Which technique involves breaking down established meanings to construct new narratives?

Which technique involves breaking down established meanings to construct new narratives?

• A. Deconstruction and Reauthoring
• B. Social Model and Problem Solving
• C. Empowering Techniques and Gender Role Analysis
• D. Homework Assignment and Two-Chair Techniques

Answer: (A)

At the heart of this question is how a counselor helps a client dismantle established meanings and replace them with new stories. Deconstruction involves examining the beliefs and assumptions that shape a person’s sense of self and reality, showing how those meanings are not fixed truths but interpretations shaped by culture, history, and experience. Reauthoring then follows by co-creating alternative narratives that align with the client’s values, strengths, and goals, giving them a sense of agency and a different set of possibilities for the future. This combination helps clients detach from problem-saturated stories and craft more empowering identities, which is a hallmark of narrative approaches to therapy. For example, someone who has internalized “I’m a constant failure” can deconstruct that label to reveal its limited scope, then reauthor a story that highlights resilience, learning, and progress. Other options don’t capture this twin move of breaking down meanings and constructing new, hopeful narratives; they refer to different concepts or techniques that don’t emphasize the narrative reconstruction process in the same way.