TECHNIQUES
The following are some reminders about "techniques" that have played a good role and become somewhat standard.
"Techniques in Re-evaluation Counseling are general summaries of what has been found to be helpful or workable in the past experience of other Co-Counselors. At best, they are general indications of workable processes to be used in a session and almost always need modification for any particular situation in a particular session with a particular client."
(The List, 5.255)
"The correct specific technique is the one you invent at that moment, for that client, that session."
(Quotes, page 25)
"If you even borrow, as a formula for the present session, what you did yourself last week, you've quit thinking."
(Quotes, page 25)
Broad and General
- Paying attention
- Listening
- Contradicting the distress
- Loaning confidence
- Putting attention away from distress and on reality
- Directions
- Repeating phrases (repeating a key phrase over and over)
- Allowing the client to rehearse the distress while being pleased with the client and unbothered by the distress
- Self-appreciation
- Validation
- Discharging on earliest memories
- Taking responsibility for everything
- Acting as our inherent, human selves
- Participating in rational activities
- Taking action now and discharging later
- Goal-setting
- Taking or offering a different viewpoint than the one the client had been holding
- Planning to live every moment well
- Strategizing for re-emergence
- Playing games
- Keeping client's and counselor's notebooks up to date
More Specific
- Commitments
- Frameworks
- Synopses
- Counselor contradicting the client's distress
- Client contradicting his or her own distress
- Contradicting different components of the distress (tone of voice, facial expression, posture)
- Taking a different role than usual in the recording
- Telling the story--early memories
- Making up stories, using fantasies for occluded material
- Scorning fear
- Over-exaggerating fear
- Expressing terror cheerfully
- "First thought"--flash answers Interrupting control patterns
- Checking for identifications
- Telling dreams
- Speaking to God or to one's "dear departed"
- Two people making lists of what each one wants in their relationship, etc.
- Early sexual memories
- Early memories about money
- Early memories of people with a different skin color, religion, gender, etc.
- Physical struggling with the counselor in an agreed-upon way
- Attention to the counselor (to the environment when client has little attention available)
- Random memories--factual memories, pleasant memories, little upsets
- Rapid review of related experiences Re-telling an incident of powerlessness in a powerful role
- Aware physical contact and closeness Appearing to "over-meet" a "frozen need"
- Taking just a small step out of a heavy negative feeling ("I'm not the worst person who has ever lived.")
- Standing guard
- For stutterers: have them repeat the one word they never stutter to enthusiastic applause over and over
- Exaggerated overagreeing with the content of the client's distress with a tone of great seriousness
- "I wish" for... (stating goals)
- "The generalized understatement"
- The exchange of roles
- The Reality Agreement
Working on Oppression
Oppressed role:
- Telling about the reality of the oppression
- Expressing pride
Internalized oppression
- What do you like about being a Wygelian
- what's hard about it
- what do you want others to understand
- what do you want others to never say or do again
Working on oppressor material
- Earliest memory of Wygelian
- Times you were effective as an ally
- Times you didn't stand up
- Caring about/closeness with Wygelians, making friends
Identities
- Taking pride in one's identity
- Claiming it, cleaning it up, throwing it out
Specific Techniques
- Telling about one's "loveliest love"
- "It's great to be female!"
- "Heh, heh" for embarrassment
- Taking the blame: "It's all my fault."
- "You and me, counselor, completely close forever."
- "I can."
- "I will."
- "I can and I will."
- "Why do you love me, counselor?"
- "All for one and one for all."
Harvey Jackins, Katie Kauffman, Diane Shisk
Seattle, Washington, USA
Last modified: 2024-07-16 03:14:41+00