【Narrative Therapy and Community

Ⅰ. What did the writings offer?

This series extends the post structuralist concept from the previous series to the combination of folk psychology and narrative practices such as externalization, deconstruction, witness, collective narration, and introduces different auxiliary cultural carriers or sustenance that may be used on various themes, such as metaphors like the tree of life, music, daydreams, etc.

Ⅱ. Were there any aspects of the writings that resonated with your own experiences or learnings in different aspects of your practice? If so, in what way?

In Michael White’s introducing the emergence, replacement and revival of folk psychology, he compared the differences in personal understanding between folk psychology and modern psychology, and clarified some misunderstandings about folk psychology and narrative ideas. The whole paper highlights two important aspects in the combination of folk psychology and narrative practice, one is personal agency and intentional state, and the other is history and culture: the former is a narrative exploration of the formation of personal behavior and identity, in which folk psychology plays an important role in understanding the formation of multi-intentioned lives, joined lives, multiple authenticities and inhabited lives; In clarifying the understanding of historical and cultural perspectives in folk psychology, the latter part emphasizes how individuals participate in the understanding, selection and integration of culture, create and express personal life and identity, in which power and knowledge play a role, and lead to be specific from collective culture to individual experience. Therefore, these two aspects complement each other.

This core concept led me to understand the reading of this series, especially some examples provided by the authors, which impressed me deeply. For example, Paul's case first attracted me, because Paul is also a consultant. In his work, he found that he would be sensitive and afraid of some expressions and tones of men in heterosexual partners who came to consulthim. He was afraid that this personal issue would make him incompetent for the work of a consultant. Through narrative conversation, Paul understood that those fears originated from the relationship with his father, while the relationship with his mother provided some coping skills, experience and support, which are meaningful for him to work with his couple clients, so he can feel the clients’feelings better and discuss the relevant topicssmoothly. This case gives me an example of using narrative ideas and questions to deal with both the clients’issues and the consultant's own anti transference.

Ⅲ. How did/could you put the ideas in the readings into practice?

When reading this series of articles, I thought of the undergraduate graduation thesis "Confrontation in a Chinese family about the child's overseas study from the perspective of collectivism" shared by my client K (I mentioned in previous assignments who is the 23-year-old was forced and controlled by his mother). He used the method of ethnography, Taking the dispute and conflict between him and his parents on studying abroad and future career development as an example, this paper discusses the impact of Chinese small town culture on parents' upbringing and children's growth, and the strong conflict between the new generation's loyalty and responsibility to parents and the pursuit of individual growth. I think this topic not only has certain universality, but also forms a more extreme trauma in K's experience and feelings. If there is an opportunity to have more extensive discussion, or even introduce some external witnesses, it may promote the externalization of K's problems.

In a recent conversation session, I appreciated K that he output such a fluent writing thesis with clear point of view as an undergraduate student two years ago. The use of ethnography in this thesis just complemented my reading on folk psychology and narrative practice. I asked K whether he was willing to review his graduation thesis and reflected on what the current views would be alike and different with those in the thesis. K showed the rare pleasant expression, When it comes to the description of culture and tradition in this paper, it is quite fluent and clear, but it does not fully show the psychological conflict, which is the point he will retreat to repeatedly till now. I put forward the possibility of expanding the narrative in the article and finding appropriate channels to publish and share in similar young people groups or academic platforms. At present, the discussion of this possibility is still interspersed in our consultation.

Ⅳ. What differences did/could the ideas make to your practice?

These materials have a lot of inspiration for me in case understanding and follow-up work method exploration. I will try to practice the above ideas in the cases like K’s.

My another idea in K’s case is to invite K’s elder sister, youger cousin brother and cousin sister to act as witnesses in discuss and share experience, who are all suffering parents’coercion and control. I will propose it to K later.

Ⅴ. What questions and/or dilemmas did they raise?

I really agree that ethnic culture and personal agency complement each other in shaping people's lives and identities, so I will think about how to keep pace with the times in translation “folk psychology”to Chinese, and not ignore individual life experience and creativity while attaching importance to the inheritance of ethnic culture? At present, there are different translations like“民族心理学", "民间心理学", "大众心理学", "常识心理学" 等等. I personally feel “民间心理学” is better to cover both culture tradition and personal agency .It reminds me of the saying “masters are among the folk people”.

Ⅵ. In what areas did they spark your curiosity?

K showed interest in my proposal for thesis expansion, but due to the repeated emotions recently, he has not made clear action plan. I also hope to discuss specific plans with professors and fellows on our narrative learning platform to help him move in this direction, such as encouraging him to continue to expand his thesis, share and discuss the thesis through our narrative learning platform, Or can I extend this topic in our follow-up consultation or quote this case into my course paper with his authorization?