DEFINITIONAL CEREMONY - #B00543 THIS THERAPEUTIC PROCESS THAT I HAVE OUTLINED, I DEFINE AS ‘DEFINITIONAL CEREMONY’. IT IS A SIGNIFICANT FEATURE OF NARRATIVE PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES STRUCTURED LEVELS OF TELLINGS AND RETELLINGS, AND THAT REPRODUCES A SPECIFIC TRADITION OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. I BELIEVE THAT DEFINITIONAL CEREMONY IS AN APT METAPHOR TO DESCRIBE THIS FEATURE OF NARRATIVE PRACTICE, FOR IT CREATES WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A CEREMONY FOR THE RE-DEFINITION OF PEOPLE’S IDENTITY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS FITS WITH THE ORIGINAL SENTIMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS METAPHOR, WHICH I DREW FROM THE WORK OF BARBARA MYERHOFF - DEFINITIONAL CEREMONIES OF NARRATIVE PRACTICE ALWAYS CONSIST OF AT LEAST THREE PARTS - **THE TELLING** - FACILITATED A DOUBLE STORIED TELLING - TELLING OF STORIES OF TRAGEDY AND TRAUMA, AND ALSO OF x RESPONSE TO TRAGEDY AND TRAUMA IN WAYS THAT MADE VISIBLE WHAT x GAVE VALUE TO IN LIFE - IN THESE INTERVIEWS, THE THERAPIST ALWAYS PROVIDES, THROUGH APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS, A CONTEXT FOR A DOUBLE-STORIED TELLING. AT THIS TIME THE TWO REFUGE WORKERS WERE STRICTLY IN THE AUDIENCE POSITION. I BELIEVE THAT ‘OUTSIDER WITNESS’ IS AN APPROPRIATE TERM WITH WHICH TO DEFINE THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE, FOR, AT THIS TIME, THEY ARE NOT ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONVERSATION, BUT ARE WITNESSING THIS CONVERSATION FROM THE OUTSIDE - **THE RETELLING OF THE TELLING** - WHEN JULIE’S DOUBLE-STORIED TELLING HAD DEVELOPED SUFFICIENTLY TO THE POINT THAT THERE WAS SOME CLARITY ABOUT WHAT SHE ACCORDED VALUE TO IN LIFE, I ARRANGED FOR AN EXTERNAL RESPONSE. THIS WAS AN EXTERNAL RESPONSE THAT, AMONGST OTHER THINGS, WAS POWERFULLY RESONANT WITH WHAT JULIE ACCORDED VALUE TO IN LIFE. THIS RESONANT RESPONSE WAS THE OUTCOME OF MY INTERVIEW OF THE TWO REFUGE WORKERS WHO WERE PRESENT AS OUTSIDER WITNESSES. IN THIS RESPONSE, THESE OUTSIDER WITNESSES ENGAGED IN A VIVID RE-PRESENTATION OF WHAT IT WAS THAT JULIE ACCORDED VALUE TO. AT THIS TIME JULIE WAS STRICTLY IN THE AUDIENCE POSITION, LISTENING TO THE RESPONSES OF THE OUTSIDER WITNESSES AS I INTERVIEWED THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY HAD BEEN DRAWN TO (THE EXPRESSION), ABOUT THE METAPHORS AND MENTAL PICTURES THAT THIS HAD EVOKED (THE IMAGE), ABOUT WHAT THIS HAD RESONATED WITH IN TERMS OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE (EMBODIMENT), AND ABOUT THE WAYS IN WHICH THIS HAD MOVED THEM (CATHARSIS). - (FOR EXAMPLE, ‘WELL, I THINK JULIE IS JUST AMAZING BECAUSE …’) IT IS UP TO THE THERAPIST TO QUICKLY RESPOND WITH A QUESTION THAT ENCOURAGES THIS OUTSIDER WITNESS TO PROVIDE SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PARTICULAR ASPECTS OF JULIE’S TELLING THAT S/HE WAS DRAWN TO (FOR EXAMPLE: ‘JULIE’S STORY WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY ENGAGING OF YOU. WHAT WAS IT EXACTLY THAT YOU HEARD OR WITNESSED THAT CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION, AND THAT MIGHT BE REALLY SIGNIFICANT TO JULIE?’). - **THE RETELLING OF THE RETELLING** - WITHIN DEFINITIONAL CEREMONIES ALL THE SHIFTS BETWEEN THE THREE DIFFERENT STAGES ARE DISTINCT AND RELATIVELY FORMAL MOVEMENTS. IF THESE DISTINCT MOVEMENTS WERE TO DEGENERATE, AND THE CONVERSATIONS BECOME SIMPLE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE VARIOUS PARTIES RATHER THAN STRUCTURED TELLINGS AND RETELLINGS, IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THIS WOULD ENABLE THE