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This is a study in the theory and philosophy ofpsychotherapy. The focus is on the psychotherapeutic technique of reframing – a technique for helping clients to see their situation in a new light, from a new perspective. This technique is used in many forms of psychotherapy, especially in most forms of family and brief therapies. In this study an attempt is made to clarify the assumptions and presuppositions involved in the use ofreframing in psychotherapy. This is done through several theoretical perspectives and especially the perspective of frame theory. In order to illustrate the usefulness ofthe presented theoretical positions, examples ofthe use ofthis technique in psychotherapy are explored in the light ofthese theoretical perspectives. Some suggestions are then given on how therapists can improve their ability to use reframing. Finally, some epistemological, ontological and ethical issues involved with the use ofreframing are explored. In the concluding chapter the results ofthis study are summarized and discussed.

People’s everyday lives are filled with a variety of activities. Many times these activities can be broken up into distinct events such as cooking a meal or driving to work. It has been suggested that people spontaneously segment activities into meaningful parts and subparts, which has been supported by behavioral and neuroimaging data [4]. When it

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