Tuning the Ear: Listening in Narrative Therapy

Abstract

In this article the authors adopt “tuning the ear” as a metaphor for listening within narrative work. The distinction between listening as an intentional event, influenced by personal, theoretical, and political intentions is discussed. A central idea involves distinguishing between “listening to” and “listening for,” which suggests that therapists select events to be heard or not heard. The authors suggest that intentional listening can lead to therapeutic conversations that bring forward aspects of the lives of both clients and the therapists that would not have been predicted by the problem story. A map around intentional listening is presented, the Tuning the Ear Map, which includes four levels: tuning in, intentions, consequences, and action. The map is illustrated with excerpts from a conversation within a live supervision group.1