Years ago a frustrated Southpark aired an episode entitled something like “the Simpson’s did it” in which the makers expressed frustration over trying to make a cartoon in the shadow of the Simpsons who have been staples since many of us were kids and thus have done just about everything at one time or another. Like many folks I laughed when I saw the episode but unlike the Southpark, I had realized this years before and had used examples from the Simpsons for many years in my therapy where I thought it would help a client understand a concept, idea, situation etc.. Using contemporary examples can help clients understand difficult topics, terms and concepts. Life can be complicated to be sure but take a minute and think about things that help you remember concepts. “righty tighty, lefty loosy” helps us remember how to tighten or loosen non gas related parts (certain types of gas fittings are reverse threaded for safety, so items such as gas and water lines are harder to mix up). For those of us that do home improvement, building, plumbing etc. the term “holy cow” helps us remember what side to place the hot or cold water lines for faucets and showers (hot on left, cold on right). For those who are preparing for a psych exam we may have remembered that the meat powder in experimental psych was the unconditioned stimulus by remembering the term “in the US we eat a lot of meat.” The list goes on and on. So too does the list of things that the Simpsons have gotten into. Sure many of them are too crazy for every day sessions, but in the mix of D’oh’s!, eat my shorts, I know you are but what am I? ouch quit it! and the hundreds of things that would leave us dead if we tried it at home, lie gems that can reach clients who watch and or can relate to the Simpsons in some way. In the 20 or so years that they have been on TV they have touched on concepts such as the loss of pets, loved ones, being homosexual, race relations, loss of friends through divorce, moving or just growing apart. They have tackled alcoholism and other drug abuse and addictions, dieting, marital issues and divorce. Really, it is easier to talk about that they have not covered. I am sure that list would be short. Years ago I was talking with a client who was dealing with issues of abuse, neglect, drug use and codependency while attempting to get her children back. I tried to use a Simpsons reference and she replied “I never let my children watch that show.” Without missing a beat I replied “maybe you that’s part of the problem.” We then started to explore how she went to great ends to “protect” her children from such negative influences as a spiked hair cartoon skate boarder yet she allowed drug abuse, domestic abuse and a host of other things to occur daily in her home in full view of her children. I don’t think she ever let them watch the cartoon but she did gain some insight into her priorities and where the real damage was taking place. Most times the examples come from specific episodes of characters and are met with an array of responses like:”wow, now that makes sense. I do act a lot like…” or “oh, I get it now, (enter term) is like when Flanders does…” And yes, sometimes my best attempts fall flat and I get “wait, I don’t get it.” which is of course is one of Homer’s common sayings. Sometimes I go into an area that is not comfortable or natural for me and I watch or listen to things that I otherwise would never care for. Getting familiar with some of the things that our clients experience can help gain insight into how they think, what they value and most importantly, how we can reach them. So you may have to watch an episode of “bully beat down” or an Anime cartoon; you may skim a book that you otherwise would not touch or listen to some music that is not your taste but in doing so you just may find a missing key to reaching your client. Never underestimate the ways in which we find how to reach those we serve. Years ago I was called into a family session at a hospital that I worked. I had to assist with a therapeutic hold on a very ill and combative patient that no one had been able to reach. Understaffed and without the assistance that we normally would have I held this young man for quite some time, reassuring him that I was doing so for his safety and that I needed him to show me that he was safe so I could release him, one step at a time. In the middle of spitting, head butting and calling me every swear I had ever heard and a few that I needed to take a mental note of to find out what they meant, he began to sing a song that near as I could tell was “Warren is an A**hole in A minor” or something like that. The language was vile to be sure but I caught myself humming the tune and smiling because I had him! I later recommended to his primary that music would be the key to reaching him. It also could be the key to teaching him as well! A few colleagues thought I was insane as I retold the discovery. Many just said “let me get this straight, the punk spit, kicked and swore at you and you are excited about it.” A few understood the significance; we had learned how to reach a teen who by definition had been unreachable. Sometimes we explore the dusty recesses of psych books; we search for the esoteric explanations of life’s mysteries in an attempt to help educate our clients when a simple example from contemporary society can do wonders. Don’t be afraid to expand your current tools in order to find new ways to reach your client. Plus, it gives an excuse to watch cartoons, and after all, any day that ends with a cartoon is a day that makes this guy a happy camper.
Warren Corson III (Doc Warren) is a counselor and the clinical & executive director of a community counseling agency in central CT (www.docwarren.org).