Watch expert Narrative therapist Stephen Madigan in an actual counseling session with a perfectionist ten-year old boy and his mother.

Children can feel overtaken by family problems and allow those problems to define who they are. In this video, Stephen Madigan presents a refreshing approach that allows family members to separate themselves from their problems and retell their stories. By asking a series of compassionate questions, Madigan quickly gets to the heart of this family's frustration - a pattern of competitive taunting among the six children in the house. Madigan then helps them uncover skills, strengths and solutions to take home in order to break the family pattern. Jon Carlson and Don Keat introduce Dr. Madigan, and facilitate an in-depth discussion of the further impact and uses of the model.

*Part of the series CHILD THERAPY WITH THE EXPERTS

"It is a true pleasure to watch Stephen Madigan demonstrate the power of externalizing as he asks questions from a place of authentic curiosity, compassion, and heart. True to narrative philosophy, he invites a 10-year-old boy to be the expert, allowing the boy and his mother to successfully create an alternative story to take home to their family. This is indeed an inspiring and informative look at the narrative approach, including both the pre and post session conversations with Madigan."
Ruth Levy, LICSW - Assistant Professor, Lesley University, Expressive Therapy Division