Journal December 2025 Release - Flipbook - Page 104
102
seen, witnessed, and valued. I had the privilege of witnessing those different
versions of Quentin emerge in our work together. One such example follows
below.
Reclaimed strength: Unmasking the poetic self
Once awkwardness was welcomed as an active participant in our work, Quentin
began to make full use of this unexpected ally. Our work in therapy expanded
beyond Internalized Other interviewing to include metaphor creation, letter
writing, and poetry. What follows is Quentin’s own articulation of anxiety—an
expression shaped through the very awkwardness he once avoided but had come
to embrace in our work together.
Anxiety is like the ocean. There is a natural energy that is strong
enough to move me, it builds somewhere deep and comes in waves,
leaving precious moments of tranquility in between. Although some
are stronger than others, the waves are relentless.
As a child my first experience in the ocean was overwhelming. A wave
was strong enough to knock me over as I underestimated its power. I
went under and had a strange feeling of being totally out of control. I
did my best to right myself, finding the surface and taking a gasp of
air. I discovered, however, the ocean did not wait for me to collect
myself. It rudely slapped me again, knocking me back under. I quickly
learned that the surf is unforgiving and unkind to inexperienced
swimmers. I retreated to shore to ponder the natural force I had just
come face-to-face with. I was intimidated.
Anxiety is like the ocean. It comes in and then washes away. It is not
kind to newcomers. It is unforgiving to those who don’t know how to
co-exist with such a natural force. Many avoid it at all costs, the risk
too much to bear. But there are a few thrill seekers among us who
throw caution to the wind, and brave this formidable force. They can
be found hanging 10 toes off the front of their surfboard, or down in
the depths among the sharks. Either way, there are more than a few
enlightened individuals who know that a new world awaits, if we
learn to ride the wave.
In the Company of Awkwardness: Counterstorying Toughness in Therapy
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, December 2025 Release, p. 88 -106.
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