Career counseling for a mid-career woman: Combining Ericksonian strategies …shop.erickson.it/front4/Image/Products/RIVISTA__CO07... · · 2013-06-13Career counseling for a mid-career

Edizioni Erickson – Trento

InvIted ArtIcles/ArtIcolI su InvIto

Career counseling for a mid-career woman: Combining Ericksonian strategies and the Career Construction Interview. A longitudinal case study1

Career counseling per una donna nella fase centrale della sua carriera: combinare le strategie Ericksoniane con la Career Construction Interview. Un case study longitudinale

Jacobus Gideon Maree – Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria

Summary. This paper describes the effect of narrative career counseling on the personal growth of a mid-career woman. The participant was selected purposively from among a group of people who attended a training workshop and shared a similar background. The intervention involved combining Ericksonian strategies and the Career Construction Interview (CCI) over a three-year period. Data on the participant’s career awareness were gathered using observation, interviews, the collage, the life line, the life story, and the CCI. Following the intervention, the participant evidenced an improved sense of self and a more positive outlook on life. The use of the CCI together with the use of basic Ericksonian strategies presents psychologists with an innovative, exciting and non-intrusive way of administering career counseling.

1 Thisarticleisanextendedandupdatedversionofthefollowingarticle:Maree,J.G.(2012).Using«informal»hypnotherapyincareercounselling:BlendingSavickasandEricksonto«freetheangel, SA Journal of Psychol-ogy, 42, 156-168. PermissionwasgrantedbyMsFatimaSeedat,Manager:PsychologicalSocietyofSouthAfrica’soffice,forthearticletobepublishedinanItalianjournalwithavastlydifferentreadershipthantheSAJPreadership.

Correspondingauthor:J.G.Maree.Fax+2711 4205511.Tel.+2711 4202130E-mail address: [email protected],FacultyofEducation,UniversityofPretoria,0001Pretoria,SouthAfrica.

(pp. 143-168)Vol. 6, N. 2, Giugno 2013

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Vol. 6, N. 2, Giugno 2013

Keywords: Ericksonian hypnotherapy; Career Construction Interview; three early recol-lections technique; biographicity; narratibility; holding environment.

Riassunto. Questo articolo descrive l’effetto del career counseling narrativo sulla crescita personale di una donna a metà della sua carriera, selezionata tra un gruppo di parteci-panti a un workshop, con simile background. L’intervento ha incluso una combinazione di strategie Eriksoniane e la Career Construction Interview (CCI) per un periodo di tre anni. I dati sulla consapevolezza della carriera della partecipante sono stati raccolti uti-lizzando osservazioni, interviste, collage, life line, storia di vita e CCI. Dopo l’intervento la partecipante ha mostrato un miglioramento nel senso di sé e una visione più positiva della vita. L’uso della CCI insieme alle strategie Eriksoniane di base fornisce agli psicologi una modalità innovativa, stimolante e non-intrusiva per il career counseling.

Parole chiave: ipnoterapia Eriksoniana; Career Construction Interview; tecnica dei primi ricordi; biograficità; narratabilità; holding.

AlthoughmuchhasbeenwritteninternationallyabouttheuseoftheCareer Construc-tion Interview(CCI)incounseling(Hartung,2010;Savickas,1998,2010,2009a),lesshasbeenwrittenaboutitsuseincareercounseling,particularlyin(South)Africa.Furthermore,verylittlehasbeenwrittenabouttheoverlaporcrosswalkbetweentheuseoftheCCIandtheuseofhypnotherapyincareercounseling.Thisarticleattemptstoremedythishiatus.

Porfeli(2003,p.300)maintainsthat«agulfexistsbetweencareercounselingandempiricallybasedcareertheoryandresearch.Practitionersarguethatcurrentresearchistoofarremovedfromtheclient’ssubjectiveexperience,whereasresearchersarguethatpractitionersuseantiquatedinstrumentsandobsoletecareerorientationsinanattempttoresolvecontemporarypractice».ItwasSavickas(2006,2007,2008,2009a,2009b,2009c,2009d)whofirstblendedthepsychodynamicapproachwithdifferentialanddevelopmentalapproachestocreateanoverarching,elegantanduser-friendlyapproachtocareercounse-lingforlifedesigning.AccordingtoSavickas(2007,p.2),«itisimportantthatcounselorsfacilitatemeaning-makingastheyexercisenarrativecompetenceinvalidatingclientstoriesandapplybiographicalreasoninginpositioningthosestoriesin[a]socialcontext».

Orientation

Wagstaff(1991)andWatzlawick(1985)arguethatthegrowingpopularityofindirecttechniquesofhypnosistocomplementmoredirectmethodsisaresultoftheacknowledg-mentthatpeople’sexperiencecanbedirected.Theseauthorsalsocontendthathypnoticresponsescanbeelicitedwithoutanyformalinduction,andtheyaddthatdefiningclinicalhypnosisasaprocessofinfluentialcommunicationimpliesade-emphasisoftheneedforformalhypnosis(performingstructuredhypnoticritualstohypnotisepeople).

In conjunction with the above, it is common knowledge that whether or notcommunication can be classified as ‘hypnotherapeutic’, it cannot be assessed in a

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MAREE – Career counseling for a mid-career woman

dichotomousmanner(Yes-No).ALikert-typeratingscaleisneededtoassesswhetheranycommunicationqualifiesas‘hypnotherapeutic’.Ideally,communicationshouldbeassessedusingascalerangingfrom1to100,where1meansvirtuallynohypnothera-peuticeffect,and100meansanalmosttotalhypnotherapeuticeffect.Itisconsequentlynot surprising that all healthprofession and relatedpractitioners usebrief informalhypnotherapeutic strategiesand techniques to influenceclients,oftenwithoutbeingawarethattheyareactuallydoingso.ShamesandBowers(1992)arguethatinformalhypnosis,likeformallyinducedhypnosis,maypromotevariouscompetenciesinclu-dingeducationandcreativeskills.Yapko(1995,2003)andWark(1996)maintainthathypnosisisusedbynumerouseducationistsatalllevelstohelpstudentsrelax.Theseauthorsbelievethathypnosis(bothformalandinformal)hasaplaceineducationtoachievethetwingoalsofenrichinglearningandpromotingachievement.Studentscanalsobetaughtself-hypnosistoimprovetheirstudyskills,dealwithanxiety,enhancetheirabilitytofocusandtakechargeoftheirstudies.Itthereforeseemsimportanttounderstandwhat theconceptentailsandtotrainprofessionalsproperlyin itsusesothatbestpracticecanbepromoted.

Theremainderofthearticlewillconcentrateonthelinkbetweeninformalhypnothe-rapyandcareerconstructioncounselingwithaviewtoinvestigatingthepossibleplaceofthismodeoftherapyinthetheoreticalaswellasthepracticalpsychotherapeutictheoreticalframework.Iwillexplainthetheoreticalcrossoverbetweenthesetwoconceptsanduseacasestudytoillustratehowthecrossoveroccursinpractice.Iwillalsoprovideguidelinesontheuseofinformalhypnosisincareercounselingtofacilitatebestpractice.

Theoretical background: Ericksonian hypnotherapy

Bibby(2009,p.1)defineshypnosisas«awidevarietyofproceduresforinducingstatesofawarenesswhicharedifferentfromtheusualwaysofoperatingweuseineve-rydayactivity. In these stateswecanbe released frommanyof theconstraintswhichfocusourthinkingintheeverydayworld.Thuswecanhaveaccesstoprocesseswhichcanliberateusfrompreviousassumptionsandlimitations.»Bibby(2009)addsthatthehumanmind is able to revisit, reinvestigate and reconsiderprevious experiences fromdifferentperspectives:«Wecanalsoimaginativelyconstructbetterwaystoengageandmanagesituationswhichwehavepreviouslyfounddifficultorimpossible.Insuchwayswecanbreakthroughthelimitswelearnedbothconsciouslyandunconsciouslywhichpreventedusfromleadingfullerlives–andcreatenewcapabilities,beliefandconfidenceinourselves»(p.1).Ericksonpioneeredtheartandscienceofindirectcommunicationtopromotetheuseoflatentpotentialandenablinghealing(Battino&South,2002)and,asitwere,informalhypnotherapy.

Geary(1994)statesthatEricksonianhypnosisalwaysbeginswithathoroughas-sessmentthatidentifieshypnoticphenomena,theclient’svaluesandmajorlifethemes.Suchthemesmayincludeanycombinationofthefollowingandotherchallengesthathave

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tobedealtwithbytheclientandcounselor2:lowself-imageorself-concept;unrealisticperceptionoftheselforownintrinsicvalue;lackofassertiveness;sadnessordepression;insecurity;feelingsofrejection,inferiorityandinadequacy;notbeingacceptedbyothers;notfittingin;anxiety;notbeingunderstood;anduncertaintyaboutthefuture.

Themeshavetobeclarifiedbeforeinterventioncancommence.InEricksoniantermi-nology,interventionsare«vehicles»,examplesofwhicharedirectsuggestions,metaphorsorrecollections;reframing;elicitingortellingstories;rewritingthescript(apostmodernapproach); andcardoning (cognitive) restructuring (SouthAfricanSociety forClinicalHypnosis[SASCH],2011).Thesevehiclesmaybeusedeitherdirectlyorindirectly.Directstrategiesincludetriggerwords;ego-strengtheningstrategies;simpledirectsuggestions(suchas thoseused inaversion therapy,behaviouralmodification therapyandpositivesupporttherapy);andcognitive,behaviouraltechniques.

