Narrative processes of innovation and stability within the dialogical self

Proo

Therapeutic change, innovative moments and the reconceptualization of the self: a dialogical account

Innovative moments (IMs) are exceptions toward the problematic self-narrative that brought the client to therapy, which emerge in the therapeutic conversation. Dialogically, an IM might be conceived as an expression of an alternative I-position which challenges the dominance of problematic voices, thus having the potential to transform the self-narrative as they are expanded and elaborated. Reconceptualization is a particular type of IM which usually emerges in the middle of the process of a successful treatment, increasing steadily until the end. Moreover, reconceptualization seems to be a distinctive feature of a successful psychotherapy process, as it is almost absent in poor outcome cases. This IM has two main features: the presence of a contrast between a previous self-narrative and a new emergent one, and the access to the process which allowed for the transformation from the former to the last. This innovative moment clearly involves a special I-position which Hermans has characterized as a metaposition. We discuss four functions of this type of IM in the change process: (1) providing a narrative structure for change; (2) bridging the past and present self-narratives; (3) facilitating the progressive identification with the new self-narrative; and (4) allowing surpassing the ambivalence often involved in the change process

Maintenance and transformation of problematic self-narratives: a semiotic-dialogical approach

This study focus on how the emergence of novelties in psychotherapy, which we term Innovative Moments (IMs), progresses to the construction of a new self-narrative. Novelty’s emergence challenge a person’s dominant self-narrative (i.e., usual way of understanding and experiencing), generating uncertainty. Frequently, clients resolve the uncertainty, by attenuating the novelty’s meaning, making a quick return to the dominant self-narrative. From a dialogical perspective, a dominant voice (which organize clients’ self-narrative) and a non-dominant (or innovative) voice (expressed during IMs) establish a cyclical relation – mutual in-feeding – throughout the therapeutic process, blocking self-development. In this article, we analyze a successful psychotherapeutic case focusing on how the relation between dominant and nondominant voices evolve from mutual in-feeding to other forms of dialogical relation. We have identified two processes, using the microgenetic method from a semiotic autoregulatory perspective of the dialogical self: (1) Escalation of the innovative voice(s) and thereby inhibiting the dominant voice and (2) Dominant and innovative voices negotiate and engage in joint action

Project "A Universalidade dos Saberes"

To show with the case of Applied Optics (AO), the adequacy of blended learning to the teaching/learning process in experimental Science and technology (S&T)

Ambivalence and innovative moments in grief psychotherapy: the cases of Emily and Rose

Several studies have suggested that the process of narrative change in psychotherapy occurs through the emergence and expansion of moments of novelty, known as innovative moments (IMs), that allow changes in the problematic self-narrative responsible for the client’s suffering. However, as these IMs challenge typical (and problematic) ways of acting, feeling, and thinking, they may also generate discrepancy or uncertainty. Clients may reduce uncertainty by returning to the problematic self-narrative immediately after the emergence of an IM, thus ensuring the homeostasis of the previous meaning system. This cyclical movement is a form of ambivalence, which can maintain problematic stability across therapy and lead to therapeutic failure. In this study, we identified return to the problem markers (RPMs), which are empirical indicators of the ambivalence process, for all IMs in two cases of constructivist grief psychotherapy. Both cases evidenced a high percentage of IMs with RPMs, and the evolution of IMs and RPMs along treatment was significantly correlated. We suggest that stability of the ambivalence process in grief psychotherapy may represent a form of self-protection from the anxiety or guilt of releasing pain as a disconnection from the deceased

Treatment interaction in moments of ambivalence: an exploratory study a case of failure

No processo psicoterapêutico a mudança constrói-se através da emergência e expansão de excepções ao funcionamento problemático do cliente. Contudo, o potencial de mudança destas excepções ou inovações pode ser abortado através da atenuação do seu significado quando o cliente as desvaloriza, trivializa ou nega. Quando este processo se repete ao longo da terapia estamos na presença de ambivalência, na medida em que ocorre uma oscilação recorrente entre duas posições opostas (inovação-retorno ao funcionamento problemático). O presente estudo exploratório tem como principal objectivo descrever a interacção terapêutica nestes momentos de ambivalência, num caso de insucesso psicoterapêutico, recorrendo ao Sistema de Codificação da Colaboração Terapêutica. Os resultados sugerem que a ambivalência emerge maioritariamente no seguimento de intervenções em que a terapeuta desafia a perspectiva habitual da cliente. Os resultados mostram ainda que a terapeuta tende a responder à ambivalência da cliente com um novo desafio, sendo que a cliente tende a expressar novamente ambivalência ou a discordar da terapeuta. Deste modo, quando a terapeuta persiste no desafio verifica-se frequentemente uma escalada no desconforto da cliente, que se manifesta na evolução de uma resposta de ambivalência para uma resposta de invalidação por parte da cliente.Change in psychotherapy occurs through the emergence and expansion of exceptions to the client’s problematic functioning. However, these exceptions’ potential to promote change may be aborted by the attenuation of their meaning, when the client devaluates, trivializes or denies them. When this process repeats itself throughout the therapeutic process, clients are facing ambivalence, since there is a recurrent oscillation between two opposite positions (innovation – return to the problematic functioning). The present exploratory study aims at describing the therapeutic interaction within moments in which ambivalence occurs in an unsuccessful case using the Therapeutic Collaboration Coding System. Results suggest that ambivalence emerges mainly as a response to an intervention in which the therapist challenges clients usual (i.e., problematic) perspective. Moreover, results suggest that the therapist tends to respond to client’s ambivalence with a new challenge intervention which is generally followed by ambivalence or even invalidation from the client. Hence, when the therapist persists in challenging the client there is usually an escalation in clients’ discomfort, expressed in the evolution of a ambivalence response towards an invalidation response.(undefined

