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I was using what he said, the environment of the garden, his bravery, and turning
him into a tiger with his father as his supporter and bravery-giver as well. They
would go out every night after his dad came home from work and put on the tiger
masks, which they made together, which was very important. They tore around
the garden, screaming and grumbling and chasing away the worries. Mum told
me this morning that he had found these masks in a drawer the other week, and
he pulled them out and hung them on his bedroom door. This was six months
later, which is quite a long time in a five-year-old9s life.
LR: In the case of this brave little boy, what were his moral qualities; his virtues
that you were able to tap into?
KAY: I had interviewed them extensively about his wonderfulnesses, and there
were so many. When I have a child in the room, I will sit on the floor with them
and I will draw pictures of what the parents are talking about to bring it to life.
This child was a great listener and, of course, very brave, which was the key thing.
They gave me some wonderful examples, like he was very good at trying new
things and had no limitations in what he was willing to give a go to. It was the
bravery that I zoned in on and knowing that he would probably give this a go
because he always gave things a go, especially his love of tearing around and
being outside in the garden.
LR: From what you’re saying, the more you know about a person, the more
useful the wonderfulness interview becomes because it’s a reservoir of
resources that you can help the client tap into to stand up against the problem.
KAY: Absolutely. I take very detailed notes in my sessions, so I have that clearly
written down to refer back to at any point in time. You can always dip back into
the first interview for both of these if we need them.
Kay Ingamells on the Wonderfulness Interview in Narrative Practice
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, August 2026 Release, p. 94-110.
www.journalcnt.com