Indirectstrategies,ontheotherhand,couldbesubconscious.Inaplannednar-rative,atherapistmayemphasizecertainkeywords,whicharetheessentialsuggestions,forinstance:«Youwillbesurprisedtolearnhoweasyitcanbetorelax;howeffortlesslyyoucanallowyourselftopictureyourselfcalmingdownyourangryfriend».Metaphors,too,areawayofadministeringtherapyindirectly.Metaphors,whichformthebasisofclassicalEricksonianhypnotherapy,mayseemabstractandstory-like,but,whentheyarewellselectedandtimeouslydelivered,theymayresultinprofoundimprovement.

ThegoalsofEricksonianhypnotherapyarewide rangingand include short-termgoals(foraparticularsession),medium-termgoals(interimgoals)andlong-termgoals(theeventualoutcomethetherapistishopingtoachieve).Thefollowingexamplesillustratethesegoals.

i. Short-termgoals:Winningclients’trust,establishingrelationships,helpingclientstoacceptthetherapist,andmotivatingthemtoundergotherapy.

ii. Medium-termgoals:Helpingclientsexperienceacceptancebyothers;helpingthemcastofffeelingsofrejection;helpingthemtobeproudofthemselvesandtorealisethattheyaretheanchorpointintheirownlives;helpingthemrealisethattheyhavegrownandcontinuetogrow.

iii.Long-termgoals:Helpingclientsexperiencereducedlevelsofanxiety;helpingthemimprovetheirself-imageandrealisethattheirpreviousviewofthemselveswasunrea-listicandbasedontheirirrationalopinionsofthemselves;helpingthemrelax;helpingthemimprovetheirself-assertivenessskills;helpingthemenhancetheirself-image;helpingthemunderstandotherpeopleandtheirmotivesbetter;helpingthemacceptrealityandfunctionmoresatisfactorily.

Ericksoniantherapistsstresstheimportanceoflisteningcarefullyforrepeatedwords,phrasesorfiguresofspeech,whichmayshedfurtherlightontheclient’sparticularpro-blem.Geary(1994)andZeig(1994)bothemphasizetheimportanceof‘seeding’,thatis,renderingtheclient‘responseready’(Geary,1994)forsubsequentintervention.Inotherwords,anenvironmentandclimateiscreatedthatfacilitatestherapy.

2 Inthisarticle,thewords«counselor»,«therapist»and«careercounselor»areusedinterchangeably.

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Giventheaboveandforthepurposesofthisarticle,Ericksonianhypnotherapyisdefinedasastateoffocusedattentionthatfacilitatesinfluentialcommunicationbycounse-lorsaimedatenablingclientstofindadvicefromwithintomeetpersonalchallenges.Thiscanbeachievedwhenclientsareempoweredtotakeafreshlookat‘problems’fromastrength-andweakness-basedperspective:strongpointsarerediscoveredandused,andweakpointsareconvertedintostrongpoints.Byusingstrongandweakpoints,workable‘solutions’toproblemsareoftendiscovered(Olivier,1991).

Career construction counseling for Life Designing

Overthepastnumberofyears,severalresearchershavestressedtheimportanceofdesigningalifethatisexperiencedassuccessfulandsatisfactorybypeople(Savickasetal.,2009).Theseresearchersalsomaintainthatlivesshouldbedesignedinsuchawaythatpeoplecanredesigntheirliveswhentheircircumstancesandneedschangeandtheyfacerepeatedtransitions.However,inaworldcharacterisedbyongoingchange,uncertaintyandflexibility,thisidealhasbecomefarhardertorealise(Guichard,2009).Inthe21stcentury,peopleareexpectedtoholdthemselvesandtheirlivestogetherinthefaceofescalatingdiscontinuity(Savickas,2007).Theyareexpectedtobemoreself-sufficientbyrepeatedlydrawingontheirownadvice,whichcanbedrawnfromtheirownlifestories.Importantasinterpersonalcommunicationis,noonecanbetheultimateexpertonanyoneelse−theonlypersonwhoreallyknowshisorherownstoryisthatpersonhimselforherself.Counselorsareconsequentlyremindedoftheunwisdomofadoptinganall-knowingstancewheninterrelatingwithclients.Clients,ultimately,havetofindadviceorguidancefromwithin,buildontheirstrengthsandturntheirweakpointsintostrongpoints.Theyshouldthereforebeencouragedtowriteandperformtheirownlifestoriesasthiswillequipthemwiththenecessaryinsighttofaceanuncertainfuture.Notonlynarratingbutalsowritingone’sbiographyanddrawingonthisbiographyintimesoftroubleseemstobetheonlywaytofindmeaninginaworldthatisbecomingincreasinglydevoidofpersonalmeaning.Elicitingandbuildingonlifestoriesisthuscentralinlifedesigncounseling(Guichard&DiFabio2010;Savickasetal.,2009).

TheCCI(usingthethreeearlyrecollectionstechnique)isusedtoapplytheabovetheoreticalprinciplesinpractice.Thistechniqueisregardedbymanycareercounselingpractitionersasanappropriateassessmentandtherapeuticmechanismthatcounselorsandclientscanusetouncoveressentialfacetsofclients’personalityandlifestructure.AbriefdiscussionoftheCCIfollows.

The Career Construction Interview. Clients’goalsforcounselingareelicitedintheopeningquestionoftheCCI.Severalprimaryquestionsarethenaskedtoelicitnarrativesfromclientstohelpcounselorsgraspandco-constructtheirlifestories(Hartung,2007,2010; Savickas, 1998, 2007, 2011). In recognising clients’ present career concerns inrelationtotheirstagesofcareerdevelopment,theinterviewcovers,insuccession,eachofthefourfundamentalcomponentsofcareerconstruction,namelylifestructure,career

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adaptability,lifethemesandpersonalitystyle.CounselorsusetheCCI(Hartung,2010;Savickas,2009a,2009b)touncoversalientaspectsofaclient’slifestyleandpersonality.Theinterviewbeginswiththequestion:«HowcanIbeusefultoyouasyouconstructyourcareer?»Thisisfollowedbyfour(previouslysix)sixlifestory-relatedquestions,afterwhichclients’threeearliestrecollectionsareelicited.

Key facets of career counselors’ aims during career construction counseling

Creating a holding environment.Savickas(2009a,2009b)explainsthattheoriginalmeaningoftheword‘career’is‘care’andnot‘path’(itssecondmeaning).Parents(mo-thersinparticular),thehome,theschoolandtheuniversityprovidepeoplewithholdingenvironmentsearlyoninlife,buttheymusteventually‘hold’themselvesandusecareerasacarrierofmeaning(somethingthathelpsthemfindmeaningintheirlives)duringtimesoftransitiontopromoteasenseofcontinuityinafragmentedworld.

Facilitating narratibility.Savickas(2009a,2009b)assertsthatpeopledrawonau-tobiographicalreasoningwhentheymakeachangeintheirlives.Inotherwords,theyusetheirownstoriesto‘hold’themselves.Thisprocessisreferredtoasnarratibility,anditisaboutpeople’sabilitytosaywhotheyreallyare.Theextenttowhichpeoplecannarratethemeaningoftheirlivesindicateshowmuchofwhattheydowillmattertoothers.Acounselor’smainaimisthereforetohelpclientsnarrateandlistentotheirownstories.

Encouraging biographicity.Counselorshavetotrytobe‘useful’toclientsastheyidentifytheirlifethemessothattheycanuseworktohealthemselves.Savickas(2009a,2009b,2009c)coinedtheterm«biographicity»tosignifyclients’abilitytousetheirownstoriestonegotiatetransitions.«Biographicity»alsodenotesclients’capacitytousetheirstoriesasholdingenvironmentswhenlifeimposeschangesonthem.

Creating a sacred space. Savickas(2006)stressestheimportanceofmakingclientsfeelsafefirst−creatinga«sacred(safe)space»betweencounselorsandclientsbeforeclientsareinvitedtosharetheirearlyrecollections(their«secrets»)withthem.Thecounse-lorachievesthisaimbyadministeringtheCCI,and,onceithasbeenconcluded,thethreeearlyrecollectionsareelicited.

Use of early recollections: Brief theoretical background

Savickas(2006a,2006b)suggeststhatcounselorsaskthefollowingquestiontoelicitclients’earliestrecollections:«Iaminterestedinhearingthreestoriesaboutthingsyourecallhappeningtoyouwhenyouwereveryyoung».Allresponsesarewrittendowncarefully.

Earlyrecollectionsareprobedmainlytoelicitclients’centralpreoccupationsandproblemthemesthatemergeintheirresponsestotheCCIquestions.Therecollectionsoften

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reflectthesequenceofeventsthatconstituteclients’lifestories(Savickas,2008).Cochran(2011,p.5)maintainsthat«[at]best,oneormoreearlyrecollectionswillofferaprototypeforaplotoflifeandcareer.Perhapsmorecommonly,earlyrecollectionsofferfragmentsofalargerstorythatmuststillbecomposed».Whenpeoplereflectontheirlivesinanattempttouncoverearlyrecollections,theyareactuallyengaginginintrapersonalcommunication,whichPetroulakis(1984,p.45)describesas«apresuppositionforthedevelopmentofallhumanrelationsandcommunication».Counselorsandclientsworktogethertorecapturemissingpartsofthesestoriesthatmaybeusefulintheirattemptstoco-constructalternativestoriestoclients’‘problem-saturated’versions(Hester,2004,p.339).

