A Case Study of a Consultation Using the Two‐Circles Method With a Junior High School Teacher¹

Abstract

To resolve various problems in schools, a "school as a team" approach for teachers to cooperate with other professionals as well as other teachers has been introduced in Japan. Consultations are one method school counselors use to support teachers as a team. This study examines a consultation case using the two-circles method based on narrative therapy and discusses the possibilities and challenges when using this method in Japan. Using a case study analysis, the author found that the twocircles method contributed positively to the consultation by externalizing the problem, gathering local knowledge, visualizing the participants' narratives, and applying scaffolding to develop the consultee's story. The results suggest that this method could be useful for achieving the "school as a team" approach because it combines teachers' narratives to resolve problems in schools.

Editorial:Narrative‐BasedApproaches in Psychological Research and Practice

“…In this special issue, Ayashiro (2021) examines a case study using the two-circles method based on narrative therapy. He discusses the practical significance of group consultation for teachers from the viewpoint of multidisciplinary cooperation in the work of school counselors and "school as a team," which is to cooperate with other professionals as well as other teachers as has been introduced in Japan.…”