Human beings have a great gift for creating stories to find meaning in what they do; a way of ordering a series of events that happen and giving them meaning. Storytelling, however, can be affected by moods, contingencies and be not only frayed but also harmful to both the individual and his or her social surroundings, personal or professional network.
The stories we tell ourselves are not always good for us and good for those around us.
Let's take an example: you will have happened to have a colleague with whom things just don't click and out of that difficulty you build a universe of negativity, you question his professional and maybe even human qualities. A little mean, of course, but extremely human. Rather than asking what is wrong with this person, perhaps it would be appropriate to ask what arouses in us, what triggers inside?
This is one among countless examples into which counseling can fit. Also known as psychosocial counseling, in which therefore a relationship dimension emerges, counseling offers help and support so that the individual can develop skills to deal with situations of conflict and disorientation.
We were talking about storytelling--if you will, counseling helps to reweave the fabric of a frayed narrative, but also to rewrite the narrative we make about ourselves and to ourselves. It is first and foremost about listening to ourselves so that we can help the other person see themselves in a different perspective.
Today we set out on a journey also made of introspection together with:
Isabel Piazza: contact person for partnerships and external relations, production and editorial Music and Events RSI - Department of Culture and Society;
Simona Mazzagatti: nurse at the Red Cross - Sottoceneri Section., coordinator of the Friend Project and contact person for Advance Directives for Red Cross Ticino;
Annaguya Fanfani: responsible for CAS Counsellor supervisor with integrated approach.