Consideringthethreeearlyrecollectionstechniquefromaperson-centredperspective,Adler(1932)maintainsthatthereisnosuchthingas‘chance’memoriesandthatearlyrecollectionsreflectthestoriesofclients’lives.Clientsoftenrepeatstoriestothemselvestowarnorcomfortthemselves,tokeepthemselvesfocusedontheirgoalsandtopreparethemselves−throughrevisiting(drawingadvicefrom)pastexperiences−forthefuturewithaprovenplanofaction.Hecommentsasfollowsontheuseofearlyrecollectionsincareercounseling:«IfeverIamcalledonforvocationalguidance,Ialwaysaskhowtheindividualbeganandwhathewasinterestedinduringhisfirstyears.Hismemoriesofthisperiodshowconclusivelywhathehastrainedhimselfformostcontinuously:theyrevealhisprototypeandhisunderlyingschemeofapperception»(Adler,1932,p.144).

Explainingtheuseofearlyrecollectionsfromapsychodynamicperspective,Saul,SnyderandSheppard(1956),ontheotherhand,arguethataperson’searliestorfirstre-collectionsrelatetoisolatedandseeminglyfragmentedrecollections.Theserecollectionsusuallyprecedethebeginningofcontinuousrememberingandprovidepointerstoaper-son’skeydynamics.Arguingthatearlyrecollectionsshouldalwaysbetakenseriouslyandarealwayssignificant,theseauthorsconcludethattheearliestrecollectionsareprobablythemostpowerfulmechanismfordiscoveringandunravellingtraumaticeventsandtheirafter-effectsinaperson’slife.Sauletal.(1956)maintainthatfirstrecollectionsareso-metimesaccurate,sometimesdistortedandsometimesrandom:«[T]heyreveal,probablymoreclearlythananyothersinglepsychologicaldatum,thecentralcoreofeachperson’spsychodynamics,hischiefmotivations,formofneurosis,andemotionalproblem…itseemsthatthemajorunconsciousmotivationsselectthosememorieswhichfitthem,justastheinterplayofemotionalforceswhichgeneratesthedreamselectsjustthoseeventsandmemorieswhichfittheirneedsforexpression»(p.228).

Functions of recollections. Recollectionsareoftenusedintherapybycounselorsaswellasclientstomakeapointorsuggestsolutions,toassistclientstorecognisethemsel-ves,toseedideasandincreasemotivation,toembeddirectives,todecreaseresistance,andtoreframeandredefineaproblem(Yapko,2003).Hartung(2007)maintainsthatcareercounselorsusemetaphoricallanguageindramaticformandthenmovefromassessmenttointerventionbygentlyguidingclientstowardsreflectingonandinterpretingtheirstoriesinarticulateandinterconnectednarratives.

Importance of early recollections in career construction counseling. Savickas(2006)says about the significance of early recollections, «[t]he whole is in every piece». In

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otherwords,theserecollectionsserveasourpsychologicalDNAorfingerprint.Savickas(2009a,2009b)believesthatthesubconsciousdeliberatelychoosesrecollectionsthatareconsideredusefultotheclientatanygivenpointintimeandthattheywillthereforechangeoverthecourseoftime.Misleadinglysimpleonthesurface,theseunembellishedstories(recollections)are,infact,deeplyprofoundandcanhelpcounselorsidentifyclients’pre-occupationsandtherebyassistclientsin«activelymaster[ing]whattheyhavepassivelysuffered».Clientscontinuallyattempttomakeupforwhattheysufferedormissedduringchildhood.We,ascounselors,strivetobe‘useful’tothemastheyturntheirsymptomsintostrengthsfirstandthenlaterintosocialcontributions.

Purpose of the study

TheaimofthisarticleistoshowtheoverlapbetweenaspectsofEricksonianhyp-notherapyandfacetsoftheCCI.Thestudy,onwhichthearticleisbased,soughttofindanswerstothefollowingquestions.

a. WhatarethesimilaritiesbetweenusingtheCCIandadministeringEricksonianhyp-notherapy?

b. InwhatwayscantheCCI(usingkeyprinciplesinEricksonianhypnotherapy)contributetochangesinthelifeofamid-careerwomanwhoseekscareercounseling?

c. Howcancounselorsfacilitateclients’reflectiononandanalysisoftheirlifestoriesinsuchawaythatlifedesigningispromoted?

Method

Population(s)

ThepopulationcomprisesSouthAfricanfemales.

Participant and context

Theparticipantwasapurposefullyselected35-year-oldwhiteAfrikaans-speakingwoman(Olivia–apseudonym).Asaregisteredpsychometrist,OliviahadanHonoursdegreeinEducation.Shewasapart-timelecturerwhoinitiallyenteredtertiarytrainingtoearnextraincomeandtogainexperience.However,herexpectationshadnotbeenreali-sed,andshefeltthatshewasstagnatinginherwork.Shevolunteeredtoactasthe‘client’duringalivedemonstration(whichformedpartofacourseinEricksonianhypnotherapyin2011)ofhowtheCCI isappliedinpractice.Attheendofthistypeofdemonstration,threeattendeesareusuallyaskedtotelltheaudiencewhattheclient’sstorymeanstothempersonally.Theattendeesareremindedoftheethicalissuesinvolved:nooneisallowed,forinstance,toabuseaclient’sprivacyby,forexample,discussingthecasewithanyone

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else.Theselectioncriteriacalledforapersonwhoevincedaneedforcareercounselingandwaswillingtovolunteerasthe‘client’inthelivedemonstration(anelementofcon-veniencesamplingthusalsocharacterisedthesamplingstyle).

Mode of inquiry

Thestudywasbasedonaqualitative,interpretivistparadigminvolvingunderstandingandinterpretingmeanings.ThethreeearlyrecollectionstechniquewasusedtoaugmenttheCCIprocessduringcareerconstructioncounseling.Theinterventionincorporatedpostmo-derncareerfacilitationtechniques(Maree,2010,2011)toenhancetheinvolvementoftheparticipantinhercareerconstructionprocessandtofacilitateco-constructiveconversation.

Data-gathering sources

ConsistentwithSavickas’(2011)assertionthattheCCIwasneverintendedtobeusedinisolation(Barclay&Wolff,2011),especiallyinthecaseofclientswholacklifedirectionorfeelunsureaboutthemselves,anumberofdata-gatheringstrategieswereusedduringtheassessment(priortotheadministrationoftheCCI).Narrativedatasourceswere(i)observation,(ii)interviews;formalandinformal conversationaldatagatheredduringthe interactions between the participant and the counselor, which were recorded andtranscribed,(iii)thecollage,(iv)thelifeline,(v)thelifestory(Cochran,1997),(vi)theparticipant’sjournalinwhichshereflectedonherexperienceofthesession,and(vii)theCCI.TheCCIwasadministeredprimarilytohelpcraftOlivia’sself-portraitonthebasisoftheeight-stepsequencedesignedbySavickas(2011).Theinitialsessionwasfollowedbymultiplefurtherpersonalmeetingsbetweenthecounselorandtheparticipanttoclarifyanypossiblemisunderstandings.Inbetweenthesesessions,thecounselorpresentedanddiscussedcopiesofthetranscriptionsoftheirconversationstotheparticipantforpurposesofvalidation.Thisprocesswasrepeateduntiltheparticipantconfirmedthecorrectnessofthedata.

Data analysis strategy (Overlap between Ericksonian hypnotherapy and the CCI technique appears in bold)

Whatevertheparticipantsaysshouldbecarefullynotedandwrittendown.Thefirstverbusedisofspecialimportancebecauseitindicatesactionandhowtheparticipanten-gageswiththeworld.Thecounselorinvariablyrevisitsthisverbattheendofthesession.Newcomerstothistypeofcounselingareadvisedtofocusonthefirstverbasitrepresentsaconcretestrategythatcanprovidenovicetherapistswithsomestructureandbuildtheirconfidence.

Repeatedwords,phrasesor expressions shouldalsobenotedbecause theyofferimportantcluesaboutclients’ life themes.After theclientshave told theirstories, the

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counselorannounces:«Nowlet’spretendthateachofthesestorieswillappearintomor-row’snewspapers.Eachstorywillhaveaheadline.Eachheadlinewillhaveaverb.Iwantyoutowritethisheadline».Savickas(2009a)acknowledges,however,thatsomeclientsmaynotbeable(orwilling)tosharetheirearliestrecollectionsandmay,instead,prefertotalkaboutthingsthathappenedlaterintheirlives.Insuchcases,itisbesttoproceedwiththeselaterrecollections.

