Composing the Self: Toward the Dialogical Reconstruction of Self-Identity

Composition work is an artistic method of work with identity and emotions, used in therapy, counseling, coaching, and training. Practiced in the context of constructivist counseling and grounded in dialogical self theory, it involves representation of a community of self or I-positions reflecting different aspects of one's identity through the use of small stones and other natural objects in a way that depicts their dynamic relation to one another. In this article, we illustrate a step-by-step implementation of this procedure to explore tensions and supportive relationships between these positions (e.g., I as Bohemian, I as angry, I as loser), as well as possibilities for their transformation. We begin with a brief description of the theoretical and practical warrant for the method, and then provide specific instructions that permit counselors working in many different settings to facilitate composition work with their clients, before offering a short case study featuring a man who drew on the procedure to reconstruct his view of important relational and emotional aspects of his identity as he faced both personal and professional transitions. We close by noting the flexibility of composition work in individual and group counseling, as well as in related domains such as life coaching and career counseling, and suggest some possible extensions of the method for use in these applications.