From a social constructionist point of view, which techniques would the counselor likely use in early sessions?

• 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)

In social constructionist work, meaning isn’t fixed in the person but is shaped through language, conversation, and the stories people tell about themselves. In early sessions, the counselor aims to shift how clients describe their problems and begin altering the stories that keep those problems stable. The best fit here is deconstruction and reauthoring.

Deconstruction is about unpacking the problem-saturated narrative. The counselor helps the client examine the language and assumptions that frame the issue, revealing how cultural discourses, power dynamics, and social categories contribute to the problem’s persistence. By questioning labels and the inevitability of certain outcomes, the client sees that the problem isn’t a fixed trait of the person but a constructed story that can be reinterpreted.

Reauthoring follows, inviting the client to develop new stories that align with their values, strengths, and preferred possibilities. Through collaborative dialogue, the counselor helps the client articulate a different voice, identify alternative plots, and envision a future where they can act in ways that contradict the old problem-saturated narrative. These steps—shifting the language around the problem and crafting new narratives—are hallmarks of early sessions in narrative therapy, which is rooted in social constructionism.

Other approaches mentioned don’t align as directly with this focus. The social model and problem solving emphasize practical adjustments and systemic views rather than the narrative shift of language and story construction. Empowering techniques and gender role analysis point to feminist or empowerment frameworks rather than the narrative-deconstruction emphasis. Two-Chair techniques come from Gestalt therapy and aren’t typical of a social constructionist, narrative-focused startup. Homework and similar techniques occur across many therapies and don’t capture the distinctive early-session aim of reframing story and meaning.