Duringfeedback,whichtypicallystartswithadiscussionoftheclient’searlyrecol-lections(‘secrets’),thecounselorpointsoutthatalthoughthesememories(therecollectionsorsecrets)mayseemsuperficial,theyarefullofmeaningandrepresenttheclient’sadvicetohimselforherself(pre-hypnotic suggestion).Thecounselorstressesthattheserecol-lectionsorstoriesreveallife-longthemes:«Itseemsyourfirststoryhasathemeofdeepdisappointment».Or,perhaps:«Likewise,yoursecondstorysummarisesyourmissioninlife,whichseemstobethedesiretohelpothers.Nomatterwhatyoudo,youwillalwayswanttohelpothers.Yousee,inyourcareeryouneedtodowhatyouhavebeenrehearsingallyourlife.Thatiswhoyouare,thatiswhatyouhavetodo(pre-hypnotic suggestion)».

Making sure that clients hear what they tell themselves: repeating clients’ own words. Clients’ownwordsandexpressionsarerepeatedfrequently(indirect suggestion)bythecounselor,andclientsshouldbepromptedtosaythesewordsandexpressionsoutloudbecausethemoretheysaythemoutloud,themorethewordsandexpressionswillbecomeauthentictothem.Whenclientsexpressfearoranxiety,forexample,theyareremindedthatthisprovesonlyhowbraveorboldtheyareforadmittingtheanxietyandthatonecanonlybecomestrongeratsomethingoneisweakat.

Observing participants: «The body never lies». Savickas(2009a,2009b)stressestheimportanceofobservingparticipantscloselythewholetime,notingbodilychanges,remarks,sighs,shiftsinthepositionofthebody,directionofthegaze,andsoon(showing subconscious respect).Inhiswords:«Thebodyneverlies»(Savickas,2009b).Bodilymovementsandothernon-verbalcuesareextremelyhelpfulin‘reading’participantsandbeingusefultothemastheytell,interpretandrewritetheirstories (reframing).Theseobservationshavetobeincorporatedintothecounselingandotherinformation.Counselorsmay,forinstance,wishtoverbalisetheobservationsinthefollowingmanner:«Youaresmiling/frowning/sighing»,therebyimplicitlyinvitingclientstoreflectontheobservations(suggestion).

Starting the feedback session. Counselorsshouldensurethatclientsnotonlylistentothemselvesbutactuallyhearwhattheyaresayingtothemselves.Inotherwords,counselorsshouldrepeattoclientswhattheyhavesaidandrefrainfromanyinterpretationthemselvessothattheclientscan,firstly,hearandinternalizeand,secondly,enactwhattheythemselveshavesaid.Inotherwords,counselorsshouldletthewordsechoinclients’minds(Savickas,2009a,2009b).Showingrespecttoclientsisofoverridingimportance.Counselorsshouldcontinually endeavour touncover the implicationofwhat clients are saying, and theyshouldthereforecontinuallyseekclarification:«Whatyouhavesaid–whatdoesitmeantoyou?DidIhearyoucorrectly?»

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Using metaphors to wrap up the CCI. Metaphorscanbecreatedquiteeasilywhentheunderlyingthemeofthepresentingproblemhasbeenidentified(Yapko,1995).Becausesymptomscanbeviewedasmetaphoricalcommunication,theyaretherapeuticintheirabilitytomatchclients’indirectcommunicationstyle.Metaphorshelpinaccessinghiddenresourcesandinsearchingforrelevanceandprojection(Yapko,1995).CounselorsmayconsequentlywrapuptheCCIbyusingmetaphorsthattheclientsthemselvesusedduringtheinterview.Examplesofsuchmetaphorsare:«Youareanawe-inspiringpaintingthatisabouttoberevealed»,«amagnificentpieceofart»,«abeautifulsong».

Creating a life portrait (Savickas, 2011)

Savickas’eight-stepstrategy(below)wasimplementedtocraftOlivia’sself-portrait3.

(1)Theclient’sgoals for career counselingaredeterminedbyconsidering theclient’sresponsetothequestion:«HowcanIbeusefulorofvaluetoyou?»

(2)Theclient’searliestrecollectionsareusedtoidentifyhisorhercentral lifeorcoreproblemorpreoccupationbecausethis«iswherethelifestorymetaphoricallybegins»(Taber,inpress).

(3)Thepeopletheclientadmiresmost(moreaccurately,whattheyrepresenttotheclient)areanalysedtodeterminetheclient’sself-concept,centrallifegoalsandpossibleso-lutionstotheclient’scentrallifeproblems.

(4)Theclient’sfavouritemagazine,TVprogrammeandwebsiteareanalysedtodeterminethesettingsorenvironmentsthatbestfittheclient’slifestyle.

(5)Theclient’sfavouritebookormovie isanalysedtodeterminewhether thebookormoviecontainsacharacterwhoisfacedwiththesameproblemastheclientandhowthecharactersolvestheparticularproblem.

6) Theclient’sfavouritequotesormottoes(hisorherself-adviceatagivenpointintime)areanalysed.

(7)Thedifferentfieldsofstudyoroccupationsthatmaybeappropriate(‘fitting’)fortheclientareanalysed.

(8)Aresponseisgiventotheclient’soriginalrequestforcareercounseling.

Inmultiple sessions, a self-portrait or future scenario is co-constructed from theclient’s stated goal for seeking career counseling.The career counselor connects theseeminglyunrelateddotscontainedintheresponsestotheCCI,andthenumerousmicro-storiesormicro-narrativesarewovenintoaconsistent,systematic,grandmacro-storyorlifeportrait(reconstruction),whichisreadbacktotheclientsothatsheorhecanauthorise(co-construct)thegrandnarrative.

The client is then requested to write a sentence summarizing his or her identitynarratives.Inotherwords,anidentityoravisionandamissionstatementisforged.Thisstatementmayreadsomethinglikethefollowing:«IwillbehappyandsuccessfulwhenIworkinanenvironmentwheremyworkandIarerespectedandwhereIcanearnadecent

3 Olivia’slifeportraitwasbroughtuptodateandpresentedinthisarticle.

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livingand supportmy family».Savickas (2011) recommends that appropriatephrasesfromtheCCIshouldbeusedtoconstructasentencethatsummarisestheclient’scentralnarrativeintheformoffutureintention.Towardstheendofthelastsession,intentionistransformedintoaction.Anagendaisnegotiatedforaction,andtheclientisrequestedtocarryoutthisagenda,afterwhichthecareercounselorisagainconsulted(ifnecessary).

Thenumberofsessionswilldependontheuniqueneedsandsituationoftheclient.Savickas(2011)andTaber(inpress)statethatalthoughtheindicatedsequence(seeabove)isrecommendedandwidelypracticed,careercounselorsshouldbefreetoemphasisesomeaspectsoftheCCImorethanothers.Theclient’sresponsetotheinitialquestion(«HowcanIbeusefultoyou?»)willlargelydeterminewhichfactorsshouldreceivethemostemphasis.

Trustworthiness of the study

Trustworthinesswasensuredthroughtheimplementationofvariousstrategiesduringthedatacollectionandanalysisphases.This includedcredibility(multi-methodstrate-gies facilitated triangulationandcrystallisation;peerdebriefingandparticipant reviewwerecarriedout);dependabilitywasensuredbyverbatimreportingofthedataandlowinferenceexplanations;confirmabilitywasensuredbyavoidingselectiveuseofthedata.Bysupportinginferenceswithsufficientevidence,transferabilitycouldtakeplace.Theresearchergavefeedbacktotheparticipant(Olivia)duringallphasesoftheinquiry,andshewasaskedtoauthoriseeveryfacetoftheinformationobtainedthroughoutthecounseling.Carewastakentoensurethatshefullyunderstoodtheintervention,andsufficienttimewasallowedforclarification.

Ethical issues

Measurestopromotetheresearchparticipant’swellbeingwereimplementedthrou-ghout the study. Informed consent was obtained, and confidentiality was maintained.Writtenpermissionwasgivenforthepublicationofthecasestudyonconditionthattheparticipant’sanonymitywouldbeprotected.Thecounselorprovidedwrittenfeedbacktotheparticipantduringallthephasesofthestudy,andtheresearchfindingswerereleasedinaresponsiblemanner.Attheendofthistypeofpresentation,threeattendeesaregenerallyaskedtotelltheaudiencewhattheparticipant’sstorymeanttothempersonally.Attendeesareremindedoftheethicalissuesinvolved:Nooneisallowed,forinstance,toabuseaparticipant’sprivacyby,forexample,discussingthecasewithanyoneelse.

Limitations and caveats

Althoughstepsweretakentoenhancethetrustworthinessandcredibilityofthestudy,thesubjectiveinterpretationofthecounselorcouldalsobeseenasalimitation.Furthermo-re,successfulimplementationofthestrategywillbeco-determinedbyanddependentonappropriateprofessionaltrainingofcounselorsinthenarrativetraditionandperspective.In

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addition,creatinga‘sacredspace’(Savickas,1998)onwhichthetherapeuticrelationshipbetweencounselorandclientcanbebuilt,first,seemsnon-negotiable.

Case study results

Readersmaywish toread theresponsesbelowanddecidehowtheywouldhaveappliedtheprocedureoutlinedabovebeforereadingmyexposition.

