Postmodern Dialog: Narrative Counseling

Abstract

In this study, narrative approach based on postmodernist assumptions which is an application of social constructionism is introduced. Basic assumptions, therapeutic process, and the roles of counselor and client in narrative approach were summarized. Contrary to modernist epistemology, postmodernist epistemology adopts diverse and multiple realities instead of one certain truth. While creating knowledge, the realities based on social exchange and the interactions of the individual with environment are central in narrative approach. Narratives are useful tools while individuals organize knowledge. Individuals transfer socially constructed roles into their experiences. Perception of inadequacy is prevailing in the dominant narratives of clients and the need for seeking help emerges from the perception of inadequacy in narratives. The most important role of the counselor who embraces narrative approach is active listening. The client re-creates the dominant narrative by attributing new meanings in collaboration with the counselor. Therapeutic change is to re-construct the perceptions of the client related to narratives.

Keywords

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Postmodern Diyalog: Öyküsel Psikolojik Danışma

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, postmodernist temelleri olan sosyal yapılandırmacı yaklaşımın bir uygulama şekli olarak ortaya çıkmış olan öyküsel psikolojik danışmanın okuyucuya tanıtılması hedeflenmiştir. Temel varsayımlar, terapötik süreç, psikolojik danışman’m ve danışanın üstlendiği roller özetlenmiştir. Modernist epistemoloji anlayışına ters düşen postmodernist epistemoloji kesin doğru yerine farklı ve çoklu bakış açılarının hakim olduğu bir anlayış benimsemektedir. Bilginin yaratılması sosyal alışverişe dayanmaktadır ve bireyin çevre ile etkileşimi sonucu oluşturulan gerçekler öyküsel psikolojik danışmada önemli yer tutmaktadır. Özgün anlatımlar (narratif) bireyin bilgiyi organize etmesinde kullanılan araçlardır ve bireyler sosyal olarak inşa edilmiş rolleri deneyimlerine taşırlar. Danışanların baskın öykülerinde genel olarak bir yetersizlik algısı hakimdir ve yardım arama ihtiyacı danışan öykülerindeki yetersizlik algısından doğmaktadır. Öyküsel psikolojik danışmayı benimsemiş psikolojik damşman’ın en önemli rolü danışanın öyküsünü etkin olarak dinleyebilmektir. Süreç içinde, danışan psikolojik danışmanla işbirliği içinde öykülerine yeni anlamlar yükleyerek öyküsünü yeniden yaratır. Terapötik değişim danışanın kişisel öykülerine yönelik algılarının yeniden yapılandırılmasıdır.