Identification of microplastics using Raman spectroscopy: latest developments and future prospects

Widespread microplastic pollution is raising growing concerns as to its detrimental effects upon living organisms. A realistic risk assessment must stand on representative data on the abundance, size distribution and chemical composition of microplastics. Raman microscopy is an indispensable tool for the analysis of very small microplastics (<20 μm). Still, its use is far from widespread, in part due to drawbacks such as long measurement time and proneness to spectral distortion induced by fluorescence. This review discusses each drawback followed by a showcase of interesting and easily available solutions that contribute to faster and better identification of microplastics using Raman spectroscopy. Among discussed topics are: enhanced signal quality with better detectors and spectrum processing; automated particle selection for faster Raman mapping; comprehensive reference libraries for successful spectral matching. A last section introduces non-conventional Raman techniques (non-linear Raman, hyperspectral imaging, standoff Raman) which permit more advanced applications such as real-time Raman detection and imaging of microplastics.publishe

Ambivalence in grief therapy: the interplay between change and self-stability

This article explores the role of ambivalence in grief therapy within a narrative framework. From this perspective, change starts with the occurrence of innovative moments, which can be nullified by reaffirmation of the problematic self-narrative as a sign of ambivalence. This study analyzed ambivalence in six complicated grief cases using the “Return to the Problem Coding System.” Markers of ambivalence emerged in all cases, with a decreasing profile in cases with greater symptomatic improvement, suggesting an association between clinical change and ambivalence evolution in therapy. Addressing ambivalence may bring to light important aspects of client’s selfreconstruction after a major loss.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, through the Grant PTDC/PSI-PCL/121525/2010 (Ambivalence and Unsuccessful Psychotherapy,2012–2015) and the PhD Grant SFRH/BD/48607/200

Ambivalence resolution in emotion-focused therapy: The successful case of Sarah

Ambivalence can be understood as a cyclical movement between two opposing positions of the self: one expressed in a novelty—an innovative moment (IM)—and another one conveyed by a return to the maladaptive pattern. If not properly addressed and resolved during therapy, ambivalence can prevent change and lead to psychotherapeutic failure. Two processes of ambivalence resolution have been suggested: (1) the dominance of the innovative position and consequent inhibition of the problematic position and (2) the negotiation between both positions. Objectives: To empirically study both processes of ambivalence resolution in a successful case of emotion-focused therapy. Method: Sessions were independently coded with three coding systems—the IMs, the return to the problem and the ambivalence resolution. Results: Ambivalence tended to be resolved from the initial to the final sessions. Although resolutions through dominance tended to decrease and resolutions through negotiation seemingly increased along treatment, dominance was, nonetheless, the most prominent process of resolution along the whole treatment. Conclusions: Although it has been suggested that integrating opposing parts of the self is a necessary process for psychotherapeutic success, a less integrative process of ambivalence resolution may also be an important resource along the process.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Part- nership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653

Dynamics of sense-making and development of the narrative in the clinical exchange

The present work is aimed at exploring the relationship between the dynamics of sense-making carried out by the clinical exchange and the content of the patient’s narrative. To this end the relationship between the formal and functional mapping of a psychotherapy carried out by the Discourse Flow Analysis (DFA) and the analysis of the patient’s narrative provided by the Innovative Moment Coding System (IMCS) have been compared. The comparison concerns a 15-session good outcome Emotion- Focused Therapy (Lisa's case). Findings highlight the association between the formal and functional characteristics of the clinical dialogue and the content of the narrative. More in particular, an association between the U-shape trajectory of the super-ordered meaning depicted by DFA and the evolution of the innovative content of the narrative enucleated by the IMCS were found