Page 60 - Meeting with Children Book

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points of intersection, between the narrative
entrusted to them by the child, and the various
narratives of the parents. Finding these points of
intersection between those narratives, will create the
sense for everyone in the room that their position is
validated. When a practitioner meets their client at
the point of intersection, the client will experience a
sense of being heard, and a sense that the room is
emotionally safe. When a client experiences the
opposite the room is emotionally threatening, and the
client readies themselves for an attack.

The points of intersection will therefore become
statements that lower defensiveness in the room,
while statements that move away from the
intersection will increase the defensiveness in the
room. In a sense the level of defensiveness can aid
the Consultant to identify how far from the point of
intersection their conversation can traverse.
Generally clients presenting with a lower Parent
Readiness will require the Child Consultant to stay
close to the point of intersection. Higher Parent
Readiness will allow for greater movement away from
the point of intersection, however even in these cases
a regular return to the point of intersection will assist
tough conversations to continue.

Therefore the conversation between Child Consultant
and parents is one where the views of the child are
discussed and statements that would be regarded as
statements counter to the point of intersection are
scaffolded by statements that reinforce the point of
intersection as well.