Características culturales según Modelo Denison

As we are not at all surprised when a child has not completed a task, or better still, has come up with one of their own, we don’t ask about them when we next see the child – unless the child brings up the subject. Indeed, we don’t presume that the child will necessarily need another meeting with us so there is no notion about seeing a child for a prescriptive set of meetings. The child is asked if they want to meet with us again, and

Hitting a reef?

What will be your

first goal? When do you experience

life as being good?

What does a good life

for you look like? How do you experience

your situation today?

Arriving safely at the first harbour!

when – depending on how long the child thinks it will take them to complete the next step towards their solution. However, we are aware that many services/classes/activities that children may engage in, whether it is swimming lessons or a well-being programme, are structured within a specific number of meetings, it is not a problem;

when a child achieves their goals before all the sessions have been completed. The remainder can be used for consolidating success, or as a ‘bank’ in case of future need.

The format of second and subsequent sessions follows a similar pattern to the first one, with the conversation continuing to build on what has been going well and progress in realizing their goals, identifying exceptions to the problem behaviour and people’s solutions at these times. On returning for a second session the first question is to enquire ‘What’s better?’ Enquiring about what has gone well continues to build on children’s strengths, skills and knowledge in working towards their goals. This question also reinforces the assumption that children have the competences to achieve their goals. This is in direct contrast to the more usual ‘How are you?’ sort of beginning. Asking more general questions about how someone is, or what’s been going on can provide an opening for people to talk about everything but what has been successful. This would drag both you and the child into problem talk.

This belief in people’s abilities can be a very empowering and uplifting experience for a child. It is also recognized that this can be difficult, particularly when children are overwhelmed and consumed by the problem and experiencing difficulties in their life; however, we believe that focusing on the future and specifically their successes and making them more visible, however small, can have an incredible impact on both a child’s belief in their abilities to get rid of the problem or to manage it in a way that does not impinge negatively on their life.

This curiosity and notion that things are better also highlights that daily life is never the same. Furthermore acknowledging that change occurs outside your meeting with the child, and more so independently of that meeting, reinforces a child’s level of autonomy.

De Shazer (1994) suggested that the purpose of meeting again with the child is to:

• construct the intervening interval between sessions as including improvement

• check that the child sees what they did in the meantime as useful, inviting them to see things as improved

• help the child to figure out what they have done that led to the change so that they can see how to do more of

• decide whether the improvements are sufficient

• when no improvements can be found, work out how to do something different so as to avoid repeating what does not work.

When children begin to identify their successes, exceptions and strengths, an alternative and preferred story begins to emerge. A helpful way of reinforcing and strengthening this storyline is to provide feedback. One way of doing this is by providing the young person with a narrative letter covering what has been discussed. White and Epston (1990) found that one letter was worth four sessions, so it is worth finding the time make a recording.

Case example

This letter relates was written to 17-year-old Steve who had requested some support in discussing and managing his emotions in more appropriate ways. In an earlier session he had externalized these emotions as Annoyance.

Hello Steve

here are the notes from when we met on the 4 july. You shared with me that Annoyance has only showed itself on two occasions since we last met. You report that this is a great improvement. You also noticed that on two occasions Annoyance could have shown itself but you took back control. Respectfulness for your girlfriend’s mum and walking away were helpful on these occasions.

Steve, you also shared that you have been busy in the last week and also made a decision about needing and wanting to take some responsibility for what happens in your life. You have signed up to an employment agency, are sorting out your debts and generally making sure that you are filling your days as you have identified that when you are bored or feeling ‘I am going nowhere’

there is an increased risk of Annoyance being around.

On a scale of 1–10 ‘how confident I am with keeping busy (1 = no confidence, 10 = more than confident) you

scaled yourself at 6/7. You are a bit unsure at this time what needs to happen to shift you up to 8, but you will notice you will be happier. We agreed that whilst you are unsure what needs to happen to shift you to 8, you will look out for this and consider what will be different, but for the time being you will continue to practise at being at 6/7.

You also reflected on the progress of your life like being on a railway track. I thought this was a lovely way to picture things. You shared that to get on track and keep on it you need support and then you can push on, on your own. You also stated that more effort needs to come from you to keep on track. It was also recognized that you have a caring side that stands out and you reported that you don’t like seeing other people hurt and that you would prefer to look after them. You very quickly added to this that you reckoned that people would be surprised about these comments and your demonstrating caring quality, as it conflicts with the impression that you maybe give to people because of the significant presence, at times, of Annoyance in your life. This raised a conversation about how you wish to be viewed by people and what that then said about you, your hopes and choices for the future. Our final conversation touched upon your relationship with your girlfriend. Sally thinks that Annoyance is present in your life because of some emotional insecurity. You said that you agree with this. You commented that you would like Sally to notice your strengths more whilst recognizing that this was a two-way thing, and you mentioned that you are going to give it a shot of noticing each other’s strengths more.

We finished the session by you reinforcing that you are going to ‘fill my days, continue to make progress in my life and have a better standard of living.’

I very much look forward to hearing how things are going. See you soon.

jackie

Writing narrative letters is time-consuming and not necessarily the most efficient way of providing information for sharing with practitioners from other services. An alternative way is to use a recording structure adapted by Milner and O’Byrne (2002) to accommodate agency recording requirements as well as provide constructive feedback for the child. This format uses four sections: the problem description, exceptions and progress (what the child did), thoughts and solutions (how the child did it), and homework/tasks. Where necessary an afterthought can always be added. The most important part of making a recording of your conversation with a child, and for that child, is to resist editing.

You demonstrate your respectfulness by using the child’s actual words and metaphors, as you can see in Jackie’s letter above.

Case example