Journal Potuguese Release - February 2024 - Flipbook - Page 31
30
D: Yeah, he doesn't drill holes; it goes through the head (erases jackhammer
drawing with white paint).
I understand that this attitude of Daniel concerns his authorship and he gradually
builds on his relationship with the problem. It's like he's saying, “Hey! This is my
problem!” There is a significant change in how he relates to exploring the
difficulties that brought him to therapy.
The separation between the person's identity and that of the problem does not
exempt them from facing the damage that this has brought to their lives.
According to White (2012), it enables them to assume this responsibility, and, in
this way, they are encouraged to establish a more clearly defined relationship, in
which a range of alternative possibilities becomes possible. And continuing...
T: And does he take advantage of some “little windows” to get inside your head?
A: I think it's when he gets jealous of his brother and when we go against him.
An alternative way of talking about the difficulties that permeate family
relationships is under construction without, however, pointing out the child's
deficits, and blaming him. Externalizing conversations, by objectifying the
problem, offer an antidote to internal and essential understandings of an
individual.
Building an Identity for the Problem
The problem, now named Ghost of Fury, is gradually discovered through a curious
investigation where I learn from the clients about their experience. The Ghost of
Fury is 1,000 years old and lives in every child's house for one year. It arrived
when the family moved from the city where they lived two years ago, leaving the
loving paternal grandparents. He feeds on people's anger and his favorite food is
“rage burger.” He lives in hell and other evil ghosts also live there.
Upon hearing Daniel's vibrant description, Aurora reported that the parents and
children lost their friends. The children separated from their schoolmates, from
the playground in the old house, and from the paternal grandparents' beach
house. She says: “Daniel always says it was my fault we moved here. He doesn't
like it here.”
The Bad and the Good Ghosts: A Story of Reauthoring in Narrative Therapy with Children
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, February 2024 Release, www.journalnft.com, p. 2446.