The professional is political: An interpretation of the problem of the past in solution-focused therapy

This paper proposes that therapists subject their work to radical doubt des igned to uncover and interpret the micropolitics that inhere in professiona l knowledge and practice, Using Orlie's notion of trespass, the approach to the past employed by solution-focused therapies is examined. These trespas ses involve the therapy's silence about the meaning of injustice; its role in relation to social movements; and ifs potential to reproduce relations o f domination. A ne-ru conception of ethics is proposed that takes into acco unt flu! inevitable presence of the political as it fashions the history th at conditions us as human beings.