REDEVELOPMENT AND REINVIGORATION OF THE ‘SENSE OF MYSELF’ THAT IS VITAL TO REDRESS THE EFFECT OF MULTIPLE TRAUMA. OUTSIDER WITNESSING #B00543 outsider witnessing ??? with a resonant response, not opinion, empathy etc - **PARTICULARITIES OF EXPRESSIONS** - IT WAS THAT THEY’D HEARD FROM JULIE THAT HAD REALLY CAUGHT THEIR ATTENTION; THAT CAPTURED THEIR IMAGINATION; THAT THEY WERE PARTICULARLY DRAWN TO; THAT STRUCK A CHORD FOR THEM; THAT PROVIDED THEM WITH A SENSE OF WHAT IT IS THAT JULIE ACCORDS VALUE TO - person is AUDIENCE TO THE CONVERSATION BUT NOT IN THE CONVERSATION - COULD HEAR WHAT SHE WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE HEARD HAD SHE BEEN IN DIALOGUE - TO TELL ME WHAT JULIE’S STORY **IMAGES OF IDENTITY** HAD SUGGESTED TO THEM ABOUT HER; HOW IT HAD AFFECTED THEIR PICTURE OF HER AS A PERSON; HOW IT SHAPED THEIR VIEW OF HER; WHAT IT SAID TO THEM ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO JULIE; AND WHAT IT PERHAPS SAID ABOUT WHAT SHE STOOD FOR IN LIFE, ABOUT WHAT SHE BELIEVED IN. THROUGH QUESTIONS LIKE THIS, I WAS INVITING THE REFUGE WORKERS TO DESCRIBE THE IMAGES OF JULIE’S IDENTITY THAT WERE EVOKED FOR THEM BY THE EXPRESSIONS THEY HAD BEEN DRAWN TO AS THEY HAD LISTENED TO HER STORY. - I HEARD THIS FROM JULIE, THIS IS WHAT IT EVOKED FOR ME ...’ THIS PROCESS OF RETELLING IN WHICH JULIE WAS STRICTLY IN THE AUDIENCE POSITION WAS VERY POWERFULLY AUTHENTICATING OF WHAT JULIE ACCORDED VALUE TO. HAD THE REFUGE WORKERS TURNED TO JULIE AND SAID DIRECTLY TO HER: ‘LOOK, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU TREASURE THIS VALUE AND THAT YOU HOLD ONTO THIS’, THIS WOULD MAKE LITTLE, IF ANY, DIFFERENCE TO JULIE. THIS COULD TOO EASILY BE DISCOUNTED, AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE, FOR JULIE, THAT EXPERIENCE OF RESONANCE IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD **EMBODYING THEIR INTEREST** As the refuge workers situated their interest in Julie’s expressions in the history of their own experiences of life, this interest became embodied interest, not disembodied interest. And to embody one’s interest in this way is powerfully authenticating of it **ACKNOWLEDGING CATHARSIS** WHERE THIS EXPERIENCE HAS TAKEN US TO IN OUR OWN THOUGHTS; IN TERMS OF OUR REFLECTIONS ON OUR OWN EXISTENCE; IN TERMS OF OUR UNDERSTANDINGS OF OUR OWN LIVES; IN TERMS OF SPECULATION ABOUT CONVERSATIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE WITH OTHERS IN OUR LIVES; OR IN TERMS OF OPTIONS FOR ACTION IN THE WORLD – FOR EXAMPLE, IN REGARD TO REPOSSESSING WHAT WE FIND PRECIOUS IN OUR OWN HISTORIES, OR IN REGARD TO ADDRESSING CURRENT PREDICAMENTS IN OUR OWN LIVES AND RELATIONSHIPS. JULIE WAS IN TOUCH WITH THE FACT THAT THE RIPPLES OF HER STORY WERE TOUCHING THE LIVES OF THESE OTHER TWO WOMEN, TAKING THEM TO ANOTHER PLACE IN THEIR LIVES THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM. GREEK TRAGEDY WAS CATHARTIC OF THE AUDIENCE IF IT MOVED THEM TO ANOTHER PLACE IN THEIR LIVES; IF IT PROVIDED THE IMPETUS FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE TO BECOME OTHER THAN WHO THEY WERE AT THE OUTSET OF THE PERFORMANCE. IF, ON ACCOUNT OF WITNESSING THIS POWERFUL DRAMA, THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE COULD THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THEIR LIFE, OR IF THEY HAD A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL HISTORY, OR IF THEY BECAME NEWLY ENGAGED WITH CERTAIN PRECIOUS VALUES AND BELIEFS, OR IF THEY HAD NEW IDEAS ABOUT HOW THEY MIGHT PROCEED IN LIFE, WAYS THAT WERE MORE IN HARMONY WITH THESE VALUES AND BELIEFS, THIS WAS UNDERSTOOD TO BE A CATHARTIC EXPERIENCE **the next stage is going back to the person and asking julie similar questions, not sure how this will pan out as the ancestors are not here** - WHAT DID YOU HEAR THAT YOU WERE DRAWN TO - WERE THERE PARTICULAR WORDS THAT STRUCK A CHORD FOR YOU - AS YOU LISTENED, WHAT IMAGES OF LIFE CAME TO MIND - DID YOU HAVE ANY REALISATIONS ABOUT YOUR OWN LIFE - HOW DID THIS AFFECT YOUR PICTURE OF WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON - WHAT DID THIS SAY TO YOU ABOUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, ABOUT WHAT YOU TREASURE - WHAT DOES THIS SUGGEST ABOUT YOUR PURPOSES IN LIFE - DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THIS RELFECTS ABOUT WHAT YOU STAND FOR, OR ABOUT YOUR HOPES IN LIFE - YOU HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT WHAT YOU HEARD THAT STRUCK A CHORD FOR YOU. WHAT DID THIS STRIKE A CHORD WITH IN TERMS OF YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES OF LIFE? WHAT DID IT TOUCH ON IN REGARD TO YOUR OWN HISTORY? DID PARTICULAR MEMORIES LIGHT UP AT THIS TIME? DID ANYTHING ELSE BECOME MORE VISIBLE TO YOU ABOUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY YOU WERE SO DRAWN TO WHAT YOU HEARD?’ ETC WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF WHERE THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE TAKEN YOU? WHAT IS THE PLACE THAT YOU ARE IN RIGHT NOW THAT YOU WERE NOT IN AT THE BEGINNING OF THESE CONVERSATIONS? YOU HAVE TALKED OF SOME IMPORTANT REALISATIONS ABOUT YOUR LIFE THAT HAVE COME FROM LISTENING TO SALLY AND DIANE, AND I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN YOUR PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF THESE REALISATIONS. YOU HAVE ALSO GIVEN VOICE TO SOME SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSIONS REGARDING WHAT YOUR LIFE IS ABOUT, AND I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THIS HAS CONTRIBUTED TO ANY NEW UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT YOUR OWN HISTORY - **CHOOSING WITNESSES** - NOT ALWAYS THE CASE THAT THE PERSON WILL HAVE THIS ALREADY ESTABLISHED CONNECTION WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE AS OUTSIDER WITNESSES. AT TIMES THE OUTSIDER WITNESSES TO MY WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO CONSULT ME ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRAUMA ARE DRAWN FROM A POOL OF VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE INSIDER KNOWLEDGE OF TRAUMA AND ITS EFFECTS. OFTEN THESE VOLUNTEERS COME FROM A LIST OF NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONSULTED ME ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRAUMA IN THEIR OWN LIVES, AND WHO HAVE BEEN ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT JOINING ME IN MY WORK WITH OTHERS WHO ARE FOLLOWING IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS3. AT OTHER TIMES THESE OUTSIDER WITNESS ARE DRAWN FROM MY OWN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL NETWORK, OR FROM PEOPLE OF THE PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINES WHO ARE COLLEAGUES OR WHO ARE VISITING DULWICH CENTRE FOR TRAINING AND CONSULTATION DOUBLE STORIED CONVERSATIONS #B00543 double storied conversations - THIS STORY IS OFTEN ONLY PRESENT AS A VERY THIN TRACE, ONE THAT CAN BE HIGHLY DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO GET ONTO THIS TRACE, AND THAT WE ASSIST PEOPLE TO THICKEN THIS UP. THE FIRST STEP TO ACHIEVING THIS IS OFTEN THROUGH IDENTIFYING WHAT IT IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE CONTINUED TO GIVE VALUE TO DESPITE EVERYTHING THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH. - FIND AN AUDIENCE TO WHAT PEOPLE VALUE