Mental states are opaque and being curious about them is a natural tendency for most people.

The stance of curiosity, as described by Cecchin (1989), implies the mentalization of relational issues. It aims to create continuously new perspectives of the family’s interactions, thereby widening and changing the field of vision.

This stance has much in common with the approach used by Lieutenant Colombo, as portrayed by the actor Peter Falk in the American TV series of the same name. Colombo style curiosity means investigating observed or reported interactions in a seemingly naïve if not ‘stupid’ and rather slow way.

The Colombo-inspired therapist frequently mentalizes aloud, entering the arena of safe uncertainty, sharing his hunches and observations as he investigates. He attempts to get clarification and elaboration (usually whilst scratching his head):

“This may sound stupid, but can I just check this? Do you mind if I look around? I think I may be on a wild goose chase, but do you mind if I….?

...Oh, one thing I almost forgot…to you, does it sound like a reasonable explanation? I don’t you want to get offended what I am going to say, but is it possible that you may have got that wrong? There are a couple of loose ends I need to tie up….Whatever happened to ... It makes you kind of wonder …it could be that... or could it be something else?"

"I know this sounds ridiculous….there is one other thing…"

"It occurs to me that… There is something I wanted to talk to you about..."

In the video example below (with a young actor), note the attempts by the therapist to share their own ideas as ideas or hypotheses, that may well be quite inaccurate, and the Marking of what is "just my thinking about this" by using hand gestures (tapping one's own head):



Here is Columbo himself - watch out for the fact that (of course!) Columbo actually "always got his man" - i.e. you could argue that he was in Psychic equivalence and knew what was in the bad guy's mind... which as curious therapists we should always studiously avoid doing!