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Sanghvi, Jill; Sawatzky, Donald
2024 Journal of Systemic Therapies
Research on autism in the past two decades has primarily focused on medical characteristics and psychological consequences. What remains largely undocumented are the lived experiences of autistic young people. The current study explores the skills and values of autistic young people in the Indian context from the first-person perspective. The inquiry was guided by narrative inquiry and dialogical narrative analysis, embedded in the social constructionist framework. Six autistic young people, between 10 and 18 years old, were interviewed; analysis of the results brought forth four commonalities of skills and values: (1) diverse understandings of autism; (2) understanding social situations, their own needs, and others’ responses; (3) thinking outside the box; and (4) helping and caring for others. Rather than having a diagnosis of autism labeled as a deficit, these findings open up possibilities for therapy work to look different by supporting people to hold on to their identity as autistic people.
Dey, Tama; Chowdhury, Diptarup
2024 Journal of Systemic Therapies
doi: 10.1521/jsyt.2024.43.1.26
Narrative practices can provide newer ways to engage with individuals and communities in suicide prevention. This study is a pilot project that examined the applicability of narrative ideas in developing in-depth interview (IDI) and focus group discussion (FGD) probes to explore the preferred identities of young people who have contemplated suicide in Northeast India. Narrative ideas were embedded during the development of IDI and FGD probes and tested on five participants. The data collection utilized an IDI informed by the “absent but implicit” map and an FGD that followed the “definitional ceremony” approach. The narrative therapeutic approach brought out the broader sociocultural contexts of suicide, identifying skills and knowledge that young people use to respond to issues and uncovering intentions, hopes, and values of their lives. The approach also unfolded their collective experiences. The study provides ways to support young people with experiences of suicidality in moving from problem-saturated identities to preferred identities.
Baldiwala, Jehanzeb; Shetty, Raviraj
2024 Journal of Systemic Therapies
doi: 10.1521/jsyt.2024.43.1.51
In this article we share our understandings of relentless hope; what it looks like when it is practiced and what that makes possible for people and communities, through stories that draw upon our clinical and community engagements. These stories provide an opportunity for those in the space of mental health, community engagements, and advocacy to reflect on hope as little actions that are performed in collaboration with others, imagination as a way to create and hold onto hope, and the construction of relentless hope as a collective movement.
2024 Journal of Systemic Therapies
doi: 10.1521/jsyt.2024.43.1.65
Fields of knowledge are constantly evolving. The postmodern turn in the social sciences and the influence of social constructionism have greatly affected the field of family therapy over the past 30 years. In this retrospective view of the evolution of family therapy, I examine some of the critical changes, including not only major theoretical considerations but also sociopolitical issues. I question the current state of family therapy education, and I further raise the question of how a postmodern, social constructionist, narrative approach can serve our students and our clients. I propose that not only situating ourselves in the epistemology that is shaping us but also maintaining a questioning stance that allows us to continually ask ourselves in what discourse we are standing will serve us well, not only now in times of uncertainty but perhaps far into the future.
De Jong, Peter; Healing, Sara; Jordan, Sara Smock
2024 Journal of Systemic Therapies
doi: 10.1521/jsyt.2024.43.1.84
This microanalysis study extends our understanding of how questioning works in a face-to-face dialogue. It does so, first, by testing the central proposition of McGee's (1999) co-constructive model of questions on a body of experimental data. It does so, secondly, by demonstrating how the questions and formulations (paraphrases and summaries) of an interviewer are skillfully interwoven in co-constructive sequences designed to invite the interviewee to construct ever more detailed understandings around a topic introduced by the interviewer in an opening and overarching question to the sequence. The implications for social constructionism and doing therapy are discussed.
2024 Journal of Systemic Therapies
doi: 10.1521/jsyt.2024.43.1.105
Single-session therapy (SST) is a kind of intervention that aims to maximize the effectiveness of each individual therapy session, which may often prove to be the only session. For this reason, it is essential to identify the goal to be reached by the end of the session. However, this may be limited by the lack of a precise theoretical framing for SST. This article will illustrate a framework known as “theoretical pluralism” within which the use of SST can be placed. This will be followed by the proposal of a possible mode of intervention that can help therapists answer the question: “How can I help the patient achieve the goal of this session?”
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