EFTA Research Café: Systemic Case Conceptualization Methods – a Systematic Overview and Comparison

with Silvia Scholz

Chairperson: Matthias Ochs

A well-developed case conceptualization is central to effective psychotherapy—yet, unlike in psychodynamic or cognitive-behavioral approaches, no comprehensive overview exists for systemic therapy (Easden & Kazantzis, 2017; Barber & Crits-Christoph, 1993; Challonier & Papayianni, 2018).
In this Research Café, Silvia Scholz shares insights from her scoping review of 29 systemic case conceptualization methods, identified across databases, therapy manuals, textbooks, and an expert network in 2025. The approaches are mapped along two key dimensions: degree of participation and degree of adaptability, revealing a wide spectrum of ways systemic practitioners conceptualize cases and use this conceptualization in different therapeutic contexts.
This session invites reflection and exchange on how case conceptualization can be used meaningfully in systemic work, training, and future research.

Silvia Scholz, M.Sc., is research assistant at the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy from Prof. Christina Hunger-Schoppe at Witten/Herdecke University. She is a psychologist and psychotherapist in training (systemic therapy). In collaboration with the systemic research group “sysTelios think tank“, Silvia Scholz conducts research on systemic case conceptualization and therapy process monitoring and feedback using individualized and standardized high-frequency time-series data. Her research interests include complexity science and its implications for psychotherapy research. She is a member of the Computational Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy network (ccpp.network).
More information: https://www.uni-wh.de/en/contact-person/silvia-scholz

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