Making Sense of Someone’s Story

Counseling Toolkit for November 2023

Judy Cha, PhD

Director

As people share their stories, how do you make sense of what you have heard? Sometimes, as caregivers, we are not sure how to organize the amount of details they have shared about their lives and their struggles. Similar to doctors working with someone sharing a lot of information, it is imperative that we are able to organize what people are telling us in a cohesive way. This helps us effectively provide care that is specifically suited for that person.  In this toolkit, we provide an overview of the System of Self Redemption, which is the conceptual lens for making sense of the question, “What is the problem?” in our unique counseling approach called the Gospel-Centered Integrative Framework for Therapy or GIFT.