Responses to questions in the CCI (Savickas, 2009a)

Olivia’s responses to thequestions in theCCI (Hartung,2010;Savickas, 2009a,2009b)aregivenbelow.

a. Inresponsetothequestion«HowcanIbeusefultoyou?»,Oliviaresponded4:

«IseekadifferentperspectiveasregardsmychoiceofacareerbecausethefortiesareapproachingandIcomefromagenerationwhereonestillneedstohaveacareerandnotajob.Ifindmyselfinaconflictingsituation.WhereasIamcomfortablewiththetypeofworkIamdoing,thisdoesnotapplytowhereIamworking.Thosearoundmefeelnegativeabouttheirwork.WhatIfindparticularlyannoyingisthewholeideaof‘contractwork’.Ibelievethistypeofworkdoesnotmakeoneanyentityorperson’s‘property’(whichishowIfeelatthemoment).Everytimeforinstanceameetingisscheduled,Iam‘threatened’:‘Remember,youareonlyacontractworker…Youmustattend.’Tobesure,rightorwrong,Iamreadingthreatsintovirtuallyeveryutterancethesedays.Manyofmypreviousstudentsarenowgettingappointedinpositionsthatareseniortomine.Thismakesmefeelincompetent,powerless,andinferior».

1. Role models

Whomdoyouadmireordidyouadmirewhenyouweregrowingup?

«Hitler. (smiles)Hmmm…Iknowwhatyouarethinkingbuthisbigdreamwastobecometheworld’sbestpainter.Furthermore,eachtimesomebodyobstructedhisway,hedidhisverybesttoremovetheobstruction.Heinspiredpeopleandmadethemfeelcapableofrisingabovetheircircumstances.

«Mysecondrolemodelislinemanager.Heisverybusybutfindstime…alwaysfindstime(smiles)–thereisadifference–forothers.Hehastheabilitytoignorene-gativefeedbackandjustmoveonandfocusonwhatisreallyimportant.BythatImeanthatheignoresthenegativemessage,yet,stillrespectsthemessenger.

«Mythirdrolemodelismydoctor.(looks into the distance)Heiswillingtoallowfreefollow-upvisitsuntilhe(thedoctor)believesoneiswellagain.Itisrareforpeopleinprofessionalenvironmentstoreachouttoothers,instead,maintainingthe‘clinical’distance».

4 Theverbatimresponsesoftheparticipanthavebeenonlylightlyeditedtopreservetheauthenticityofwhatshesays.

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2. Magazines/TV shows

Whatmagazinesdoyoureadregularly?Whattelevisionshowsdoyoureallyenjoy?

(Sighs heavily)«IreadallthoseHouse and homemagazines.IbuytheWoolworthstriplepack(threemagazinesinapackage),whichusuallycontainsaHouse and home.Thechoiceastowhattoreadismadeonmybehalf;Icanjustsitandrelax.AtworkIhavetomakethesedecisionsmyself.Thesemagazinescarrytheweirdestarticlesandinthemostcreativecombinations.Unlikewhathappensatwork,whereeverythingispredictableandpre-planned,oneneverknowswhatisabouttohappen.

«NCIS.WhenIwaslittle,therewasaprogrammeonairwhichgaveoneallthecluestoacrime.Onehadtofindoutwhotheguiltypersonwas.WhenIwatchNCIS,itisalmostasifIamdoingthesame.Ienjoyfindingoutwhotheguiltypartyisbeforethecharactersintheplaydo».

3. Movies/Books

Whatisyourfavouritebookormovie?Recountthestory.

(Sighs)«She.Thisisthestoryofawomanwhohasbeenaliveforever.Everydayshehastoclimbanumberofmarblesteps.Sinceshehasbeenclimbingthesestepsforages,theyhavebecomewornoutovertime.This,morethananything,showsherper-sistenceandself-discipline.Sheisjustalwaysthere.PeoplecomeandgoinherlifebutShealwaysremainsthesame.Peoplehavetoadapttoher.(Smiles:IhearwhatIhavejustsaid!)Shewillnotadapttoothers.(Everybodyreferstoheras‘She’).

«Dexter.Dexterisaserialkiller,buthecommitsmurdersonpurpose.Afterafewshows,oneendsuponhisside,afraidthathemightbecaught.WhatdrawsmetohimisthefactthatIalmostfeelguiltybecauseIdonotabhorhimbeingaserialmurderer.Infact,ineverynewepisodeItrytofindsomethinggoodinhim;somethingwhichactsasanexcuseforhisbehaviour».

4. Mottos

Whatisyourfavouritesayingormotto?Recountasayingyourememberhearingorcreateyourown.

«Lifeisforliving».«Lifeisnotmeasuredbythenumberofbreathsyoutakebutbythemomentsthat

takeyourbreathaway».«Keeponbelieving».

5. Play/Leisure

Whatdoyouliketodowithyourfreetime?

«Firstly:Imarkstudents’scripts.(smiles wryly, looks at the counselor questioningly)«Secondly,Ilovetospendtimewithmyfamily.Thatisexactlytheproblem:Ihavea

verylargefamily;manyofmyfamilymembersaremybestfriends.Theyarealmostlikeacaptiveaudience…myfamilyunderstandswhenIinformthemthatIcannotforinstanceaccompanythemfortheweekend,theydon’trejectme,instead,theystillremainfamily».

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6. School subjects

Whatwereyourthreefavouritesubjectsinjuniorhighschoolandhighschool?

«MyfavouritesubjectsatschoolwereEnglish,AfrikaansandGerman.Ihavealwaysfeltthatoneneednotstudyforlanguages;youneedtobealertinclassandreadasmanybooksaspossible.Forexample,whenthepoetryorproseisdiscussed,youhavetomakesureyoulistenandunderstandwhattheteacheristryingtoconvey.

«Mythree least favouritesubjectsweredefinitelyAccounting,PhysicalScienceandMathematics.AsthecherryontopwegotaveryyoungteacherinGrade12whoseemedtobemoreinterestedinthefirstrugbyteamthaninledgers!

«Mathematics.(sighs)WhenIlookbackIcan’tunderstandwhyIdidnotlikeitmore.Itcontainsmuchlogicandonceonegraspsaconceptmostoftheworkisdone.But,tobetotallyhonest,whenoneisatschoolonehastoatleastsayonehatesMathematicsifoneistohaveanyhopeoffittingin».

Olivia’s three earliest recollections

Oliviasharedthefollowingthreestorieswithhercounselor.

1. Toys flee careless young girl«Iwasthreeyearsoldwhenthishappened.Iwokeuponemorninghearingmy

mothertalkingtomyfatheraboutmytoys,muted,butloudenoughformetohear.Iwenttothekitchenandsheinformedmethatmytoyshadrunaway.Iwentthroughthegardenretrievingtoysstuckinthefenceandhalfwayuptrees.ApparentlytheywantedtorunawaybecauseIdidnotpickthemupafterplayingwiththem».

2. Forlorn young girl left stranded«Irememberaday(Iwasfouryearsoldatthetime)whenmyfatherandIwere

drivingfromhospitaltohospitalandfromtoclinictoclinicinneighbouringtownstofindmymother(whohadbeentakenawaybyhelicopter).(Wewerelivinginasmalltownwithonlyoneclinicat thetime.)Westoppedateachfacility toenquire if thehelicopterwithmymotherinithadlandedthere.Ittookusalongtimeandwhenwefinallyreachedtherighthospital(inotherwords,thehospitaltowhichmymotherhadbeentakentogivebirthtoherchild),wewereinformedthatmybrotherhadbeenborn.However,Iwasnotallowedtoseehim.

«ThiswasthefirsttimeeverIhadbeenleftalone.Myfatherhadtoleavemebehindwhenheenteredthehospital».

3. Teacher’s fiancée helps young woman expose teacher’s mask«Iwassevenyearsoldatthetime.IhatedschoolbutonedayIwentthereandwas

surprisedtomeetanewteacherthere.Whereasmyteacheralwaysyelledandshrieked,shewasdifferentonthatday…becauseherfiancéewasthere.Myteacher’sfiancéehadflowntoCapeTowntovisither,sohecametoschoolonthatday.Hereadusstories,allthetimedoingthedifferent,funnyvoices.Weplayedoutsidealotanddidmanyfun

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thingswehadneverbeforedoneatschool.(shakes her head, looks at the counselor pensively and continues in a measured tone)«ThatwasthedayIlearnedaboutmasks,falsenessandhowpeoplemisleadothers».

Feedbackcommencedwithadiscussionandanalysisofthethreeearlyrecollections.

Analysis of the three early recollections

(Olivia’sown–albeitelicitedandfacilitated–reflectionsonherstoriesfollowbelowbetweeninvertedcommas).

Olivia’sresponsetotheinitialquestion(andthedisappointmentsheexpressedaboutherworkingenvironment)revealshercurrentproblemaswellasherplanforsolvingtheproblem.Sheisseekingadifferentperspectiveonherchoiceofacareer.Sheknowsthatsheisgrowingolder(approachingherthirties)andrealizesthatshehaslittleoptionnowbuttofindpermanentemploymentinanatmospherewhereshewillfeelvalued,safeandfreeoftheconflictsheiscurrentlyexperiencing(aholdingenvironment).Atpresent,shehasonlya«job»andnotacareer(whichiswhatshedesperatelywants).The«typeofwork»sheisdoingisnottheproblem;itistheworkingenvironmentthathasbecomeintolerable.

