Externalizing: A Way To Escape Your Problems

We humans often need help solving our problems. One thing we can do in this regard is go into therapy, and one of the techniques most used there is externalization. Today we will go into this in more detail.

People come to the therapist with all kinds of problems that they have not been able to solve on their own. Often these problems occur within us. This means that they are not fully constructed and thought through. It is often the symptoms that cause people to enter therapy: anxiety, lack of motivation, sadness, stress, relationship problems, family problems, etc.

Externalization is a technique psychologists use to help their patients solve their problems. It allows us to observe our problems or symptoms from the outside and quickly and effectively find meaning or solutions.

Our symptoms don’t define us

People who go to therapy are usually very attached to their beliefs, problems and symptoms. In fact, they may see these things as part of themselves and are oblivious to other perspectives.

For example, a person may find it difficult to differentiate himself from his anxiety, his depression or his low self-esteem. It’s hard for him not to include it in how he talks about his personality.

In therapy, a person may express things that they normally don’t talk about with anyone, including things that hurt them or things they don’t like about themselves. Defense mechanisms can play a role here and hinder progress.

The origins of externalizing can be traced back to systemic therapy. One of the first to propose this approach was systems therapist Michael White, who gave this technique a central role in his therapeutic approach.

How externalizing works

We are often so caught up in our problems that we become blind to solutions. Externalizing means exposing something that a person assumes is only inside. For example, it can be done through drawing. The idea is to perceive the problem externally.

Think of someone with a lot of fear. The person has internalized their fear to the point where they now define themselves as a fearful person. This is not only painful for him, but also mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. However, externalizing the symptoms can help alleviate this suffering.

It works like this: the person chooses which element to externalize (symptoms, emotions, problems) and names it. Then you create distance between the person and what he externalized. Finally, you help the person see their problem from a different point of view.

The benefits of changing perspective

The benefits of externalizing include:

• Emotional Balance : The person can feel a sense of relief and peace by speaking their problems out loud. When someone is emotionally stable, it will be easier to observe the problem from a different perspective.

• Greater self-control when dealing with symptoms and problems. When a person has internalized the symptom or problem, they may feel that they have no control over what happens to them. Taking a different perspective improves his ability to manage his problems.
• New means to tackle the problem in question. Solving problems is not always easy. Externalizing allows a person to use new resources to unblock the situation. New tools lead to new solutions.
• Increased responsibility for problems. If the person feels overwhelmed by his problems, he may lose control of the situation. By externalizing, he can take responsibility for what he can change.

• Changing and questioning beliefs. Preconceived ideas can hinder more than they help. This technique causes the person to open up to create new ways of thinking.
• Create distance between the problem and the person. Externalizing makes it easier for the person to expand or adjust their perspective. Then he can distance himself from the identity he has given himself. For example, instead of thinking, “I’m grumpy, I’m always angry,” he might think, “I get angry sometimes, but not always.”

How do you escape your problems?

With this technique, we not only externalize problems or symptoms, but also learn a lot about our own qualities, resources and strengths. This allows a person to look at their problem from a constructive perspective and not get so overwhelmed. It’s like putting on new glasses.

In principle, externalizing offers a new perspective and new meaning to a problem. This then opens the door to new solutions and change.