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Psychology and Psychotechnics
Reference:

Client assessment of the effectiveness of the systemic arrangement method (group short-term psychotherapy method)

Podnebesnaya Ekaterina Borisovna

PhD in Psychology

Psychologist, Center «Open reality»

123242, Russia, Moscow region, Moscow, lane. Volkov, 4, of. floor 4

Eka.pod@yandex.ru

DOI:

10.7256/2454-0722.2023.4.44006

EDN:

NLNZRS

Received:

12-09-2023


Published:

31-12-2023


Abstract: Our country is moving towards the inclusion of broad psychological assistance in the list of services provided within the framework of compulsory medical insurance. In this regard, the study of the effectiveness of various modalities of psychotherapy is of particular relevance. The article discusses systemic arrangements – a method of group short-term psychotherapy. Its effectiveness has become the subject of research. Today, this type of psychological assistance is one of the most popular. The study was conducted on the basis of the psychological center "Open Reality" in Moscow. To assess the effectiveness, a continuous survey method was used among clients who used system arrangements to solve their problems. A total of 50 respondents who underwent appropriate therapy from February 25, 2022 to March 3, 2023 were interviewed. The use of a statistically significant sample to study the effectiveness of the system placement method is the novelty of this study. Subsequently, the data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. The results showed that 50% of respondents (25 people) rate the effectiveness of this method above 6.0 points on a 10-point scale. The data obtained allow us to conclude that the use of the system placement method allows us to obtain positive results from the majority of clients. The conducted research is of practical importance and allows us to recommend the method of systemic arrangements for providing psychological assistance to the population. In the future, it is planned to analyze customer requests in order to find out in which cases the use of arrangements is most effective. In order to expand the understanding of the material used in the study, the article also provides a description of a specific arrangement, followed by a detailed assessment of the effectiveness given by the client.


Keywords:

psychotherapy, effective method, modern methods of psychotherapy, constellations, system constellations, deputies, psychotherapeutic help, case description, evaluation of the results of psychotherapy, customer evaluation

This article is automatically translated.

            

The market of psychological services in our country is diverse. In addition to professional psychologists, a wide range of specialists and non-specialists provide assistance in this area. Recently, this state of affairs has begun to change. Russia is moving towards the inclusion of broad psychological assistance in the list of services provided under compulsory medical insurance. In this regard, research on the effectiveness of various modalities of psychotherapy is becoming particularly relevant. System placement is one of the most popular and at the same time one of the most controversial methods. And although many psychologists report on the successful experience of using constellations in their work [5, 23, 7, 28, 27, 14, 13], The effectiveness of the method has not been evaluated in our country. Obtaining such an assessment is the purpose of this study. The novelty lies in the use of a statistically significant sample.

            Systemic placement is a method of short—term psychotherapy, introduced into widespread use by Bert Hellinger around the beginning of the 80s of the last century. The main concept of this method is the connection with the ancestors. The arrangements proceed from the fact that each person is a link in the chain of generations, part of his kind, and this unconscious connection affects his life. This method is also called "Hellinger arrangements", "family arrangements" or simply "arrangements".

            The term "family arrangements" has been used since the 1920s in the context of psychological and behavioral effects among family members. It was first used by Alfred Adler to denote the connection of each person with other members of their family system. One of the provisions of his work says that trauma can be inherited. This description can be considered a prototype of the arrangements [9].

             In form, the method of arrangement includes elements of psychodrama (I. Moreno) and family sculpture (V. Satyr). The concept of a "substitute" used in the arrangements also exists in both of these directions. In family sculpture, the therapist puts the client in a certain position or sets a certain direction of view through which he must experience a new experience. In psychodrama, the therapist and the client give certain instructions to the deputies - similar to the description of roles in the theater. These roles are then played until a possible solution is found. In contrast, Bert Hellinger did not direct what was happening and did not urge the deputies to do anything. The deputies in the arrangements do not pose, do not conduct a dialogue and do not play roles. The work is not with the client's ideas of what is and what should be, but with his unconscious. This is the essential difference between the arrangements and other psychodramatic methods. Information from the unconscious client is recognized by the substitutes in the form of bodily sensations and interpreted in accordance with the situation. The substitutes make a phenomenological entry into an altered state of consciousness, because in this operation the intention of consciousness directed at the body is fixed [8].

