The therapists’ and clients’ reciprocal positioning has always been an area of concern to systemic therapists. Other therapeutic models emphasise, instead, the therapist’s emotional awareness. This article proposes an integra- tion of these two concepts. We define such an integration as "emotional posi- tioning". We believe that, through the lens of emotional positioning, the therapist may reach a better understanding of dilemmas and problems in her patients’ relational lives, as well as gain a better orientation for her clinical activity. The ways of using emotional positioning in therapy are illustrated through the analysis of a clinical vignette.
Keywords: Systemic theory, systemic therapy, clinical theory, positioning, emotions.