Implicit hopes and dreams

The last session developed the idea that we have a key role in developing more positive perceptions of the partner's qualities and the partners motives.  In this sessioin we shall take this a step further by looking at how we might draw out the implicit hopes and dreams of the couple.

We shall look at narrative approaches to couple counselling as an illustration of this, as well as other approaches that draw out ethical preferences.

Our focus will be on the values and preferences for who we would like to be that are absent but implicit in couple distress.

Please place all reflections on session six on this page.

Michael White/ Narrative

Pre-reading:

The case of Liam.

Key article for the session:

Percy, I. (2007). Composing our lives together: Narrative therapy with couples. In E. Shaw and J. Crawley (Eds.), Couples therapy in Australia: Issues emerging from practice, Psychoz Publications, Melbourne.

Article is available here.

Please note that the references and further references are optional reading.  They are placed here if you wish to take the subject further.

References:
Michael White: Re-engaging with History. The absent but implicit. 

Landscape of action/ Landscape of Consciousness or Identity 

Further references:

(Please note I have corrected the link below, it is now working.)


The Absent but Implicit: A Map to Support Therapeutic Enquiry.



Core Competencies:

1. Able to take a de-centered position with the couple.
2. Able to map the influence of the problem on the couple.
3. Able to map the influence of the couple on the problem.
4. Able to identify the personal stories of strength the couple use to manage the problem.
5. Familiarity with the notion of the absent but implicit.
6. Able to draw out underlying preferences.
7. Able to draw out preferred views of the self.

Michael White, Introduction to Narrative.