            There is also some similarity in the arrangements with Buzormeni-Nadia family therapy. Today's difficulties may be caused by injuries sustained by previous generations of the family, even if the victims are unaware of the original event. Hellinger called the relationship between present and past problems, which are not caused by direct personal experience, systemic entanglements [32]. "The systemic interweaving obeys the order according to which the bad must be redeemed by the bad, and the innocent are "younger" (or weaker) they are responsible for the actions of guilty "Elders" (or stronger ones) and atone for their sins" [26, p. 16]. Buzormeni-Nagy referred to this phenomenon by the term "invisible loyalty" [31]. Unlike Buzormeni-Nagy, who put the "right to vindictiveness" in the foreground, Hellinger does not call parents to account and does not point out to children their "arrogance" of the victim. He considers the same dynamics from a different angle - he looks at "how love flows" [12]. The problem is solved by focusing on the forgiveness of all members of the generic system [4].

            Today, the arrangements are an independent direction, original in its form and unique in content [6]. If at first the method was discussed only in a narrow circle of psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists, then a few years later, it became one of the most popular psychotherapeutic approaches [3, 16, 21, 29, 30], he gained recognition in medicine [11, 24], in pedagogy [22], and also took a worthy place in the arsenal of business coaches and coaches [15, 17, 18]. Today, not only psychotherapists in practice, but also specialists in fundamental and applied psychology recognize that one of the most effective methods of working with the family context is a placement session [13].

            The appearance of this method in our country is associated with 2001. Then, for the first time, books on system arrangements were published in Russian: G. Weber's "Two Kinds of Happiness" [2] and B. Hellinger's "Orders of Love" [25].In the same year, Bert Hellinger came to Moscow and personally demonstrated the use of the method. And already in 2002, the Institute of Consulting and System Solutions opened the first program for training system placement consultants. Currently, the method is officially recognized by the Professional Psychotherapeutic League (PPL) and is included in the list of psychotherapeutic and consulting modalities.

            Research by domestic psychologists has shown that the use of the method of systemic arrangements gives positive results in working with persons released from prison [5]; with women with a history of the diagnosis of "infertility" [28]; with employees of special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia [27]; with dysfunctional families with chemical dependence of one of the family members [14]; as well as when working with people who are in a state of maladjustment and depression [13].

            The effectiveness of systemic arrangements is the subject of this study. To evaluate it, a survey method was used among customers who had passed the placement. Subsequently, the data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis.

            Initially, the question arose whether it is possible to rely on the opinion of clients when evaluating the effectiveness of a psychotherapy method, to what extent such an assessment will reflect the actual state of affairs. Sometimes clients are devoid of objectivity and their positive feedback is explained by the hello-good-bye effect:  before psychotherapy, the patient tends to feel and describe his condition as difficult because he is looking for help, and saying goodbye to an attentive, sympathetic psychotherapist who is ready to help, spending money and time, keeping hope and not wanting to be ungrateful, the patient is inclined to believe that his condition has improved without objective improvement [1]. But ultimately, subjective improvement is the cornerstone for evaluating a therapist's performance. If the client subjectively feels better, then references to the absence of objective changes are useless [20, p.107].

 

            In connection with the above, in this study, tests and techniques were intentionally excluded from evaluating the effectiveness of the placement method.  Only one question was addressed to clients: "Please rate the effectiveness of the last placement on a ten-point scale." This question was asked six months after the placement. This interval was not chosen by chance. Prior to this, spontaneous customer feedback was received about six months after the placement. It was then that many realized how much the state of their problem had changed. Noting at the same time that the process of change began much earlier. But either he was not aware of it, or the results were not so stunning that there would be a desire to share his successes with a psychotherapist.