Olivia’sfirst memory (ofparentswhohad indirectlyreprimandedherabouthertoys,whichshehadtrustedunconditionallyandwhichhad«runaway»)isunderstandable:becauseshewas«respectfullyandindirectlyreprimanded»(a central life problem)earlyinherlife,sheisanxioustoobtainhonest,respectfulguidelinesfrompeopleshecantrust(asshetrustedherparentsatthetime).Atpresent,shefeelsthatthepeoplesheshouldhavebeenabletotrustabouthercareerpathhavemisledher.«IalsorealisethatIwasrejected(another central life theme)bymy‘trustworthy’toys.Theyleftme,Ineverleftthem.Thisisstillthecasetoday.EachtimeIdonotdowhatisdeemedperfectlyright,peoplethatIshouldhavebeenabletotrustturntheirbackonme».

Olivia’sfirstverbis«wokeup».Sheisalmostinahaze,thatis,sheisinasleep-likestate,paralysedasitwere,«functioningbutnotliving».Thisiswhysheisconsultingthecounselor.Feelingrejectedandbetrayed,sheisuncertainaboutthefuture,andhertrustinpeopleisvirtuallynon-existent.Shejustdoesnotknowhowtoengagewiththecareerworldandmoveforward.Yet,heradvicetoherselfistowakeupandtochangethedirectionofherlife.WhileOlivianarratedthesestories,thecounselorrepeatedthekeyphrasesandclarifiedthemeaningofthewordsandexpressionssheusedtoensurethatshelistenedtoherselfcarefullyandactuallyheardherselfsayingwhatshewastryingtosay.Inotherwords,hefacilitatednarratibility.

Whenaskedtoreflectonthesecondstory,Oliviacommentedasfollows(She looks broodingly into the distance):«Iamjustasmall,insignificantcoginaverybigmachine.Nowarmth,norespectformycontribution,novalueisgiventogettingtoknowtherealperson.Similarlytowhathappenedinmystory,itisasifIhavereachedtheplacewhereIwassupposedtogobutnowIamnotallowedtoenter.Thefeelingofbeing‘justnotgoodenough’seemstobeanintegralpartofwhoIam.Onceagain,Iamleftalone,notallowedtoenter».

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Clearly,uncertainty,aswellasfeelingsofanguish,isolation,andangerhauntOlivia.Shecannotseeherselfcarryingoninthesecircumstancesmuchlonger:«Iamatamajorcrossroadsrightnow».

Hersecond storythusconfirmsthedisappointmentshefeltwhenshelookedeve-rywhereforhermother(aholdingenvironment)onlytodiscoverwhensheeventuallyfoundherthatshewasnotallowedtoseeher.Hergrowingconcernthathercurrentworkingenvironmenthasfailedtoprovideherwithaholdingenvironment,asecurefuture,careerandlifeidentityisconfirmed.Afterseekingsecurityinhercurrentenvironmentforsolong,shenowfeelsinsecureandatacrossroads.

Whenaskedtoreflectonherthird story,Oliviacommentedasfollows:«Istillenjoymeetingnewpeople,goingintoaroomwithstrangersandtakingthetimetoreallygettoknowthem.Tryingtoseewhotheyreallyare,wantingtomeetnotonlythemasksinfrontofme,buttherealpeoplebehindthem.Ilovestandingtothesidefromtimetotimeandjustobservingthepeopletoseehowtheyinteractwiththosearoundthem.Comparinghowtheytreateachotherandthecomparisonofhowtheytreatme.LookingatthedifferenceinwhattheysayabouteachotherincomparisontowhattheysaytoeachotherseemstobealmostagamethatIcan’tstopmyselffromplaying».

«Ioftenpondermyownmask.WhoamIreally?WhatdoIneedtoportraytofitin?Whatwillhappenifthemaskslips?FormethemeasureoftruefriendshipisfindingthepeoplewhereIcantakemymaskoffandsharingtherealmewiththem.ThroughthisnarrativeenquiryIamcurrentlyworkingtowardsfindingasafehavenwherethemaskwillnotbenecessary».

Oliviastillhashopeforthefuture,butitwillhavetobeafutureinanenvironmentwhererelationshipsaregenuineratherthansuperficial−wherepeopledonotfeeltheneedtohindbehindmasks. Inotherwords,wherepeopleare real, true,caring,empathetic,fun-lovingandsincere.

Oliviaalsobelievesthatthetimehascometobehonestwithherself.Towakeup,sotospeak,ifsheistostandanychanceofrealisingherdreamof«findingpermanentemploymentinanatmospherewhereIwillfeelvalued,safeandwithouttheconflictIamcurrentlyfacing».Asincere,caringhumanbeing,Oliviaisdesperatelyinsearchofaholdingenvironmentwhereshe,inturn,canholdothers.

Discussion of the CCI responses

Virtuallyeveryanswertothequestionsaskedinthecourseofthelife-storyinterviewsupportsthehypothesesdiscussedintheprecedingparagraphs.

Role models

Herrolemodels(Hitler,herlinemanagerandherdoctor)confirmhercentral life goalandherenvisagedsolutiontohercentrallifeproblem:shewantstoexcelinherwork;

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shewantsamorecreativeworkingenvironment;shewillnotacceptdefeatbutwillstrivetoovercomechallengesandinspireothers(Hitler).Sheisalsosearchingforaworkingenvironmentwhereshewillhavesufficienttimeforotherpeople(acentrallifetheme)andwhereshecanriseabovepettysquabblesanddealwithchallengesastheyarise.Sheisseekingadignified(linemanager)wayouttheimpasseinwhichshecurrentlyfindsherself−wheresheisparalysedbytheknowledgethatacareerchangeisinevitable.Forher,changeimpliesbeingleftaloneagain(anothercentrallifeproblem).Shewantstoactinapassionateandgenuinemannerandcontinueherattemptstofindaworkingenviron-mentwhereshecanhelpothers(a major central life goal).«Thisisalmostaboutfindinganescaperoute».

Accounts of a book and a film

Sheisthemaincharacterinherfavouritebookwhoisknownforhersenseofre-sponsibilitytowardsothers.Notunlikethemaincharacter(She),Oliviahasdevelopedthecapacitytoremainthesameevenwhenthingsaroundherchange(«IwillalwaysbewhoIamandnotleaveothersinthelurch»).LikeShe,Oliviahatestheideaofhavingtowearamask(i.e.notbewhosheis).Shehasmadeuphermindtoremaintruetowhosheis,irrespectiveofwhatothersmaythinkorfeel.Shewillnotbedeterred.

Incontrasttothecharacterinherfavouritebook,themaincharacterinherfavouriteTVprogramme,Dexter,wears amask continuously.Dexterworks as ablood-splatteranalystduringthedayandasaserialkillerduringtheday(atthispointsheinterruptedherselfandsmiled:«Sorry,night!»)«ButIrealiseheremainsaserialkillerduringtheday.Hejusthastowearamaskinordertosurvive.Hehastwoparallellives.Duringtheday,hedoeswhatisexpectedofhim.Peopledonotnoticehim.Atnight,though,hedecidestheirfate.Hethusfindsawaytodealwiththosethatareinfactguilty,despitehavingbeenfoundinnocent.»Thiscommentagainrevealsherneedtobewhosheactuallyisandtoexposeanddealwithinjustice,deceit,anddishonesty.Sadlyforher,atpresent,shehastoacttosatisfytheneedsofothersonly.(Asanaside:the‘serialkiller’anglesuggeststhatshefeelsthattheabuseofherselfasapersonhappensrepeatedlyandhasalmosttakenonalifeofitsown).

Mottos

Her mottosshedlightonherownbestadvicetoherself.Inwhatwaysshouldshedealwithhercentrallifeproblemandhealherself?–bystartingtofindawaytoreallylive.Furthermore,sheintendstobreakthemonotonousdailyroutinethatcharacterisesherlifeatpresentbyfindingsomething‘breath-taking’thatshecanengageinandthatwillinspireher.Shebelievesthatallhopeisnotlost;shehastobelieve(inherselfandinherfuture).Shedecidestodrawonherpastexperience:whatshehasenduredinlifehastaughthertoremainmotivatedanddedicatedtohergoal.Becauseshehasnotbeentreatedwiththerespectandloveshedeserves,herdesireisto«dountoothersasshewouldwantthemto

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dountoher».Lastly,rememberingthatshehas«survived»paininherlife,shebelievesthatshecansurvivehercurrentcrisisaswell.

Favourite magazines and television shows

Herresponsestothisquestionreflect theoccupationalenvironmentinwhichshewishestoactoutherself-concept.Shewantstobeleftalonetomakechoicesonherownandtofindsufficienttimetoenjoylifeandrelax.Sheistiredofherhighlypredictablelifeandyearnsforopportunitiestoactcreativelyandenjoythefeelingofnotbeingboundtostrictroutine.

NCISconfirmstheimpressionthatshehasaninquiringmind,enjoyssolvingpuzzles,strivestounderstandhumanbehaviourandwantstobeusefultoothers.

School subjects5

Olivia’spreferredschool subjectsindicatewhereandtowhatextentshehasbeensuccessfulandsatisfied.HerfavouritesubjectsatschoolwereEnglish,AfrikaansandGer-man.Herneedtocommunicatewithothersinanenjoyable,naturalandcreativemanner(insteadoftheboring,superficialandartificialmannershecurrentlyhastoendure)isclear.

