Contemplative Listening in Moral Issues: Moral Counseling Redefined in Principles and Method

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Counseling
• Ethics

Background:

• Traditional counseling often focuses on the content of client issues.
• A nuanced understanding of self-perception in moral discourse is lacking.
• Exploring the narrative construction of self is crucial for therapeutic progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel listening grid for moral counseling.
• To analyze the linguistic and narrative aspects of client self-talk.
• To understand how clients construct their moral convictions through discourse.

Main Methods:

• Development of a listening grid focusing on narrative self-perception.
• Analysis of client discourse regarding past, present, and future self-representation.
• Examination of the performative aspects of client self-narration.

Main Results:

• Clients' self-talk reveals a spectator-like perspective on their experiences.
• Awareness of the impact of their own talk is a key client insight.
• Clients identify past positives and future aspirations to form convictions.

Conclusions:

• The listening grid facilitates deeper exploration of moral decision-making.
• Understanding how clients narrate themselves is central to moral counseling.
• This method aids clients in discovering convictions for future actions.