            The study began in February 2022 and continues to this day. The arrangements are carried out by me on the basis of the Open Reality center in Moscow. A group of respondents who underwent appropriate therapy in the period from February 25, 2022 to March 3, 2023 (cluster selection or nest selection) was randomly selected from the general population of all clients of the placement method. Further, a continuous survey was conducted within this group by means of a survey. Gender and age characteristics were not taken into account, because in a quantitative study, compared with a qualitative one, it does not matter who is in front of you, all conclusions are based on the totality of respondents' answers and the material is collected in an impersonal form [4]. During the designated period, 50 placements were carried out. Initially, clients formulated a request, indicating which problem they needed help solving. 49 respondents who received this psychological assistance were interviewed six months after the end of therapy. One client considered it incorrect to evaluate the effectiveness of the placement now, since he is currently awaiting the results of solving his problem (awaiting a court decision). In total, 49 respondents were interviewed, which is a statistically significant amount that allows us to draw intermediate conclusions. The effectiveness of the last placement was evaluated on a 10-point scale, where 0 points corresponds to the absence of changes in the stated problem, 10 points means a complete solution to the problem. The clients were also given the opportunity to use the "-1" rating in the case when the problem situation worsened after the placement.

           Some of the clients could not decide on the rating and indicated their answer in a numerical interval, for example, "8-9". Considering the rounding of the obtained numbers in one direction or another incorrect, it was decided to use fractional estimates, for example, "8.5". Also, one client insisted on a rating of "9.9", arguing "so as not to jinx it." Thus, estimates appeared in the study "5,5", "6,5", "8,5", "9,5" and "9.9". 

 

           

            Out of 49 clients, 9 people gave the maximum score of 10 points, which corresponds to . 18%.

10 points – 8 people + 1 (18.7 %)

9.9 points – 1 person (2.0 %)

9.5 points – (+1) (2.0 %)

9 points – 1 (2.0 %)

8.5 points – 1 (2.0 %)

8 points – 3+1(8.2%)

7 points – 2 (4.1 %)

6.5 points – 2 (4.1 %)

6 points – 4+1 (10.2 %)

5.5 points – 1 (2.0 %)

5 points – 2+1+1+1 (10.2 %)

4 points – 0+1 (2.0%)

3 points – 3 (6.1%)

2 points – (+1) (2.0 %)

1 point – 1 (2.0 %)

0 points – 10 people (20.4 %)

-1 point – 1 person (2.0 %)

 

 

            The median assessment of the effectiveness of the placement method in the studied cohort was 6.0 points, which indicates that half of the respondents rated the effectiveness above 6.0 points [10]. In general, the analysis of the data allows us to conclude about the diversity of opinions in the surveyed group. There is a significant range of estimates, which may be an interesting object for a deeper study and analysis of the factors influencing the perception of effectiveness.

            Once again, I want to note that the assessment of the arrangements was subjective, not always shared by me. For example, the assessment of a young man who contacted us with a problem of job instability. He did not stay at any place of work for more than two or three months, all the time there was a conflict with the head, after which he was fired. When I turned to this young man for an assessment of the effectiveness of the last placement, he was just fired from his next job. At the same time, he gave an 8.5 rating, fervently convincing that this time the situation is 85% different. In fairness, it should be noted that currently this client has been working in one place for a year and even got a promotion, became the head of the department. Another curious assessment came from a 40-year-old woman who could not get pregnant, there was not a single pregnancy throughout her life. She's a happy mom now. At the same time, she puts an assessment of the effectiveness of the past arrangement 5. She believes that not only the arrangement helped in the achieved result, but also the Holy Matron, to whose relics the client made a pilgrimage. 

            In order to expand the understanding of the data used in the study, I present below a description of one arrangement, followed by a detailed assessment of the client.

 

 

Case Description

            A girl came to the arrangement. Her problem of being late is always late and everywhere (according to her). Confirms that so far there have been no serious negative consequences of her behavior. So what's the problem then? She recently got a good job, they are unlikely to tolerate her tardiness... But my suggestion to put a figure of this work is rejected. She wants to deal specifically with delays in all areas of her life. I propose to put three figures: the CLIENT's deputy, the figure of her LIFE and the figure of LATENESS - to see how much lateness interferes with life. That's where we start.

