37-7 Transforming Clients' Self Identity in Narrative Counseling
The study aimed to understand clients' subjective experiences in narrative counseling processes, which encompass their perception and interpretation of narrative experiences and self-identity. Three female undergraduate students were recruited. They received seven to nine sessions of narrative counseling. Then, interviews were conducted after every session as well as one month after their termination. These interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by the method of using a categorical-content perspective of narrative research. The results were the following: 1. Participants' understanding of narrative experiences included narratives brought clarity, understanding, new meanings in the past experiences, and re-definition of problems. The influences of conversations in counseling included enriching stories, gaining different perspectives from externalizinged conversations, ”preferred questions,” agency, sense of hope, re-membering conversation, inviting the audience to support decisions, and writing statements and witness of growth brings power. 2. Influences and interpretation of self-identity from counseling experiences: participants reported that counseling helped them discover socio-culture influences on self-identity and developed self-reflective attitudes towards life. Additionally, participants' self-identity changed from belittling and denial to knowing diverse aspects of themselves (e.g., recognizing their abilities, being confident, valuing their own feelings and needs). The new stories have made them move forward actions. In summary, the entire counseling process was a journey of transforming one's self-identity.
Keywords
change process research ； narrative counseling self-identity
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