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Editors, 2015. **Reformulation Explores A Brief Explanation of Six-Part Story Making. Reformulation, Winter, p.29.
Six-Piece Story Making (6PSM) explained by K Dent-Brown (2011) is a projective technique using structured instructions to help a client create a new fictional story, which can be used in psychotherapy assessment or treatment. The method was developed by two Israeli therapists, Ofra Ayalon and Mooli Lahad (Lahad, 1992) who proposed that the newly created story demonstrates the way the client habitually perceives or reacts to the world, and that this kind of communication by metaphor is useful in psychotherapy.
Their method is to ask clients to draw six images that are based upon the six characteristic elements that follower of CJ Jung, Marie-Louise Von France (1996), had distilled from her research, from dreams and stories:
• Main character and setting
• Task
• Obstructing factors
• Helpful factors
• Main action or turning point
• Consequences of main action.
In 6PSM the client is initially given progressive instructions to draw each part of a new, fictional story containing the six archetypal elements: 1) create a main character (not necessarily human) in a fictional, fantasy or historical setting – ie as far away from 21st century real life as possible. The instructions lead the client/ author on through (2) the creation of a task for the main character, (3) obstacles they encounter, (4) helpful factors, (5) the climax of the story and (6) its aftermath.
At this stage clients do not respond verbally but just with sketched pictures. Once the sequence is complete, they are asked to tell the story right through without interruption. Finally the therapist uses openended questions to encourage the client to further elaborate details. Only then, once the story is fully elaborated, are any possible links with the teller’s own situation explored. The assumption is that the themes, conflicts, world-view, problem solving etc., which are displayed in the story will communicate something meaningful about the client’s own experience and in CAT, amongst other uses, the 6PSM can be used to elicit reciprocal roles and procedures as part of the therapeutic process.
References
Dent-Brown, K. (2001). Story as therapeutic tool: The Six-Part Story Method. Context, 55, 22-23. http://www. dent-brown.co.uk/6psmarticle.htm
Dent-Brown, K., (2011). Six-Part Storymaking – a tool for CAT practitioners. Reformulation, Summer, pp.34-36.
Lahad, M. (1992), Story-making in assessment method for coping with stress, in Jennings, S (ed.) Dramatherapy theory and practice, 150-163, London: Routledge.
Von Franz, M-L. (1996), The interpretation of fairy tales (revised ed.), London: Shambhala.