Check out my chapter Brief Narrative Practice in Single SessionTherapy: Some lessons from Michael White and others in the new book by Cannistra & Hoyt: Single Session Therapies: Why and How One-at-a-Time Mindsets Are Effective. This chapter is a complimentary chapter to Chapter 17 Developing Concepts for Living in my book Brief Narrative Practice in Single-Session Therapy. It provides a vignette highlighting the co-development of the concept of self-control with a child and foster care-giver. With play as the vehicle for learning, we explore the concept through one of my favorite activities- the remote control game.
“Gadamer (In Grondin 2002) notes the indication that a concept is understood and useful to someone is if it’s demonstrated cognitively (I get it), linguistically (I can put it into words), and practically (I can apply it). This highlights the importance of performance through experiential activities. Activities assist with concept development and the enactment of the preferred story-in-the-making. I use several multi-modal play-based activities to assist with concept development with children and their caregivers in a single session of therapy. These activities allow for the development of or further development of concepts that assist children and their families to navigate their predicaments following our time together.”
The book overall is divided into three sections covering mindset, implementation and application, and techniques and practices. It showcases a diverse collection of how SST is shaping service pathways around the world in profound ways. It’s another important addition to the literature and will be a welcomed addition to your library. Congratulations to the editors and contributors.