O – the figure of TARDINESS

W is the figure of the client's LIFE

K is the CLIENT'S deputy

            The figure of LIFE stands next to the CLIENT's deputy, on her right side. The figure of the LATECOMERS stands in front of them, at a considerable distance. She says she feels bad, anxious, her attention is focused on the figure of life, she does not notice the client's deputy. For the client's deputy, the figure of lateness is also not important, it does not matter. She relies on the figure of life, says that it is a man. Usually, in the arrangements on the right hand of the figure of a woman is the figure of her husband. It is also known that in the placement space, adult family members can be arranged in a semicircle, starting with the eldest.The client is not married, is not in a long-term relationship with a man, lives with her parents. I assume that this man is the father. To check, I enter the client's deputy dad in the field. The figure of life gives way to him, she retreats to the corner of the hall.

O – the figure of TARDINESS

W is the figure of the client's LIFE

K is the client's deputy

P – the figure of the client's DAD

            The deputy POPE looks intently at the figure of LATENESS, does not notice other figures. He says that the figure of LATENESS seems familiar to him, looks like some familiar woman. It looks like the father is projecting some kind of story of his daughter's lateness, possibly related to a woman he knows. To test this assumption, I introduce a new figure - the deputy of a familiar woman of the pope. This new figure stands in front of the pope. At the same time, the figure of the LATECOMERS and the CLIENT's deputy disperse to the far corners of the hall.

O – the figure of TARDINESS

W is the figure of the client's LIFE

K is the CLIENT'S deputy

P – the figure of the client's DAD

Z – the figure of a FAMILIAR woman

            DAD looks at the figure of a friend, says that she is much older than him and generally unpleasant. A friend says she wants to sit down - I put a blanket on her floor. She sits down on the blanket, looks at DAD and says that she knows him - just a boy who has no meaning for her. Then she lies down on the blanket. In the arrangements, the figures lying on the floor more often indicate the premature death of a person.

            I am contacting the client for clarification. It turns out that when her dad was a child, he and his family lived in Dushanbe, caught the military action taking place there then. As a test, I introduce the figure of military operations in Dushanbe into the arrangement. This figure stands next to a lying ACQUAINTANCE. The deputy POPE nods. "Yes, that's how it was," he says, "although she wasn't pleasant, I still feel sorry for her." His expression and tone raise questions for me. I ask the deputy if he is to blame for the death of this woman. "No, no," he answers too hastily, "No! and he adds almost in a whisper, "no..." I add a substitute for the part of the POPE's personality that considers him guilty of the death of a woman friend. We need to find out if there is such a part of the personality. DAD turns away from her, and part of the personality utters several accusatory phrases against him. DAD covers his face with his hands.

O – the figure of TARDINESS

W is the figure of the client's LIFE

K is the client's deputy

P – the figure of the client's DAD

Z is a FAMILIAR figure

CHL is a part of the pope's personality (which considers the POPE to be responsible for the death of a WOMAN friend)

            I ask MY FRIEND to get up from the floor. (I have already removed the deputy of military operations in Dushanbe from the lineup, he was just a test figure). I ask my FRIEND to repeat the permissive phrase after me - You are not to blame for my death, you are just a child, you could not change my fate. DAD turns to her and asks her to repeat the phrase. He listens attentively, then goes to his accusing part of himself and hugs her. I ask the figures in the center to take a few steps back (an ACQUAINTANCE, DAD and his part of the personality). The client's deputy and the figure of her life come to the center. I turn to the figure of LATENESS, if she wants to join them. LATECOMERS say that they rather want to stand next to a FRIEND. At the same time, LATENESS feels good, nothing bothers them – this deputy stands next to the figure of a FRIEND.

