career is punctuated by encounters with emblematic figures such as Paul Watzlawick and Bruno Bettelheim, who played a crucial role in her professional path.
Floating objects and systemic tales
Yveline Rey stands out for her commitment to transmitting systemic concepts through creative and unique tools, such as the floating objects she co-created with Philippe Caillé. These metaphorical objects play a central role in her therapeutic interventions: they facilitate interaction between family members and make it possible to co-construct new narratives.
During our conversation, she also looks back on her work around systemic tales, a concept influenced by her training with Bettelheim. The idea behind this type of tale is simple but powerful: let the family or the patient complete the story, to make them actors of their own change.
Analogic communication and the relational context
Another striking aspect of Yveline Rey’s approach is her interest in analogic communication, which she considers a key element in observing family interactions. For her, the way individuals behave in space, their gestures or their silences are essential indicators to take into account in any therapeutic intervention. Yveline encourages us to explore the relational context, an approach she has refined throughout her career.
Her many experiences have made her a pillar of systemic training, contributing to the influence of this approach through conferences, publications and, above all, the training of future generations of therapists. She reminds us that individuals’ context, beliefs and values profoundly influence their behaviours, and that therapists must always work with these dimensions in mind, while remaining open to the recursivity between interactions and beliefs.
Yveline also shares her advice for the young generations of therapists: observe the family context, pay attention to non-verbal communication and always foster a third space in the therapeutic relationship, so that creative solutions can emerge.
“Always act so as to increase the field of possibilities.”
Yveline Rey
This word of wisdom, which she leaves us with in conclusion, perfectly sums up her vision of therapy: the therapist’s role is to open perspectives, create spaces for change and foster the freedom of each individual and each family to flourish.
This inspiring conversation — in French — with one of the pioneers of systemic family therapy, who has marked and continues to mark the history of psychotherapy in France and internationally, can be watched below.
How to cite this article
Besse, J. (2024, October 27). Meeting Yveline Rey, a pioneer of systemic family therapy. Complexe Systémique. https://app.complexe-systemique.com/en_GB/articles/meeting-yveline-rey-a-pioneer-of-systemic-family-therapy
To go further
- Floating objects in systemic therapyAn overview of floating objects, the metaphorical supports Yveline Rey developed with Philippe Caillé.
- Floating objects in systemic therapy: the family coat of armsThe family coat of arms: when the family draws its heraldry to tell its identity.
- Maurizio Andolfi: a life devoted to family therapyAnother pioneer tells his story: Maurizio Andolfi, from post-war Italy to a worldwide career serving families.
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