Journal May 2026 Release_Full Edition - Flipbook - Page 37
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worlds of life …” (pp. 59-60). This repositioning is crucial to the reauthoring of all
of our clients’ accounts by animating narratives with renewed liveliness (Johnson,
2017).
In the following conversation, my client, Daniel, has worked hard to overcome
childhood trauma that restricted his access to his energy, feelings, preferences,
and sense of connection to the larger world. It’s just after Thanksgiving, and we
discuss joy and whether it’s an inside job, an outside job, or both. Daniel begins to
notice what might spark a sense of agency, vitality, excitement, and expansion.
Daniel:
When you said a flock of birds taking off, I thought of a color series of
cars. Blues, beiges, greens. It’s a style of color.
Lucy:
I love color.
Daniel:
This isn’t glossy, it’s muted… it doesn’t have the metallic part. It
reflects less light.
Lucy:
And the colors create a sense of appreciation or joy?
Daniel:
It evokes an emotion, a feeling of joy. That group of colors.
Lucy:
So expanding those emotions, hearing the two-year-old say ‘I love
you,’ the paint colors that stir the spirit… You’re starting to notice
more and more: that song on the radio, that recipe, a look from
Stacy, things the pets do. Before you know it, the world is becoming
more enchanted.
Daniel:
Right, right. It’s really helpful. Sometimes, a sentence in a book or a
story. I have to read it to Stacy. Almost, you don’t need the context.
Lucy:
Sometimes, you don’t even need the content.
Daniel:
There have been some sentences like that. Your bird thing reminded
me of a hill on the horizon, it looks like smoke, but it’s a flock of
Breaking the Frame: Aesthetic Encounters with Narrative Practice – Part Three
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, May 2026 Release, p. 25-51.
www.journalnft.com