O – the figure of TARDINESS

W is the figure of the client's LIFE

K is the client's deputy

P – the figure of the client's DAD

Z – the figure of a FAMILIAR woman

CHL is part of the pope's personality

            The CLIENT's deputy looks at the figure of his LIFE, they smile at each other. Behind them is the figure of the POPE with his attitude towards lateness. Perhaps his ideas will no longer interfere with his daughter's life? The deputies of the ACQUAINTANCE and the LATENESS are also behind the client's back – where the past should be. The order of the generic system has been restored, the arrangement is complete.

            There is nothing particularly remarkable about this story. There are such events and such reactions. A letter that I received the next day from a client is noteworthy: "During, I remembered a story that my dad told me about how they were taken hostage at school, grade seven. But for some reason I didn't say. There was a civil war in Tajikistan. Dad said that he saw the military, managed to warn the class, they ran to the fence, the boys climbed over, but the teacher could not (she was small and fat), said something like "boys, help", but they could not or did not. Maybe the teacher is the woman we saw in the arrangement. Of course, he tells all this with laughter and jokes, but it is clear that everything that happened could be very traumatic." The accuracy of the substitutes is amazing. After all, even the figure of lateness stood next to a FRIEND. In this story, it was a familiar woman, a teacher at school, who was late.

            Six months later, I turned to the client for an assessment of the effectiveness of the last placement. Here is her answer: "I give a grade of 5 points. Now there are periods of lateness, the more important the day, the longer the time of lateness, there are periods when there are none at all. Well, the delay time has been reduced: now it's mostly 1-10 minutes, and before 40-60. I also want to add that my anxiety has gone away for 9 out of 10 when I'm going somewhere. Before the placement, I was terribly nervous when I went to work, even if I arrived on time, I was like a squeezed lemon from worries. And now I'm able to maintain inner peace and self-confidence even when I'm late. This is very important to me. I have had this problem since childhood and I have tried to solve it using various methods, here I really noticed the effect. Thank you!"

 

            Often, the client does not realize the full depth of the problem in the initial request. As can be seen from the client's feedback, significant positive changes have occurred in her condition, the problem with which she did not mention at the beginning. At the same time, she gave an average assessment of the effectiveness of the arrangement. As mentioned above, the client's assessment of psychotherapy is subjective and sometimes very specific. But at the same time, it is she who is the most informative when it comes to paid services to the public.

            The results showed that 50% of the respondents (25 people) rate the effectiveness of this method above 6.0 points on a 10-point scale. The data obtained allow us to conclude that the use of the system placement method allows us to obtain positive results from most customers. The conducted research is of practical importance and allows us to recommend a method of systemic arrangements for providing psychological assistance to the population. In the future, it is planned to analyze customer requests in order to find out in which cases the use of arrangements is most effective.

