People often need help dealing with problems or symptoms they are experiencing and need therapy. One of the most commonly used techniques in this context is the outsourcing of symptoms.
People come to the office with several issues that they have not been able to resolve for themselves; Problems that are very internalized most of the time, which does not mean that they are well developed. Symptoms that may accompany the reason for the appointment are very diverse: anxiety, demotion, sadness, stress, and even partner or family problems.
- Outsourcing symptoms is a therapeutic tool used by psychologists so that patients can distance the therself from their problems.
- This allows people to observe their difficulties or symptoms and find meaning or solution quickly and efficiently.
Often, people who are in therapy are very attached to their beliefs, problems and symptoms, both living and being part of themselves, without the ability to broaden their perspective to see their reality otherwise, for example, they find it difficult to differentiate themselves from their anxiety, depression or low self-esteem. They see them as part of themselves and not as a problem that can be solved.
People tell their psychologist their shadows, which they don’t normally tell anyone, not even what hurts them or they don’t like about themselves. Usually, if they trust the professional, they show everything they usually hide because they understand that it makes them feel bad. At this stage, there are difficulties to change as well as the different defense mechanisms that can make treatment difficult.
The technique of outsourcing symptoms or problems is based on systemic therapy. One of the first to propose this approach was systems therapist Michael White, who made this technique the centerpiece of his therapeutic approach.
“When you think there’s no solution to your problems, create one. “Anonymous?
We are often so involved in our problems that we cannot find any solution. Is outsourcing based? Bring out what the person keeps inside. This can be done by drawing or using other elements that make it easier to observe the outside problem.
Imagine a person with anxiety who experiences so much anxiety that he is defined as an anxious person, this generates a lot of suffering, mental, emotional and physical fatigue, symptoms or external problems can help alleviate this suffering.
First you have to choose which element to externalize (symptoms, emotions, problems), give a name to the externalized element, create a distance between the person and what it externalizes and finally help him face his difficulty. view.
The effects of this technique on the people who experience it are very varied and, therefore, we want to detail them below:
In this type of therapy, not only problems or symptoms are outsourced; From this new perspective you can also analyze qualities, resources or assets, in this way the person can move away from what oppressed him and perceive his situation from a more constructive point of view, in a way, it is like achieving a new goal. : it will make it easier to accept or resolve what you are worried about or blocking.
This procedure provides a new look and meaning to the problem and therefore facilitates a faster solution. The benefits of this therapeutic tool are based on the fact that people no longer take the difficulties as part of themselves, but can change their focus and improve their quality of life.