In this mock therapy session that involved the exploration of the client's deteriorating relationship with her husband, I utilized the approaches and practices of narrative therapy and solution-based therapy. My objectives in integrating these therapeutic approaches were to: a) establish a collaborative and horizontal relationship with my client (Freedman & Combs, 1996, p. 277); b) help my client create alternative solution-focused "stories" that would enable her to move on with her lives in new directions (Freedman & Combs, 1996, p. 16). The remainder of this presentation will highlight how I applied these therapeutic approaches to this mock therapy session.
At the start of this session, I followed the ethics of narrative therapy, as advocated by Freedman and Combs (1996), by situating myself in the therapeutic relationship and creating a transparent environment. Instead of presenting myself as an expert in my field with vast experiences, I revealed to the client that I was a student who was being observed by a reflecting team that will analyze the session and help me improve my techniques. Furthermore, when the client indicated her concern that I was a single man who did not have the personal experience of marriage, I assured her that I had some experience with married clients. Even more importantly, I stated that my limitations and my openness to her perspectives: "Being that you know more than I do, you can fill me in with anything that I am missing." Essentially, I wanted her to view me not as an expert with all the answers, but as another human being. This approach is in line with narrative therapy (Freedman & Combs, 1996, p. 275).
When the client revealed that her husband's poor manners were undermining her marriage ("He gets on my nerves a lot"), I utilized various types of questions used in narrative therapy to encourage her to explore her experience from diverse perspectives. First, I posed deconstruction ques...