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We worked on the effects that the problem has on her life. There were many: the
problem isolated her, exhausted her, and prevented her from looking after her
children. However, there is one aspect that she described as positive: it brought
her closer to her partner.
We also discussed the pressure she had been under to remain strong in the face
of what had happened to her, which had encouraged her to suppress her
emotions. I could see that her family was kind to her, but there was something in
their religious culture that seemed to push them to accept life's trials as God-sent,
which she did not fully agree with.
I realised that 8unexplained anxiety9 was beginning to take hold as I was falling
into the same trap. I tried to thwart her tactics with questions, trying to help
Sandrine take a stance on the effects by looking for exceptions. But Sandrine
arrived at our next appointment saying that things were even worse. The problem
persisted, creeping in like poison, making me believe that it was poison and that it
would drive her mad.
What I noticed and found significant was that Sandrine always brought her water
bottle with her. I had observed this because I always offered her a glass of water,
which she declined, placing her water bottle next to her.
I had several intentions in mind as I worked with her. The first was to help
Sandrine feel that I acknowledged her problem and the pain associated with it.
What she was feeling should not be ignored. Another intention was to find the
beginning of a counter story, a resistance to this problem, to bring her back to
shore, a metaphor often used by Catherine and one that I really like. I didn't want
to plunge her back into that anxiety during our sessions and, above all, I didn't
want to get caught up in the game of unexplained anxiety.
Part 3 – Applying Insider Witnessing Practice to this situation (Catherine)
When Sophie talked about the situation to the supervision group, I was struck by
her concern that she was going round in circles. She even felt that things had
gotten worse for Sandrine between the first and second sessions. But I knew what
I Could See Myself in Her … Practising Insider Witnessing in Supervision
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, August 2026 Release, p. 111-135.
www.journalcnt.com