HerleastfavouritesubjectswereAccounting,PhysicalScienceandMathematics.Accounting:Oliviahateswhatsheperceivestobemindlessstructure.PhysicalScience:Again,Oliviaconfirmsherdislikeofrulesthathavetobeappliedinaboring,routinewaywithlittleopportunitytodisplaycreativity.Mathematics:Oliviaisbeginningtorealisethatherperceptionof‘structure’maynotalwaysbeconsistentwithreality.Eventhough,initially,shehatedMathematicsanditsimpliedstructure,shehassincediscovered,tohersurprise,thatit«islogicalandonceyougraspaconceptmostoftheworkisdone».Inotherwords,itmaytakesomeadditionaleffort,butstructurecanbeachievedandhasaplaceinanyperson’slife.

Hobbies

Olivia’shobbiesprovidesomeinsightintohowshedevelopedskillsandstrategiesfordealingwithlife’sproblems.Herironic,tongue-in-cheekremark,«Imarkstudents’scripts»,isrevealing.Shehaslittletimeforrelaxationorenoughtimetospendwithherfamily,afavouritepastimeofhers:«Youcanputyourfeetuponthecouch.However,therejustisn’ttime».

Lastly:Olivialikeswalkingherdogsintheafternoon.«Theyareloyal,IcancareforthemasmuchasIlikeandtheyneverletmedown».

5 Forpurposesofthiscasestudy,itwasdecidedtoincludethelasttwoquestionsoftheformerversionoftheCCIaswell.

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ThecounselortoldOliviathatsheremindedhimofacharacterinthebookDog as a metaphor for the soulbyMikeFinley:«Yourstoryistrulyinspirational.Istandinthepresenceofadeeplyloyal,caringwoman.ItisalmostasifIamabouttounveilanewDVD,entitledsomethinglikeThe woman who really cared,byOlivia.See,youhavetheamazingcapacitytocareforotherslikeyoucareforyourdogs…lovingly,sincerely,lo-yally.Inotherwords,youhaveanexceptionalcapacitytobringouttheverybestinothers».

HesubsequentlyrequestedOliviatoreturnhomeandconsiderpossibleoptionsfordealingwiththechallengesconfrontingher.Herresponsesappearbelow.

«Firstly,regrettably,thefirstoptionistostayput.(shakes her head and looks dispa-ragingly into the distance)Itisamatterof‘betterthedevilyouknow…».

(sits still and stares in front of her)«IamsureIwilldooneoftheotherfour»(silence, stares in front of her).

«Mysecondoptionistostartteaching.(silence)ThiswillmeanworkingateitheraFurtherEducationandTraining(FET)Collegeorasecondaryschool.SinceIamnotproperlytrainedtoteachataprimaryschool,takingupaposttherewillmeansteppingintoanotheruncertainsituation.

«Mmmmm.(smiles wryly)«Notmyfirstoption,yet,Iwillenjoyallthetypicaljobperks:holidays,stability,medicalaidfund,etc.».

«Mythirdoptionistoofferadditionalmathematicsclassesfrommyhome.MyhousehasanextraroomwhichIhaveconvertedintoafacilityforthiskindofactivity.(laughs)Thissoundsbetterthanafakeclassroom!Iamcurrentlyusingitonlyonceperweek».

(Smiles, dreamy-eyed)«Thisisaparticularlyenticingoption.IamathomeandIcandeterminemyownhours.Andtherearemanychildrenwhoarebeinghome-schooled;Iwillnotonlybebusyduringtheafternoons.Everychild’sproblemisunique;Iwillcherishthechallengetohelphimorherfindacreativesolutiontohisorherownsituation».

«Fourthly,mycousininvitedmetoopenaso-called‘homecell’forahomeschoolingfranchise.Onegetspaidtotakecareofabout15kidsatatime.(sighs)Thedrawbackisthatmycousinisactuallylookingforapersontotakecareofherchild,whoisseverelyeducationallychallenged».

(Pulls a face)«Thiswillmeanthattheabusewillcontinue».«MyfifthandlastoptionistostayathomeandbeahousewifeuntilIambored

todeath,whichwillhappen.(laughs)Themostappealing,yetmostunrealisticoption».«Atpresent,IamjustsotiredthatIamafraidofmakingthewrongdecision.Ineed

more timeto investigateproperly.»(Inhypnotherapeutic terms,Olivia is inaclassical‘stuck’state.Shewasaccordinglyaskedtodoathoroughjobanalysisofthesecondandthirdoptionsandthenreportbacktothecounselorforafollow-updiscussion).

Inresponseto thecounselor’squestion:«HaveIbeenuseful toyouduringthesesessions?»,Oliviareplied:

«Otherthan‘usual’,standardtherapy,whereonewalksin,purgesandwalksout,Ikeptonthinkingaboutthethingsthatwediscussedevenafterthesessions.Forinstance,everytimeanewthemeemerged,itkeptonturninginmyhead.Thispastweekend,visi-tingmyMom,Iwasuitdagend(challenging),whichnormallyIamnot!»(bites her lower lip. Silence)

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«Someaspectscutdeep…ifIwererequestedtorecallastory,80morewouldcomeupafterwards;burieddeeplyinmysubconscious».

Afterthesession,Oliviawasagainsenthomeandaskedtopondereachofthefiveoptions.

Afewweeks later,Olivia told thecounselor that shehaddoneher«homework»thoroughlyandwasreadytomakeadecision.Shehaddecidedtochangecareersbyre-signingfromhercurrentjobtotakeupapostateitheraFurtherEducationandTraining(FET)collegeoraprimaryschool(shewasawaitingtheoutcomeoftheapplicationsshehadsubmittedsinceherlastmeetingwiththecounselor).Inherownwords:«Iwillstayoninmycurrentworkuntiltheoutcomeofmyapplicationshasbeenannounced.However,IwillresignassoonasIhavefinalisedarrangementsregardingmynewpost».ShehadalsodecidedtocompleteherMaster’sdegreeinEducationassoonaspossibleandspendasmuchtimeasshecouldwithherfamily.

Olivia’sconcludingcommentsduringthesessionwereilluminating:«This…thiswasalmostcleansing.Icannotthinkofanotherword»(smiles).«It isas if Igainedself-confidence toenablemetoreachout topeople(friends,

family)aroundme.MaybetheyfeelthewayIdo?»(Sighs)«Donotgetmewrong:Idonotwantyoutomisinterpretmysigh.»(The

counselorsubsequentlyquietlyremindedherthatsomesighsareactuallysighsofrelief).Oliviaconcluded:«ThediscussionsmademereconsiderissuesthatIhadbeenavoi-

dingforfartoolong.Ithassetmethinking,andIthinkIunderstandmyselfbetternow.Ihavedecidedtowakeup,takestockandtakecareofmyownneedsandalsohelpothersintheprocess».

Follow-up session after six months

Sixmonthsafter the initial sessions,Olivia reported thatshehaddoneextensivecareer-related‘research’andhadvisitedschoolsandothertraininginstitutionstobecomefamiliarwithpossiblealternativestohercurrentworksituation.Shewasseriouslyconside-ringteachingasafull-timecareeroption.Shesaidthatshewasfeeling‘liberated’butwasstillfindingitdifficultto‘free’herselffromherfearaboutleavingwhatsheconsideredanabusivesituationinhercurrentworkenvironment.Shewasadvisedtoconsultaclinicalpsychologisttohelpherdealwiththisfear.

Olivia also reported that shehadbecomeengaged to a long-time friendwhomshetrustedandlovedandwhoshebelievedwouldhelphermeetherneedforasafeandsupportiveholdingenvironment.Herthoughtsandactivitieswerefocusedonherimpendingmarriage.

Atthetimeofthisfollow-up,Oliviawasintentonfindingwaystoaddressherva-riousneedsoutlinedelsewhereinthisarticle.Shewasbeginningtodemonstratewhatthecounselorhadbeenhopingfor,namely«momentsofmovement»(Adler,1932)–«magicwasbeginningtohappen»(Savickas,2011).Shereportedthatshewasnolongermerelyhopingtopaymoreattentiontoheremotional,educationalandoccupationalsituation.Her

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expressedwillingnesstoacceptpersonalresponsibilityforherfuturehadcrystallisedintoaction,andshewasshowingsignsofrenewedhopeforherfuture:«FortoolonghaveIbeenwillingtobeeverythingforeveryone,subconsciouslyhoping,maybe,thatmycom-mitmentandwillingnesstosacrificemyowntimeandneedswouldbeacknowledged.IwillnowstriveinadifferentmannerforwhatIwantanddeservebecauseIamnolongerpreparedtobetreatedlikeasecond-classcitizen».

