"Problem externalization", proposed by White, M. & Epston, D. (1990) as a narrative therapy technique, aims to dissociate the problem from the individual, focusing on addressing the issue. In Japan, the "bug extermination" technique (Higashi, 1997), which applies problem externalization, is recognized as a method within the systems approach. This study investigates the effects of problem externalization through a case in which a school counselor employed the "bug extermination" technique to assist a student troubled by the complaint of "small things bothering me".
The client was a male high school sophomore. Over six months, ten counseling sessions were conducted in the school. The effectiveness of the counseling was primarily validated through the client's self-reported adjustment to school life. When the counselor externalized the issue, the client labeled the problem a "pest". This naming allowed for a more concrete examination of the client's concerns, which had previously been approached more abstractly during counseling. Additionally, the client's desire to "eliminate his worries" revealed an underlying obsessive-compulsive tendency, helping him understand how he had been self-tormenting. Problem externalization not only enabled the client to detach himself from the problem, perceiving it as an entity to be managed but also facilitated a virtual visualization of the issue, clarifying the context in which the counselor and client worked collaboratively to address it. The externalization also occurred within the counselor, and this triadic relationship—among the client, the counselor, and the externalized problem—facilitated the formation of a collaborative therapeutic alliance.

Authors:
Satoshi Sasaki, Heian Jogakuin (St. Agnes') University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Stoshi SASAKI is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pre-school and Elementary Education at Heian Jogakuin (St. Agnes') University. His research focuses on school adjustment, bullying, transition support, and team-based interventions.

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