Testing clinical hypotheses by means of "falsificationist epistemology".

A family therapist using the "falsificationist epistemology" can, during the first session, test the hypotheses formulated on the telephone intake chart and also gather further information to reexamine and redefine these hypotheses. We shall examine a case treated by Dr. G. Prata, analyzing the most important phases of the first session, and stressing what methodological and tactical choices were designed to test the leading hypothesis of the "game" played by this family.