Sequel

Follow-up session 2

Atthetimeofwritingthisarticle,18monthsaftertheintervention,Oliviawasahappilymarriedwoman.Married lifewaseverything shehadhoped for.Herhusbandhadacalminginfluenceonherandalsohelpedhermanagethenumerousactivitiesshewasengagedin.Apartfromhermarriage,manyotherthingshadchangedsincethefirstsessions.Firstly,shehadgivenupanumberoftemporary(contract)appointmentsattheuniversitywhereshehadbeenworkingfor14years.Secondly,afterinitiallyacceptingatemporary(six-month)appointmentasanEnglishteacher(consistentwithherfirstfavouriteschoolsubject)atalargelocalhighschool,shewasappointedonapermanentbasisatthesameschool.Thirdly,shehaddiscussedwithseniorstaffattheuniversitytheissueofherhavingtomanageandteachanexcessivenumberofdiversestudyprogrammes.Shehadstatedthatshewouldtakeon(andhadinfacttakenon)onlythosecontractappointmentsthatwouldfitintohernewschedule.Fourthly,shehadenrolledforaMaster’sdegreeinEducationatauniversity thatoffereddistance teaching–her studieswereproceedingwell.Fifthly,onapersonallevel,shehadrealisedthatteaching(whilestillmanagingandteachingasmallnumberofuniversitycourses)washighlystressful.However,shewasnowtreatedwithrespectbyheremployers.Sheappreciatedtherecognitionshewasgiveninhernewworkenvironment.

Whenaskedforasecondtimetoreflectonthevalueof theintervention,Oliviareplied:«Ithascontributedtosomanychangesinmylife.TherealisationthatIhadtherighttoinsistonbeingrecognisedforwhoIamandnotonlyforwhatIcandoforem-ployersandstudentsmotivateandinspireme.Eventhoughthepast18monthshavebeenaratherchallengingtransitionperiodandIdogetsomewhatdejectedfromtimetotime,thereisnodenyingthefactthatIwouldnotgobacktomyformersituationforanything.Iamrecognisedasaprofessionalinmyownrightnow.Thankyouoncemoreforgivingmetheopportunitytolistentomyself».

Olivia’s follow-up self-portrait

Basedontheresultsoftheassessmentandsubsequentdata,thefollowingself-portraitwasconstructedbythecounselor(Savickas,2011).

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«Iamproudofmyselfforthemovementthathastakenplaceinmylifeoverthepast18months.Inolongerneedtowearamaskby,e.g.,pretendingthatIamcopingwhenIamnot;thatIamhappywhenIamsad;thatIfeelsafeandhappywheninfactIfeelunsafeandthreatened.Myworkscheduleisstillclutteredbut(withthegracefulandlovingsupportofmyhusbandandtheschoolmanagementteam)Ihaveacquiredmoreadequatetimemanagementskills.InowworksmarterandIammanagingmydiverseactivitiesbetter».

«Iammoreemotionallyawarenow;nolongerneglectingmydeepestneedsfor,e.g.,relaxation,beingcreative,andemotionalwell-being.Iammakingtimeformyfamily(beginningwithmybelovedhusbandandourpets)andfriends.Iambeginningtofeelthatmytoys(inotherwords,mydeepdesireforcreativity,forhavingfun,andforenjoyinglife)nolongerhavereasontorunawayfromme!»

«IfeelthatworkingwiththelearnersandevenhavingactedastheHeadoftheDe-partmentofEnglishforawhilehasfacilitatedsignificantgrowthandre-experiencingofmeaninginmylife.Myhardwork,dedicationandcommitmentarebeingrewardedandareboundtobringmethesuccessIamhopingfor».

«Iamsettingmorerealisticexpectationsofmyselfandofothers.Iamworkingonanddealingwithmyweaknesses,suchasmylackofassertivenessintheworkplace,mypropensitytoallowotherstotakeadvantageofme,andmyfailuretoattendtomyownwell-being.Inhealingmyself,Ihavebecomeabletohealothers.Conversely,inhelping the learners inmyclassesgrowandenabling thosewithemotionalwoundsbecomehealthyagain,Iamhealingmyself».

«IamsurernowofwhoIreallyamandcanbecomeinthefuture.Iammanagingmytimeinasmarterwayandmakingenoughtimeformyhusband,ourfriends,andmyself.Indoingso,Iamachievingmygoalsofbecomingasuccessintheworldofeducation,helpingothers,butalsoensuringthatmyown,innermostneedsaretakencareofadequately».

ThecounselorthenaskedOliviatodrafthervisionandmissionstatement,andthisiswhatshewrote:«IwillbehappyandsuccessfulifIcancontinuetomanagemyoverfullprogramme,achievesuccess,helpothers,andfindsufficienttimeforfunandformyfa-mily.»AsrecommendedbySavickas(2011),thecounselorproceededtoassemblephrasesfromOlivia’sCCIintoasentencethatencapsulatedtheessenceofhercareerstoryandreflectedherfuturemovement.«IwillbehappyandsuccessfulifIcaninspireandhelpothers,takecareofmypersonalneeds,managemylifeadequately,completemystudies,andbeasuccessfulteacherandlecturer».

Thisvisionandmissionstatementwasusedtoidentifyanddesignfeasibleactionstra-tegiestoachieveOlivia’sgoals.OliviacouldconsultherMaster’ssupervisor[moreregularlyandasktheheadmasterforstudyleavetoworkonherdissertationand,eventually,toresearchtopicsforherdoctoralthesis(ithasbeenalong-timeidealofherstoobtainadoctoraldegree).Shewasencouragedtocontinueengagingin‘creative’andhealth-relatedactivitiestoenablehertorelaxproperly.Shealsoneededtomaketimetoread(afavouriteactivityofhers).

ItisfittingtoendthisarticlewithaquotefromOliviaaftershehadreadherlifeportrait:«Curiously,Iamonlynowbeginningtoappreciate theappropriatenessof thepseudonym(Olivia)chosenforme.Thepeace,productivity,andvictorythatwereenvisagedandsuggestedbythechoiceofthatname,arecomingtofruition».

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Recommendations

Firstly,counselorswillbenefit from training in theuseof theCCI including thethreeearlyrecollectionstechnique.Secondly,giventheglobalrecognitionofqualitativeapproachesoverthepasttwodecadesinparticular,thecurrentover-emphasisonquan-titativeapproaches inSouthAfricanpsychologyneeds tempering.Thirdly,prospectiveEricksonianhypnotherapistsinparticularmaybenefitfromtheinclusionoftheCCIusingthe three recollections technique in their trainingprogrammesandcurricula.Fourthly,careercounselorsmaylikewisebenefitfromtheinclusionoftraininginbasicEricksonianhypnotherapyintheircurricula.Fifthly,becausenumerouspeoplealreadyusehypnosis,the timemayhavecome for teachersandothernon-psychologists toundergo traininginbasicEricksonianhypnotherapyaswell.Teachers,inparticular,shouldbetrainedinthebasicsofhypnosistohelpthemavoidnegativesuggestionsthatcandestroytheself-conceptoflearners.TeacherscouldalsobetrainedtoadministertheCCIwithoutthethreeearlyrecollectionsinsmall-groupclassroomsettingsthatprotectthelearners’privacyandintegrity(Hartung,2010)inordertoinvestigatetheirstrengthsandweaknessesandhelpthemdiscoverthemselves.

Conclusion

Theusefulnessofthestrategyincareercounselingisconfirmedbytheparticipant’sreadiness tomake fundamentally important choices inher life.ConsideringSavickasetal.’s(2009)assertionthattheusefulnessofcareercounselingcanbemeasuredbyitspowertoproducechangesinthecareerandlifestoriesofpeople,theinterventiondescribedherecanberegardedassuccessful.ThefindingsofthisstudysuggestthattheuseoftheCCI(incombinationwiththethreeearlyrecollectionstechnique)togetherwiththeuseofbasicErick-sonianstrategiesisapromisingstrategyforinvolvingclientsinthedesignoftheirlives.Thestrategydiscussedherecanenableclientstounderstandthemselvesbetter,experiencegrowth,discoverthemselvesandfindadvicefromwithintohelpthemsolvefundamentalpersonalproblems.Thestrategycanalsoassistclientstoidentifymajor(central)lifethemesthatcanhelpthemdealwithproblemsandmanagerepeatedtransitions.Clientscanbeempoweredtoconstructtheirownlivesand(re-)writetheirlifestoriesincollaborationwithcounselors.Intheprocess,theycanregainself-respectandhope.Inthepresentstudy,theparticipantappearsreadytoengagewiththeworldmoreadaptively.Herheightenedself-awarenessisevidentinthefollowingextract«Itwasgoodtobereminded,albeitbymyself,ofhowIcouldgoabouttohandlethedifficultsituationinwhichIfindmyselfatpresent».

AccordingtoSavickasetal.(2009,p.245),thechangeintheparticipantisfacilitatedbyadaptabilitywhilehernarratabilitywillensurecontinuityinherfutureefforts.Takentogether,adaptabilityandnarratabilityshouldhelpclientsbelievemoreinthemselvesandpreparethemforinvolvementinmeaningfulactivities.AssuggestedbySavickas(2009a,b),clientscandrawonautobiographicalreasoningatpointoftransitionintheirlives(whentheyneedtomakeachange),andusetheirstoryto‘hold’themselves.

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ThecasestudyshowedthatCCI(incombinationwiththethreeearlyrecollectionstechnique)togetherwiththeuseofbasicEricksonianstrategiesoffersafirmtheoreticalframeworkforunderstandingcareer-relatedbehaviourandprovidesacounselingtheoryandpractice(strategyandmethods)thatcounselorscanusewithclientswhostrivetoachieveself-healingandmakesocialcontributionsthroughtheirwork.

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