This book describes a process of questioning that revolves around the human tendency to think and talk in metaphors. It’s based on the work of David Grove, a psychotherapist from New Zealand, who developed the process to support his work with clients who had experienced trauma.
Clean language is a method that aims to minimise as much as possible the questioner’s impact on the client’s thought process. It’s the antithesis of paraphrasing. While it has its roots in therapy, it is branching into other fields such as coaching and research.
Clean language is a set of twelve questions used to obtain information from another person in a structured way that helps you (and them) to get a really clear understanding of what they mean. The questions can also support people to identify and then implement desired changes in their lives.
This book provides a comprehensive explanation of the clean language philosophy and how to use the questions in practice. There are many exercises to practice and develop your skills using clean language in different situations.
Clean language would be a useful skill for people working with clients in conflict, as many of our thoughts and language around our experiences of conflict are based in metaphor – I’m sure you can think of many!
