Journal May 2026 Release_Full Edition - Flipbook - Page 79
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Discussion
In this article, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time making the case that
unique outcomes are both a point of departure from the internal logic of a thinly
known story about life and entry into what I’ve called the understory, lived
experience that has yet to have been incorporated into the larger system of
knowledge that serves as meaning-making resources. The Understory metaphor I
call on is simply meant to be used as a device to assist therapy in its pursuit of
untapped resources from which to build alternative plots and new stories.
Furthermore, these points of entry into alternative landscapes of meaning are
obscure and easily overlooked and require a commitment from the therapy to call
attention to them by making them gleam. Michael White referred to these
gleaming expressions as “sparkly moments”. I am proposing that narrative
therapy, as a collaborative therapy, requires a commitment to using language that
vivifies these potential points of entry into unique outcomes. And I believe that
narrative therapists can spend time developing these skills in consultation with
each other as they develop their artistry in the way they ask their questions.
References
Baroni, R. (2015). Plots in life and fiction: A cognitive reconceptualization.
Književna Istorija, 47(155), 41–56.
Bateson, G. (1979). Mind and nature: A necessary unity. Dutton.
Carlson, T. S. (2020). Who is the outsider in insider and outsider witnessing
practices? Toward a theory of outsight in narrative therapy. Journal of
Narrative Family Therapy, IWP Special Release, 5–15.
Epston, D. (2018). In pursuit of goodness: Dignity and moral character in narrative
therapy. Journal of Narrative Family Therapy, 2018, Release 3, 2–26.
Lambert, J. (2024, December 31). Tiger-cats, sea squirts and beetles, oh my! Meet
some species identified in 2024. NPR.
Macherey, P. (1978). A theory of literary production. Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Animative Descriptions and Vivifying Discovery: Inviting Clients Into The Marvel Of Their Understory
Journal of Contemporary Narrative Therapy, May 2026 Release, p. 52-79.
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