Postmodern Dialog: Narrative Counseling

Year 2010, Volume: 4 Issue: 33, 24 - 36, 11.06.2010

Özlem Karaırmak Aslı Bugay

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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• Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal 2010, 4 (33), 24-36
• POSTMODERN DIALOG: NARRATIVE COUNSELING
• Özlem KARAIRMAK and Ash BUGAY
• Narrative Therapy has been developed in the
• family therapy arena over the past 20 years, Şrst in
• Australia and New Zealand, and eventually evolving
• around the world. Since then it has been extended to
• other counseling settings and a burgeoning literature
• has arisen around it. Its pioneering authors, W bite and
• Epston (1990) identify “family therapy” as their own
• special area. As a result, publications, conferences and
• training related to narrative therapy showed an
• increasing interest particularly in the Şeld of family
• therapy. Following its establishment, narrative therapy
• and its basic postmodern philosophy have gradually
• been used in the training and supervision of family
• therapists (Todd & Storm, 1997). During the process,
• the use of the concepts in narrative therapy can be
• expanded to include a variety of applications with
• couples and families as well as individuals and children
• (Freeman, Epston, & Lobovits, 1997; Morgan, 1999;
• Smith & Nylund, 1997). The basic philosophical tenet of narrative therapy
• is based on postmodern and social constructionist
• concepts. Social constructionists view reality as a
• subjective concept, shaped by individuals‘ personal
• experiences with their worlds. Mcdernists accept an
• objective "truth" or reality, in the sense of "an
• increasing awareness of others’ voices, perspectives and
• views“ (Gorgon, 1991, p. 86). According to both views,
• the perspective of reality is shaped by cultural values
• and biases (Gergen, 1991). Modernism focuses on facts,
• whereas postmodernism is concerned with meaning.
• The postmodern ideas that are most salient in narrative
• therapy regard truth, power and knowledge. Narrative
• therapy emphasizes on clients' own stories rather than
• objective truth or reality. In narrative therapy, client
• constructs the life themes within the stories, and then
• attaches the alternative meaning to these themes and
• recreates a new story. Thus narrative therapy is an
• outgrowth of constructionist thinking and concepts. White and Epston (1990) assert that the main
• purpose of therapy is to assist the person during the
• process of creating or re—writing more satisfactory
• personal stories as alternative. In other words, the aim
• of the narrative therapy is to help client to build his own
• narratives in a more productive way. Therapist takes
• Yrd. Doç. Dr., Özlem KARAIRMAK, Kocaeli Üniversitesi, Eğitim
• Fakültesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Bölümü, PDR Anabilim Dalı,
• [e-mail]
• Ash BUGAY, Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi,
• 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,
• ). Then, counselor tries to encourage the client to
• author a new, fulŞlling, empowering, and hopeŞrl
• narrative. The method can effectively be used with all
• clients’ therapy without looking at their culture,
• ethnicity or color. Thus, it is based on a collaborative
• relationship between the client and practitioner who co
• create and develop new realities. Narrative therapy is sometimes known as
• involving ‘re-authoring’ or ‘re—storying’ conversations,
• It can be said tha “storytelling” is central to the
• therapeutic process in narrative therapy. O’Hara and
• Anderson (1991) claim that person creates reality based
• on the evaluating his own stories/narratives. As such,
• narratives can be considered as the metaphorical
• expressions of our understanding world and adapting to environment. In narrative therapy, client deconstructs his own
• cultural story to achieve an authentic personality in the
• presence sociological context (Doan, 1998). In this
• process, counselor gives more importance to the client's
• voice, language and story than to academic and formal
• information. Narrative therapy can save the client from
• the inşuence of cultural narratives to recreate the şee
• and authentic self. In fact, creating stories about
• ourselves is closely related to the meanings of our
• existence and sense of self. Personal narratives are basic tools which reşect
• our inside and the meaning of the experience in the
• most natural way. According to Bruner (1990), we can
• explore the information of personal and subjective
• reality with our life stories (narrative). Personal
• narratives reşect feelings, cultural inşuences and the
• subjective language of cognitive structures. At this
• point, the effectiveness of psychological counseling
• process signiŞcantly depends on client’s ability to tell
• his personal story. The main purpose of psychological
• counseling and psychotherapy is to create a therapeutic
• atmosphere. This is based on a collaborative
• relationship between the client and practitioner who co—
• create the problem and find the solution without the
• stress of cultural values and social norms (Loops &
• Epstein, 1989). In this therapeutic atmosphere, client
• can build a new and less problematic social identity
• (White & Epston, 1990).
• Özlem Karanmak and Ash Bugay To achieve these goals, narrative therapists
• commonly use "exzernalize the problem” as a
• therapeutic tool in therapy (Payne, 2000; White &
• Epston, 1990). Externalizing encourages poeple to
• separate their lives and relationships from
• lmowledges/stories that are impoverishing (Epston,
• White, & Murray,1992, p.108). This notion of
• separating the problem from the person is an integral
• part of narrative therapy and is consistent with a
• postmodern perspective on reality. White & Epston
• (1990) deŞne externalizing as “an approach... that
• encourages persons to objectify and, at times, to
• personify the problems that they experience as
• oppressive” ..(p.38). The problem, therefore, literally
• becomes a separate entity from person and/or family
• (White & Epston, 1990). During the externalizing
• process, client Şrstly gives a meaningful name to the
• problem which reşects mostly the nature of the
• problem (e.g., fear or shame). Then, by naming the
• problem, client can gain a sense of control over the
• problem and easily understand the particular nature of
• the problem (White and Epston, 1990). Using
• externalizing language can give client an opportunity to
• perceive the problem as a seperate entity (Payne, 2000).
• Similarly, metaphorical language can help client to
• externalize the problem and gain a new problem
• perception (Payne, 2000). Flexibility in use is one of the most important
• power of narrative therapy. Based on the this feature,
• narrative therapiest can use it with different approches,
• such as attachment therapy (Byng-Hall, 1998; Dallos,
• ), family systems model (Woodcock, 2001; Dallos,
• ), strategic therapy (Anderson and Bagarozzi,
• ) and solution focus therapy (Freeman and
• Couchonnal, 2006). Besides, narrative therapiest can
• work with a wide range of client groups with
• difŞculties, including childhood conduct problems,
• delinquency, bullying, anorexia nervosa, child abuse,
• marital conşict, grief reactions, adjustment to AIDS, and schizophrenia.
• Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal