A structured elicitation of the people who most influenced the client, and of the "stamps" (causal conclusions) formed in those relationships.
Step-by-step guide
- Ask: "Who influenced you the most — from childhood on?" (usually 4-6 people)
- For each: "How did [name] treat you? What did you feel?"
- Identify the stamp: "What is the main lesson you took from this relationship about yourself / the world?"
- Record the stamps: "I'm not good enough", "My feelings don't matter", "Closeness is dangerous"
- Show the link: "See — these stamps shape how you read situations now"
- Formulate the transference hypothesis: "What will the client expect from me?"
When to use
- In the first 2-3 sessions
- Revisit as new information emerges
Key phrases
I want to spend the next while asking about a handful of people who shaped how you meet the world — starting from childhood. Not a full biography — just the people who mattered most. We'll move from one to the next.
Follow-up questions
How did this person treat you, concretely?
What did you feel around them?
What lesson did you draw about yourself from that relationship?
What rule about the world did you keep from that?
Alternative phrasings
If a figure feels too charged to start with, we can begin with someone safer.
We don't have to finish all six today. We'll come back to this list.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Stamps are not "negative thoughts". They are deep causal conclusions based on real experience.
- ⚠️ Do not devalue them — they made sense in their context.
Source: McCullough, 2000 — Treatment for Chronic Depression: CBASP
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.