References
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First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The text submitted for review does not correspond in its content to the declared title. The text deals with psychotherapy in general, but in essence nothing is said about the method of systemic arrangements, except for the author's reasoning on this matter. Even at the very beginning of the text, when it is necessary to justify the relevance of the research, nothing is said about this method. The author simply writes that "It is impossible to give a single definition of psychotherapy. The debate about what it is — science, craft, art — has not subsided to the present time..." etc. The author himself notes that "The method of psychotherapy used is not fundamental, since they all have approximately the same effectiveness." That is, it is obvious that the relevance of this study is not justified. The text does not contain formulations about the subject of the study and its methodology. In this case, these are unacceptable shortcomings, since the presentation of this kind of material requires a desire for concretization and objectification. The author, on the contrary, proceeds from the belief that objective methods do not work in psychotherapy. In this regard, whether they work or not, we can say that they work. The author also proceeds from the principle that "... neither the psychotherapist nor the client can objectively evaluate the results of psychotherapy. Is objectivity really needed in this matter?" There are a lot of psychophysiological methods available to evaluate the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic methods. To do this, you need to know the methodology of your research so that it does not give the impression that it was performed for the first time in the world. This is exactly the impression one gets about the same work, since the works of other authors on the effectiveness of the system arrangement method are not given. The bibliographic list does not include literature sources on the effectiveness of the system placement method. The cited literary sources have no direct relation to the stated topic. There is no justification for scientific novelty in this article. The style of presentation of the text can be attributed to the subjective interpretation of the method of system arrangements. The structure of the work does not meet the requirements that texts must meet for publication in a scientific journal. The examples given by the author about the effectiveness of the method of systemic arrangements are not convincing and are described as clinical cases not quite correctly. According to the method itself, it must be said that its essence in the work is inaccessible to a potential reader, since the author, mistakenly believing that this method is known to everyone, did not consider it necessary to give appropriate explanations in the text. The research methodology is not shown. The content of the work indicates that the author enthusiastically uses the method of systemic arrangements in relation to an indefinite range of psychological indications. This should not be the case, because there are always certain indications for psychotherapeutic practices. Using the method as a tool for all occasions is not only wrong in principle, but is also possible only taking into account its application based on manipulative technologies. This, by the way, is noticeable in the text. The author writes that "Subjective improvement is the cornerstone for evaluating the activity of a psychotherapist. If the client subjectively feels better, then references to the absence of objective changes are useless. In connection with the above, in this study, tests and techniques were intentionally excluded from evaluating the effectiveness of the placement method." Unfortunately, the reviewer, being a psychotherapist of the highest category, is not ready to agree with this approach to evaluating the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic practices. Judging by the text, the author is not familiar with the methods of evaluating the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic measures and therefore adheres mainly only to subjective assessments. According to the text, it is noted that "The median assessment of the effectiveness of the placement method in the studied cohort was 6.0 points, which indicates that half of the respondents rated the effectiveness above 6.0 points [10]. In general, the analysis of the data allows us to conclude about the diversity of opinions in the surveyed group. There is a significant range of estimates, which may be an interesting object for a deeper study and analysis of the factors influencing the perception of effectiveness." Firstly, the operation of statistical indicators follows after the reader is presented with the method of processing statistical indicators. Secondly, there is a link to the source, although we are talking about processing our own data. The illustrations presented in the text are unclear. They have no names. There are no conclusions. The author calls the conclusions of the conclusions that occur in the course of the presentation of the text. For example, "In general, data analysis allows us to conclude about the diversity of opinions in the surveyed group. There is a significant range of estimates, which may be an interesting object for a deeper study and analysis of the factors influencing the perception of effectiveness." There is no conclusion. The bibliographic list consists of sources that are indirectly related to the stated topic. It is not possible to recommend this article for publication. It may be added that it is advisable to consider articles of this kind in specialized scientific journals.

Second Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The article suggests a very interesting problem related to the use of the placement technique in working with a client. The methodology of the study has not been fully disclosed, in particular, the subject of the study, basic theories, etc. are not presented. In the article, a lot of attention is paid to the general characteristics of the problems of psychotherapy, associated with the lack of an unambiguous understanding and understanding of this practice of psychological influence. However, there is no generalized description of the placement technique itself as a fairly frequently used and effective method of psychotherapy. In this regard, I would like to see a logical transition from understanding psychotherapy in general to the moment when a psychotherapist or psychologist chooses specific techniques and methods of work. And it would be desirable to provide a clearer description and understanding of the situation of using the method in question in the practice of a psychotherapist. The relevance of psychotherapy in general and the method of placement as a private manifestation currently does not cause any doubt in view of the complexity of both the situation in society and personal problems, which are increasing with each decade. And, of course, it is necessary for a person to understand not only those problems that complicate his life, but also his own resources that provide a way out of problematic situations. The scientific novelty is not specifically highlighted in the article. The style of presentation is close to popular literature. The structure of the article in full is not maintained. The content is quite interesting, but needs to be improved in terms of compliance with the topic and the requirements of science in relation to the ongoing research. In particular, when describing the clients' assessment of the degree of effectiveness, the question arises - how is the score calculated, for example, 9.9 - this is like the average score for the sample or as an assessment by a specific client. The description of the placement technique in a specific situation is quite chaotic, with no representation of the requirements for using this technique. The final phrase of the article, which should summarize the results, sounds in a scientific journal as part of the presentation and analysis of the degree of effectiveness of a very complex and significant method - in a very inappropriate way, namely, "In my subjective opinion, it is worth trying." From which it can be concluded that either the author was not himself in the situation of placement and did not check the nature of the action of this method in his practice, or does not have a clear idea of the work of a psychotherapist in general. The bibliography is presented in a fairly extensive list, however, the list of sources does not include studies that also consider the arrangements in psychotherapy (and there are currently a sufficient number of them). There is no appeal to opponents. There are also no conclusions on the whole article. It is of interest to the readership, but very careful revision of both the author's and editorial nature is necessary. In general, the article is very popularizing in nature.

