Electronic Media

Lorraine talks with Andrew Earl about searching for our love stories.

Chris meets with Dr. Lorraine Hedtke and they discuss how grief is frequently thought of as an ordeal we must simply survive. In this episode Dr. Hedtke offers a fresh approach to the negotiation of death and grief, founded in principles of constructive conversation and narrative practices that focuses on “remembering” lives, in contrast to processes of forgetting or dismembering those who have died.

In an interview with a man who is battling several terminal illnesses, Lorraine addresses his struggle. He tells her that he has cheated death a number of times and that he is due to have a conversation with, “Father Time.” Through questions about his many important relationships, she describes how we are all members of a club of life. When we are no longer physically present we can still maintain our membership status through those with whom we have loving connections. Identity is seen as relational instead of residing in an individual, leading to other ways to think about death and the power of life affirming legacy.

Running Time: 48 minutes

In this powerful video, John and Lorraine discuss the definition of a ‘totalizing description’ and the damage it can inflict upon a person. Following that conversation, John interviews an African American client who has experienced being totalized on the basis of her dark skin color. A deconstructive conversation about the particular effects of racist assumptions ensues. The interview is followed by a reflective team of listeners, moderated by Lorraine in which the team reflects on and responds to the client’s words. Afterwards, the client is interviewed about the meanings she made of the listeners’ responses and the impact these have on her. A powerful video that exemplifies John and Lorraine and their masterful work as narrative therapists, and the poignant story of racism.

Part 1: Developing Curiosity – Educational Version with Public Performance Rights

“Re-membering conversations” (the hyphen signals the deliberate reproduction of membership), can be useful in counseling someone who is grieving but can also be used to regenerate the thoughts of the contributions made by those who are no longer living. Such contributions are resources for identity growth and for problem solving. In this moving counseling session, the client recalls the importance her mother played in her life and the many ways in which her mother’s legacy continues to be a vibrant part of who she is. Her mother is “brought to life” through the rich stories told in the counseling conversation, even though she had died many years previously.

Watch a trailer here: https://search.alexanderstreet.com/preview/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cvideo_work%7C1779345

“Re-membering conversations” (the hyphen signals the deliberate reproduction of membership), can be useful in counseling someone who is grieving but can also be used to regenerate the thoughts of the contributions made by those who are no longer living. Such contributions are resources for identity growth and for problem solving. In this moving counseling session, the client recalls the importance her mother played in her life and the many ways in which her mother’s legacy continues to be a vibrant part of who she is. Her mother is “brought to life” through the rich stories told in the counseling conversation, even though she had died many years previously.

Watch the Trailer for Re-membering Conversations: A Postmodern Approach to Death/Grief

https://youtube.com/watch?v=CSNHfm62VuI

Listen to an American Counseling Association podcast with Lorraine Hedtke and John Winslade.