NORTHSIDE
TRAINING
The Power of Names:
How Names Affect Life Scripts
Delve with us into the profound ways in which names are connected to our life scripts.
We will examine how they influence our self-image, our relationships, and our interactions with the world around us. By exploring these connections, we will remind ourselves of the importance of paying attention to names when working with clients. Understanding the power of a name can enhance our ability to support and connect with those we seek to help, ensuring a more nuanced and empathetic therapeutic practice.
12 September 2024 6.00pm - 8.00pm Online
Recording available
Course Information
Course content
Our names are deeply intertwined with our identities and self-perceptions, serving as the lenses through which others view us. From the moment we are born, our names become a fundamental part of who we are. They are used so frequently in daily life that we often overlook their significance, letting them fade into the background of our consciousness. Over time, we become so accustomed to our names that we stop recognizing their influence on us.
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Names carry a multitude of meanings and connotations. Factors such as spelling, origins, pronunciation, associations, and variations all uniquely shape our lives. A name can evoke cultural heritage, family history, and personal memories. It can influence first impressions, social interactions, and even professional opportunities. Additionally, a name can significantly impact the therapeutic process, subtly shaping the dynamics between therapist and client and coloring their interactions in specific ways.
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We will then journey into how our names influence the way others perceive us. This exploration will include a discussion of the Bouba/Kiki effect (Köhler, 1929) and a short exercise to understand how different names are perceived. Additionally, we will explore how parents choose names for their children and the stereotypes associated with various names.
Following this, we will examine the broader implications of this phenomenon on various aspects of our life scripts, including self-image, behavior, decisions, and relationships. We will discuss the Dorian Gray effect (Zwebner et al., 2016) and the concept of attributions in Transactional Analysis (Steiner, 1974), considering how these theories illuminate the impact of names on our lives. We will also touch upon the topic of equality and discrimination around names, and discuss cultural aspects of different names.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the profound ways in which names shape our identities and interactions, and how this awareness can enhance therapeutic practices.
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Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is for counsellors, psychotherapists and mental health practitioners as well as students who want to learn about the impact of names to clients’ life scripts and therapeutic process.
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Given that we only have 2 hours for this workshop, although there will be some small group work, there will be a large verbal teaching element. There will, however, be space for people to complete some of these models during the session.
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About the trainer
Hanna Konoplianyk – PTSTA is a therapist, trainer and supervisor who works predominantly with immigrants, expats or people from multicultural families. While working with her clients she became more aware of the impact of the name and how it’s perceived by society to people’s identities and lives in general. Her experience of changing English spelling of her name awoke her special interest to this topic and led to some fascinating discoveries which she will share during the workshop.