Third Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The paper "Evaluation by clients of the effectiveness of the system placement method" is submitted for review. The subject of the study. The work is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the system placement method. The author completed the tasks by using the survey method among the clients who passed the placement. The work carried out made it possible to demonstrate its effectiveness. The goal was achieved. The research methodology is determined by relevance. The author conducted a theoretical and empirical study. It uses a survey method based on a statistically significant sample, as well as quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results obtained, and mathematical statistics. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that it is currently important to investigate the effectiveness of various modalities of psychotherapy. Systemic placement is one of the most popular and at the same time one of the most controversial methods, the effectiveness of which has not been determined in domestic psychotechnics. The scientific novelty of the research. The conducted research allowed: - to demonstrate that the use of the system placement method allows to obtain positive results from the majority of clients; - to highlight the practical significance of the study, which allowed us to recommend the system placement method for providing psychological assistance to the population; - conclusions were obtained based on a statistically significant sample. Style, structure, content. The style of presentation corresponds to publications of this level. The language of the work is scientific. The structure of the work is clearly traced, the author highlights the main semantic parts. In the introduction, the author noted the relevance of the problem raised. It was highlighted that in recent years Russia has been moving towards including broad psychological assistance in the list of services provided under compulsory medical insurance. Therefore, it becomes important to investigate the effectiveness of various modalities of psychotherapy. The author notes that system placement is one of the most popular and controversial methods. However, despite the successful experience, the effectiveness of this method has not been evaluated in Russian practice. The paper highlights the relevance, purpose and novelty of the research. Further, the author carried out a theoretical analysis of the subject matter. The paper provides an understanding of the phenomenon of "systemic arrangements" and the main conceptual provisions. The author highlighted the features of the arrangements and the main approaches of various specialists, domestic and foreign. Special attention was paid to the description of the subject of this study, the main method and statistical analysis. The author comes to the conclusion that the most effective method is the method of interviewing clients who have passed the placement. The next section was devoted to the description of the conducted research and the analysis of the results obtained. The author characterized and evaluated the arrangements, as well as described a specific case. The results obtained are presented in diagrams and figures, each of which was described and characterized. This made it possible to demonstrate and expand the understanding of the data used in the study. The article ends with a summary. Special attention in the results is devoted to the discussion of the following issues: - the respondents in the majority positively assessed the effectiveness of the system placement method; - the use of the system placement method allows you to get positive results from most customers; - the author highlighted the practical significance of the research, gave brief recommendations and outlined the prospects for further work. The conclusion, in general, does not contain reasonable and generalizing conclusions. Bibliography. The bibliography of the article includes 32 domestic and foreign sources, a small part of which has been published in the last three years. The list contains mainly articles and abstracts. In addition, there are monographs, educational and methodological manuals, as well as online sources. The sources are designed, in general, correctly and uniformly. However, some need to be improved. Appeal to opponents. Recommendations: - to draw reasonable and generalizing conclusions at the end of the work; - to pay attention to the correct design of the drawings in the work; - to subject the results obtained as a result of the survey to a more detailed qualitative analysis. Conclusions. The problems of the article are of undoubted relevance, theoretical and practical value; it will be of interest to specialists who deal with the problems of psychotherapy and the use of the method of systemic arrangements. The article can be recommended for publication taking into account the highlighted recommendations.