Keywords

• Narratif, postmodernizm, öyküsel psikolojik danışma ve psikoterapi

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84. POSTMODERN DIALOG: NARRATIVE COUNSELING
85. Özlem KARAIRMAK and Ash BUGAY
86. Narrative Therapy has been developed in the
87. family therapy arena over the past 20 years, Şrst in
88. Australia and New Zealand, and eventually evolving
89. around the world. Since then it has been extended to
90. other counseling settings and a burgeoning literature
91. has arisen around it. Its pioneering authors, W bite and
92. Epston (1990) identify “family therapy” as their own
93. special area. As a result, publications, conferences and
94. training related to narrative therapy showed an
95. increasing interest particularly in the Şeld of family
96. therapy. Following its establishment, narrative therapy
97. and its basic postmodern philosophy have gradually
98. been used in the training and supervision of family
99. therapists (Todd & Storm, 1997). During the process,
100. the use of the concepts in narrative therapy can be
101. expanded to include a variety of applications with
102. couples and families as well as individuals and children
103. (Freeman, Epston, & Lobovits, 1997; Morgan, 1999;
104. Smith & Nylund, 1997). The basic philosophical tenet of narrative therapy
105. is based on postmodern and social constructionist
106. concepts. Social constructionists view reality as a
107. subjective concept, shaped by individuals‘ personal
108. experiences with their worlds. Mcdernists accept an
109. objective "truth" or reality, in the sense of "an
110. increasing awareness of others’ voices, perspectives and
111. views“ (Gorgon, 1991, p. 86). According to both views,
112. the perspective of reality is shaped by cultural values
113. and biases (Gergen, 1991). Modernism focuses on facts,
114. whereas postmodernism is concerned with meaning.
115. The postmodern ideas that are most salient in narrative
116. therapy regard truth, power and knowledge. Narrative
117. therapy emphasizes on clients' own stories rather than
118. objective truth or reality. In narrative therapy, client
119. constructs the life themes within the stories, and then
120. attaches the alternative meaning to these themes and
121. recreates a new story. Thus narrative therapy is an
122. outgrowth of constructionist thinking and concepts. White and Epston (1990) assert that the main
123. purpose of therapy is to assist the person during the
124. process of creating or re—writing more satisfactory
125. personal stories as alternative. In other words, the aim
126. of the narrative therapy is to help client to build his own
127. narratives in a more productive way. Therapist takes
128. Yrd. Doç. Dr., Özlem KARAIRMAK, Kocaeli Üniversitesi, Eğitim
129. Fakültesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Bölümü, PDR Anabilim Dalı,
130. [e-mail]
131. Ash BUGAY, Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi,
132. Eğitim Bilimleri Bölümü, PDR Anabilim Dalı collaborative, empathic, and exploratory role in the therapeutic process. In therapy, counselor listens to the client’s stories carefully and then, with the client, redirects the problem-saturated story into a new story depending on the client’s strengths and assets (Herman,
133. ). Then, counselor tries to encourage the client to
134. author a new, fulŞlling, empowering, and hopeŞrl
135. narrative. The method can effectively be used with all
136. clients’ therapy without looking at their culture,
137. ethnicity or color. Thus, it is based on a collaborative
138. relationship between the client and practitioner who co
139. create and develop new realities. Narrative therapy is sometimes known as
140. involving ‘re-authoring’ or ‘re—storying’ conversations,
141. It can be said tha “storytelling” is central to the
142. therapeutic process in narrative therapy. O’Hara and
143. Anderson (1991) claim that person creates reality based
144. on the evaluating his own stories/narratives. As such,
145. narratives can be considered as the metaphorical
146. expressions of our understanding world and adapting to environment. In narrative therapy, client deconstructs his own
147. cultural story to achieve an authentic personality in the
148. presence sociological context (Doan, 1998). In this
149. process, counselor gives more importance to the client's
150. voice, language and story than to academic and formal
151. information. Narrative therapy can save the client from
152. the inşuence of cultural narratives to recreate the şee
153. and authentic self. In fact, creating stories about
154. ourselves is closely related to the meanings of our
155. existence and sense of self. Personal narratives are basic tools which reşect
156. our inside and the meaning of the experience in the
157. most natural way. According to Bruner (1990), we can
158. explore the information of personal and subjective
159. reality with our life stories (narrative). Personal
160. narratives reşect feelings, cultural inşuences and the
161. subjective language of cognitive structures. At this
162. point, the effectiveness of psychological counseling
163. process signiŞcantly depends on client’s ability to tell
164. his personal story. The main purpose of psychological
165. counseling and psychotherapy is to create a therapeutic
166. atmosphere. This is based on a collaborative
167. relationship between the client and practitioner who co—
168. create the problem and find the solution without the
169. stress of cultural values and social norms (Loops &
170. Epstein, 1989). In this therapeutic atmosphere, client
171. can build a new and less problematic social identity
172. (White & Epston, 1990).
173. Özlem Karanmak and Ash Bugay To achieve these goals, narrative therapists
174. commonly use "exzernalize the problem” as a
175. therapeutic tool in therapy (Payne, 2000; White &
176. Epston, 1990). Externalizing encourages poeple to
177. separate their lives and relationships from
178. lmowledges/stories that are impoverishing (Epston,
179. White, & Murray,1992, p.108). This notion of
180. separating the problem from the person is an integral
181. part of narrative therapy and is consistent with a
182. postmodern perspective on reality. White & Epston
183. (1990) deŞne externalizing as “an approach... that
184. encourages persons to objectify and, at times, to
185. personify the problems that they experience as
186. oppressive” ..(p.38). The problem, therefore, literally
187. becomes a separate entity from person and/or family
188. (White & Epston, 1990). During the externalizing
189. process, client Şrstly gives a meaningful name to the
190. problem which reşects mostly the nature of the
191. problem (e.g., fear or shame). Then, by naming the
192. problem, client can gain a sense of control over the
193. problem and easily understand the particular nature of
194. the problem (White and Epston, 1990). Using
195. externalizing language can give client an opportunity to
196. perceive the problem as a seperate entity (Payne, 2000).
197. Similarly, metaphorical language can help client to
198. externalize the problem and gain a new problem
199. perception (Payne, 2000). Flexibility in use is one of the most important
200. power of narrative therapy. Based on the this feature,
201. narrative therapiest can use it with different approches,
202. such as attachment therapy (Byng-Hall, 1998; Dallos,
203. ), family systems model (Woodcock, 2001; Dallos,
204. ), strategic therapy (Anderson and Bagarozzi,
205. ) and solution focus therapy (Freeman and
206. Couchonnal, 2006). Besides, narrative therapiest can
207. work with a wide range of client groups with
208. difŞculties, including childhood conduct problems,
209. delinquency, bullying, anorexia nervosa, child abuse,
210. marital conşict, grief reactions, adjustment to AIDS, and schizophrenia.
211. Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal