In my most recent session of the Peer Supervision Series: Expanding the Therapist’s Interior Landscape, sponsored by Onlinevents, we discussed “naming and claiming” the therapy session, reviewing a model of dream interpretation that can double as a model for case consultation.
In our session today, I asked everyone to think of a recent client session and to allow the session to run like a movie reel in their head. I had the group engage in contemplative writing, instructing them to write or type for 5 minutes, whatever came to the surface and not to stop- stream of consciousness- automatic writing.
The prompts for the first 5 minute writing exercise:
- How would you title this session? If this session was a play or a movie, what would you call it?
- What would you decribe as the theme of the session? What is the main point, the core issue that is being presented?
- What was the affect of the client during the session?
After the writing experiences, they went into breakouts of 3 for 15 minutes to discuss what came up regarding their exploration of the session, followed by another 5 minute contemplative writing exercise.
The prompts were:
- What affect were you aware of in yourself? What were you feeling and emoting verbally and nonverbally?
- What questions were raised for you during the session? What has you curious? What direction might you take with the client? Where do you feel tension? What has you confused?
Again, after the writing exercise, they were placed into another 15 minute break out with 3 people to discuss.
After the final breakout, I explained that the title of this exercise/model is Title, Theme, Affect, Question – this was originally coined by Dr. David Brenner, author of Sacred Companions and was initially developed as a model for dream interpretation.
Lucy Abbott Tucker adapted the model for Spiritual Direction Supervision stating,
When we name something, give it a title, we begin to articulate our relationship to the conversation. The naming is often a doorway to our feelings about a particular session and an opening to our self-reflection.
This is a very powerful model for expanding the therapist/healer’s understanding of a session with a client and allows the therapist to be accountable to both the client and self. I encouraged participants to utilize this reflective tool with other cases they may want to deconstruct.
Resources
This TTAQ exercise was summarized from:
You can read more about TTAQ in Brenner’s book, Sacred Companions
This article also summarizes TTAQ: Interpreting Your Dreams
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If you are interested in a more in depth process, consider my 12-month intensive:
Psychospiritual Intensive for Therapists, Coaches and Healers
