In the 1950’s, sociologist Clyde Kluckhohn and psychologist Henry Murray pointed out that “Every person is in certain respects like all other people, like some other people, and like no other person.”
You are unique, of course, but if you are an introverted person, you share other introverts’ distaste for busy social settings, preferring more quiet solitude where it is possible to focus.
What all our Stories have in Common
Like nearly everyone (except psychopaths), you have a measure of empathy for other people, and conduct yourself in ways that generally tend to balance social requirements against your own needs. Everyone’s balance is different, of course, but the core feature of humanity – that we are social animals – is undeniable. Love, affection, acceptance, sex, food, sleep – all these common needs lurk in the background of the many-threaded story that got you to where you are right now – reading this page.
Did you wake up this morning and decide to change your life with a Google search? Did someone email you this link? What is it that is continuing to hold your attention right now? Where do you want to go with this? All of these elements are part of the story of your life, out of which today is a passing moment.
To understand the big picture of how you got here and where you are going, it is often helpful to think of your life as a book that is a work in progress, that you can edit to some extent in your mind by re-interpreting those more awful bits from the past, in such a way that acceptance becomes possible through understanding how something traumatic may nevertheless have meaning.
Like Fixed Role Therapy, imagining a different way of being within the context of a problematic story is a way of freeing up the mind from patterns that so far haven’t been working. The therapist collaborates with the client to co-create new possibilities that may open new doors. Personal Projects Analysis and Goal Laddering offer complementary means of understanding important values that may assist in finding a path through a confusing array of conflicting forces.
What can you Learn from your Story?
Consider for example a fellow facing something of a middle-age crisis, who has quit his mundane job as a photocopier sales rep to find a more personally rewarding career. Very environmentally-minded, he feels his skills as a salesman are not helping the planet, and at home, his job eats into family time. His life is at a crisis point, as he has already quit his job, and is feeling the guilt of not providing for his family and facing imminent financial ruin, as he has not been able to make up his mind about a direction.
Two elements of the narrative seem to jump out – family time, and a green conscience. On reflection, the possibility of becoming a self-employed sales rep for an environmentally-friendly home cleaning products line proved to be just the right balance between the problematic elements, and took advantage of his strength in dealing with, and selling to, the public at large.
Not all problems lie within the person. Narrative Therapy helps objectify the problems, understanding them as a confluence of forces that need to be balanced in creative ways. Naming a problem and identifying its effects on ways of coping is a first step.
Old ways of thinking are often themselves part of the problem, and accepting that they can be discarded is a big step towards finding new ones. It can begin with a personal sketch (but can grow from that to explore multiple possible stories, each of which requiring some change, whether large or small).
The discussions that are part of Narrative Therapy are as diverse as the people who seek it. Each person has their own set of rules, and discussion of exceptions is often needed to bring them to light, as they may well be unstated until their ill effects start to be seen.
Solutions become possible through what George Kelly would call 'Constructive Alternativism‘ – the assumption that all of our present interpretations of the universe are subject to revision or replacement. Narrative Therapy as core approach, or as part of a multi-pronged eclectic approach, can help you to re-write your own story.
Author: Dr Travis Gee, B Psych (Hons), MA (Psych), PhD (Psych).
Dr. Travis Gee is a senior psychologist who has been helping Queenslanders with a wide range of problems for over 15 years.
His interest in Personal Construct Psychology, Personal Projects Analysis, Mindfulness-Integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, narrative approaches and creative arts therapies inform his approach, which is aimed at finding the right set of tools for each client, given his or her circumstances.
Availability: Generally able to book an initial consultation within one to two weeks.
Fees: Please use the contact form below to inquire about current fees. Reports and psycho-legal work are billed at higher rates, please inquire with Dr Gee. Medicare rebates available with GP referral on Mental Health Care Plan. Check with your private insurer for coverage for psychological services outside of Medicare.
Appointments: To make an appointment please use the contact form below.
You are unique, of course, but if you are an introverted person, you share other introverts’ distaste for busy social settings, preferring more quiet solitude where it is possible to focus.
What all our Stories have in Common
Like nearly everyone (except psychopaths), you have a measure of empathy for other people, and conduct yourself in ways that generally tend to balance social requirements against your own needs. Everyone’s balance is different, of course, but the core feature of humanity – that we are social animals – is undeniable. Love, affection, acceptance, sex, food, sleep – all these common needs lurk in the background of the many-threaded story that got you to where you are right now – reading this page.
Did you wake up this morning and decide to change your life with a Google search? Did someone email you this link? What is it that is continuing to hold your attention right now? Where do you want to go with this? All of these elements are part of the story of your life, out of which today is a passing moment.
To understand the big picture of how you got here and where you are going, it is often helpful to think of your life as a book that is a work in progress, that you can edit to some extent in your mind by re-interpreting those more awful bits from the past, in such a way that acceptance becomes possible through understanding how something traumatic may nevertheless have meaning.
Like Fixed Role Therapy, imagining a different way of being within the context of a problematic story is a way of freeing up the mind from patterns that so far haven’t been working. The therapist collaborates with the client to co-create new possibilities that may open new doors. Personal Projects Analysis and Goal Laddering offer complementary means of understanding important values that may assist in finding a path through a confusing array of conflicting forces.
What can you Learn from your Story?
Consider for example a fellow facing something of a middle-age crisis, who has quit his mundane job as a photocopier sales rep to find a more personally rewarding career. Very environmentally-minded, he feels his skills as a salesman are not helping the planet, and at home, his job eats into family time. His life is at a crisis point, as he has already quit his job, and is feeling the guilt of not providing for his family and facing imminent financial ruin, as he has not been able to make up his mind about a direction.
Two elements of the narrative seem to jump out – family time, and a green conscience. On reflection, the possibility of becoming a self-employed sales rep for an environmentally-friendly home cleaning products line proved to be just the right balance between the problematic elements, and took advantage of his strength in dealing with, and selling to, the public at large.
Not all problems lie within the person. Narrative Therapy helps objectify the problems, understanding them as a confluence of forces that need to be balanced in creative ways. Naming a problem and identifying its effects on ways of coping is a first step.
Old ways of thinking are often themselves part of the problem, and accepting that they can be discarded is a big step towards finding new ones. It can begin with a personal sketch (but can grow from that to explore multiple possible stories, each of which requiring some change, whether large or small).
The discussions that are part of Narrative Therapy are as diverse as the people who seek it. Each person has their own set of rules, and discussion of exceptions is often needed to bring them to light, as they may well be unstated until their ill effects start to be seen.
Solutions become possible through what George Kelly would call 'Constructive Alternativism‘ – the assumption that all of our present interpretations of the universe are subject to revision or replacement. Narrative Therapy as core approach, or as part of a multi-pronged eclectic approach, can help you to re-write your own story.
Author: Dr Travis Gee, B Psych (Hons), MA (Psych), PhD (Psych).
Dr. Travis Gee is a senior psychologist who has been helping Queenslanders with a wide range of problems for over 15 years.
His interest in Personal Construct Psychology, Personal Projects Analysis, Mindfulness-Integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, narrative approaches and creative arts therapies inform his approach, which is aimed at finding the right set of tools for each client, given his or her circumstances.
Availability: Generally able to book an initial consultation within one to two weeks.
Fees: Please use the contact form below to inquire about current fees. Reports and psycho-legal work are billed at higher rates, please inquire with Dr Gee. Medicare rebates available with GP referral on Mental Health Care Plan. Check with your private insurer for coverage for psychological services outside of Medicare.
Appointments: To make an appointment please use the contact form below.