Page 16 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 17
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In the interchange above the therapist is they are learning about their approach to,
curious about the thematic presentation of and perspective on life, and assists them in
disappointing events, the client’s response finding value-aligning alternatives. This can
of shrugging, and how the client may be provoke great ambivalence between safety,
using these behaviors to cope and com- pain reduction, and an orientation to thri-
municate. The effectiveness of the client’s ving within the kingdom.
strategies is explored to generate client in- C: I just want to feel better, to feel ok about
sight, which leads to the client’s schema of all these things I get distressed about.
the world. The therapist investigates this T: How do you feel right now as you name
schema by asking about the client’s contra- that you want relief from distress and
sting desires. In this short exchange, explo- shrugging?
ring ‘stuck disappointment’ moves to the C: I’m just so frustrated that everything
client’s perceptions and desires. goes wrong so much!
T: You want relief from disappointment but
Process 2: Emotion and Response Focus you also see how this world has so many
A second process the therapist can engage losses.
is a focus on the client’s emotions and re- C: yes… exactly. It just keeps coming—one
sponses, which helps illuminate unacknow- thing, then the next. I just hate it, it’s so de-
ledged grief/loss and how the client copes pressing.
with these feelings. To engage this work, the T: Depressing. It really weighs on you.
therapist can invite further exploration of C: well… I feel really stupid... I mean I
the most salient feelings. This requires hel- know things go wrong!? But I just want
ping the client to express the full meaning of something… to have something go right for
the feelings as they experience them in the me… to enjoy it!
present. Teyber and McClure (2011) make T: You feel stupid—like there is something
clear, “Simply allowing clients to be able to wrong with you that you long for good
have the feelings that are commensurate things and to enjoy something going right.
with what actually happened to them is a I can really appreciate wanting things to
lifelong gift to many” (p. 197). As client’s go well, to be joyful, to be OK. I can see
become honest with life in the Kingdom of why you would shrug and tell me about
God, loss is experienced more fully, and the it—wanting relief, even while knowing life
meaning the client associates with the loss keeps going like this.
is available for exploration. This work usual- C: yeah… I hate that I end up just talking
ly adds to the illumination of the client’s about it over and over, I know shrugging
primary Horizons. Building on awareness of doesn’t really do anything—But what else
the salient emotion, the therapist explores can I do!?
the full constellation of associated feelings. T: That’s a great question. You seem to want
For example, anger and shame commonly something other than how you currently
occur around sadness. When the therapist see and respond to this cycle of disappoint-
helps the client tolerate and acknowledge ments, shrugging, wanting comfort. Can we
each important emotion the client can of- explore that together?
ten then explore the actions and choices C: sure, I guess…
they make in the light of the emotion (Tey- T: I notice that you long for good things to
ber & McClure, 2011). This further illumi- go as you hoped—things to work out well,
nates Horizons and coping strategies. The to be pleasurable, even though the world
therapist can assist the client to notice and has shown you its far more unpredictable…
examine their responses, and the under- there is a tension between your hopes and
lying values and heart orientation. The the- the realities of life… what do you notice?
rapist supports the client to consider what The prior exchange provides an example of
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