Reply to 2 classmates for each forum. You must explain briefly (200-250 words) why you agree or disagree with your classmate’s view. Your replies must be in response to classmates who answered a different question than you and significantly add to the discussion. Include a biblical worldview. You are required to include at least one reference in each reply. Remember to use APA formatting.

Classmate Susan: Qt 3: What happens in the next session to achieve goals of NT?

The end goal for Narrative Theory (NT) counselors is to tear down a client’s current story replete with problems and to journey along side the client in re-authoring a story that the client desires (Murdock, 2017).  The narrative that is preferred is what is called a unique outcome (Murdock, 2017).  For example, Jim points out to Helen that she is adamant that Nagging Dissatisfaction has no place in her role as an attentive mother (Pearson, 2019). He spends considerable time asking her questions why that is the case, thickening the plot of a unique outcome. Jim then confirms if the way Helen mothers is what Helen would consider her preferred story (Pearson, 2019). Jim and Helen have already begun the re-authoring conversation.

Jim wrote a “readiness latter” to Helen that summed up their last session and asked her how he can assist her as she creates her new story. He also eluded to the possibility of getting others involved who can support her preferred story (Pearson, 2019). 

The next session will most likely involve scaffolding. Now that Helen has distanced herself through externalization, she has a different perspective about the dominate story and is able to see perhaps more objectively and perhaps see more possibilities to her re-authored story (Murdock, 2017). Scaffolding’s purpose, according to White (as cited in Murdock, 2017), is the collaborative process of creating a personal initiative, creating a description of the effects of the unique outcome, evaluating the effects, and the client justifies the evaluation. Jim may continue to use relative influence questioning to reinforce unique outcomes (Murdock, 2017). By doing this Jim facilitates the “process of promoting an alternative story that might relate to strength-based behaviors” (Van Dyke, Jones, & Butman, 2011, p. 370). Additionally, Jim may use Landscape of Action and Landscape of Identity questions (White (2007) as cited in Murdock, 2017). This requires Helen to brainstorm outcomes in a time sequence and then reflect on what the re-storying might look like (Murdock, 2017). 

References

Murdock, N.L. (2017). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: A case approach (custom       package) (4th ed.). Upper Saddle Creek, NJ: Pearson. 

Pearson (Producer). (2019). Narrative Therapy Session: Theories in action [Video file].                            Available from http://media.pearsoncmg.com

Van Dyke, D.,  Lee, T., Jones, S.L., and Butman, R.E. (2011). Experiential therapies. In S.L.                   Jones, & R.E.  Butman (Eds.),  Modern psychotherapies: A comprehensive Christian       appraisal (2nd ed.) (pp. 291-345). Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press

Classmate 2: Victor

QUESTION:  In line with Narrative Therapy techniques, describe how the counselor externalized Helen’s problems. Why is externalization so important in this session? How effective is it with Helen?

In watching this week’s video session with Jim and Helen, it was interesting to see how he was able to take the phrase “nagging dissatisfaction” that she used to describe her situation to reiterate and externalize what she is feeling. Towards the end of the video, Jim uses an illustration of something familiar to Helen. He talked about the context of a story and how it applied to the plot or the interest of the story. He asked Helen if she understood what he was referring to and how the session had affected her. She expressed that she was feeling hopeful. In narrative therapy, helping the individual to view their problems from a different context or another part of who they are is often enlightening to their situation and offers them hope. Murdock (2017) states that when counseling, it is crucial to view the client as having multiple selves to see “self” across multistoried and how they relate with one another (p. 485). Jim showed the effectiveness of this part of narrative therapy as he allowed Helen to externalize herself from her present form of discontent. He allowed her to follow the storyline of motherhood, as a daughter, a wife, and within herself. He is elaborating on how she is making changes in each of these areas of her life. Jim was giving Helen the tools she needed to develop the externalization of “the problem” without taking action against herself” (Murdock, 2017, p. 497). This form of externalization is so vital because it helps the client to abjectly see how their problem can be altered by thinking of their lives on many different levels and by rewriting their story through their dialogue. Equipping the client to feel good about the many areas they are dealing with and showing them clearly how they are being helped and not necessarily harmed by what they are feeling. The word of God encourages us to accept ourselves and our stories. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:14, ESV). God created each of us with a story. Through counseling we understand by taking a situation and addressing it from the many hats that people wear, we can equip them to believe in themselves and to know “God wonderfully made them” and with His help, their story can be beautiful.

References

Holy Bible, Eastern Standard Version

Murdock, N. L. (2017). Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Case Approach [Pearson e            Text] (4th ed.). Retrieved from        https://etext.pearson.com/eplayer/pdfbook?bookid=101994&platform=1030&scenario=1            &invoketype=et1&pagenumber=199&bookserver=1&userid=&hsid=2de106d2b1317793            0eb985bb3c47860f&key=51512740224448417852019

Narrative Therapy. [Video file]. (n.d.). Pearson. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/21270572125/index.html?