Journal May 2026 Release_Full Edition - Flipbook - Page 23
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made me so much more curious about young people and their skills.
It seemed important to Darnell’s preferred story that his Strength Against Trouble
was told and retold, remembered and celebrated over the years. Not only did this
alternative story about Darnell grow and thrive in primary school, but it also
carried over into other areas of his life. He became a focused high school student,
a mentor to his cousins, and a tutor for his grandmother. His journey is an
example of how alternative stories can recruit new audiences and new contexts
over time.
If I knew then what I know now.
I have learned that there are many different directions therapy conversations can
take. In my initial naïve approach with Darnell, I chose one and explored that. But
upon reflection over the years, I’ve come to realize that we could have taken
other forks in the road. I think about what we might have talked about. Directions
that still have me feeling curious about the expanding story of Darnell and his
Strength Against Trouble. Here are a few examples:
I would have liked to explore further the importance Darnell put on Strength. I
approached him to access something meaningful to him (his physical strength)
and asked him to use Strength in a helpful way. He claimed his Strength and saw
value in using it for good. I would want to explore the history of this Strength and
other ways he may have used it to help. I wish I had asked him:
“When did you first begin to see yourself as a strong young man?”
“Who else might have noticed this strength of yours?”
“What do you think they noticed that told them you have strength?”
“What ways did you build on your strength?”
“How do you think your strength has helped you to become the young man you
are today?”
“It’s Taken Care Of”: A Collaborative Effort by a Student and a Teacher to Keep Trouble out of the Classroom
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, May 2026 Release, p. 9-24.
www.journalnft.com
