Marte meo - "Show me" sade Maria: En kvalitativ studie av Marte meo terapeutens upplevelser och yrkeserfarenheter av metoden inom socialt behandlingsarbete

Sammanfattning: This thesis puts focus on Maria Aarts method "Marte meo" (on one's own strength). With the video camera as a principal tool, the purpose of the method is to be a practical working tool to support developmental processes on specific target groups, for example parents and their children. The aim of the thesis was to describe Swedish Marte meo Therapists and Marte meo Supervisors personal- and working experiences of the method, which was introduced in Sweden year 1991. Central questions were: How does Marte meo Therapists describe the essence of the method, it's establishment, development, and future in Swedish social services and psychotherapeutic treatment work? Which are Marte meo Therapists opinions of the methods relation to general problems and issues within social services and psychotherapeutic treatment work, such as the anchorage of theory and practice and the general claim for more research in social services interventions? In order to achieve the aim of the thesis a qualitative study was performed containing semi structured interviews with three Marte meo Therapists (two of them also titled Marte meo Supervisors). Theories and thoughts from principally Andrew Abbott and Pierre Bourdieu were used in the analysis of the study's results. The study showed that the three Marte meo Therapists personal experiences of the method was that Marte meo, apart from being a method, also to some extent symbolises the more and more evident paradigmatic shift going on in Swedish social services and psychotherapeutic treatment work. The interviewees' described it as stronger focus on individual resources and healtbringing factors slowly replacing a problematic and diagnosis way of thinking. Regarding the Marte meo Therapists working experiences of the method, the study showed that it to a great extent was about the power in the picture. According to the interviewees' the video clips effect in the treatment work together with the methods strong focus on both children's and parents need, composes a great deal of the essence of Marte meo. About the methods establishment and development; the study clearly showed how within time, both the method and the profession Marte meo Therapist, have attained more acknowledgement and respect for it's efficiency in Swedish social services and psychotherapeutic treatment work. The Marte meo Therapists in the study meant that it could be a consequence of the increasing attempts of active professsionnals to connect Marte meo method to theories within for example modern developmenttal psychology. The possible consequences of the fact that a lot of the attempts to connect Marte meo with theories are performed by others then the founder her self, were further developed in the final discussion of the thesis. The Marte meo Therapists in the study strongly held that the method is an excellent tool when it comes to connect theories to practical social services and psychotherapeutic treatment work and also meant that a grand part of the future of the method and the professsion Marte meo Therapist, lies within social services and psychotherapeutic treatment work with parenthood, especially within child placement and adoptions. The Marte meo Therapists in the study only in a small extent (in one of three interviews) reclaimed more research about Marte meo. In the final discussion of the thesis this issue was related to the general opinion of lack of research in Swedish social service treatment work and interventions.