Who would study psychology unless they had some issues?!
Chapter 319 - 317 [Meaning Reconstruction]

Chapter 319: Chapter 317 [Meaning Reconstruction]

Regardless of the school of thought or technique.

Exposing the problem and allowing the visitor to recognize their issue is the first step.

In the [Existentialist School], more is demanded on this premise—after exposing the problem, the visitor must also focus on the "feelings of the present" and the "reasons behind those present feelings."

This is the first stage—[Phenomenological Exploration]!

Teacher Xiao Zhao has been completely convinced by Nan Zhubin and is advancing quickly in this stage.

"If it weren’t for you, Mr. Nan, pointing it out, I probably wouldn’t have thought it was a problem, and I wouldn’t have realized I was ’defending’ against ’defense’ itself."

Teacher Xiao Zhao pondered for a moment: "According to what we just discussed, my few instances of ’defense’ are due to feelings of ’defeat,’ and this kind of ’defeat’... is all work-related."

"Why do you feel ’defeated’ at work?" Nan Zhubin pressed.

"...On one hand, I feel that fulfilling my job duties is fraught with difficulties because students and superiors are placing obstacles in the way of my work."

Teacher Xiao Zhao referred to two events: "the male student’s confession" and "the school leadership assigning trivial tasks occupying time."

"On the other hand, I feel that providing consultations to students close to their college entrance exams might disrupt their academic performance... such consultations are unnecessary, and I, as a psychological teacher, seem to have become a placeholder in the system..."

Nan Zhubin nodded slightly.

It’s time to push into the second stage.

There are many techniques in existentialism, and depending on the visitor’s situation, different techniques can be chosen; the consultant can select different techniques within a large existential framework to form different stages of a comprehensive intervention.

For Teacher Xiao Zhao’s situation, Nan Zhubin chose to perform [Meaning Reconstruction] in this stage.

Nan Zhubin thought for a moment and said: "You’ve mentioned many times that you feel ’providing consultations to students now’ is meaningless; even if you did conduct consultations, you feel that the quality of the consultations you are giving now does not compare to before."

"...Yes."

Nan Zhubin frowned, making a half-smiling, half-perplexed expression.

He said: "Paying attention to ’consultation quality’ is something a ’consultant’ would consider."

"But, Teacher Xiao Zhao, you are now a ’psychological teacher,’ not a ’consultant’ anymore."

Teacher Xiao Zhao blinked, mind a bit short-circuited.

Then, involuntarily opening their mouth.

...

Different professions define "meaning" differently.

Doctors find meaning in saving lives, firefighters in firefighting and disaster prevention, soldiers in guarding the country.

So, what about teachers?

Whatever it may be, it’s clear that Teacher Xiao Zhao is getting stuck on the definition of meaning.

"’Poor consultation quality,’ ’not providing adequate help to the visitor in the consultation,’ these would make a psychological consultant feel defeated—it’s understandable."

Nan Zhubin said: "But, Teacher Xiao Zhao, now you are a ’psychological teacher’! Compared to a ’psychological consultant’... you’ve switched careers!"

"Your primary identity now is even a ’teacher,’ and then a ’psychological teacher.’"

"And your principal work—’psychological health education,’ not ’psychological consultation’!"

Teacher Xiao Zhao’s mouth opened wider.

Nan Zhubin’s words struck a blind spot in her cognition all along.

The implication is—you have already switched careers but are still holding yourself to the standards of your previous profession.

Observing Teacher Xiao Zhao’s reaction, Nan Zhubin chuckled inwardly—the current [Meaning Reconstruction] between different professions is rather simple. Even within the same profession, across different posts and times, he can construct different "meanings"!

"Teacher Xiao Zhao, you mentioned before that you majored in Applied Psychology for your undergraduate studies, focusing on consultation, right?"

Teacher Xiao Zhao nodded.

Nan Zhubin said: "So you have always been cultivating yourself in the direction of a psychological consultant, and have consistently held yourself to the standards of a psychological consultant. This may have caused you, as a psychological teacher now, to have an unadjusted mindset—"

"You still view ’psychological consultation’ as an ’important method’ of exercising professional ability, even as the ’only method.’"

"But... that is not the case." Nan Zhubin gently shook his head, "You blame yourself for ’not doing well in consultations,’ criticize yourself just like an orthopedic doctor would be vexed for not performing heart surgery or a policeman being upset for not extinguishing a mall fire."

"Of course, I’m not saying this is bad—this precisely shows that you have a higher sense of responsibility and professional ethics than most."

Nan Zhubin shrugged: "But... this is a bit of [Overblaming], you know what I mean."

Teacher Xiao Zhao was silent for a moment and then slowly said: "Mr. Nan... are you trying to make excuses for me?"

You know, it really does have a hint of "excuse" flavor.

But that’s not all Nan Zhubin intended to do.

After removing the original [self-blame], the empty space needs to be filled with [the sense of achievement] to occupy its place; otherwise, it’s uncertain when that place might again be overtaken by [self-blame].

Facing Teacher Xiao Zhao’s question, Nan Zhubin gently shook his head: "No... you don’t need so-called ’excuses.’ ’Excuses’ are words used for those who made mistakes, and you are just the opposite, you have always been doing well."

Teacher Xiao Zhao seemed to want to object but stopped, with a hint of expectation that Nan Zhubin might say something complimentary.

"You’ve said that during class, you let the students either self-study or sleep, as long as they don’t disturb others, they can do anything, right?"

Teacher Xiao Zhao blinked.

Expression seemed to say—ah, is that all?

"Perhaps you think ’this isn’t genuine psychological work; I didn’t study psychological consultation techniques for four years to let students sleep during class’." Nan Zhubin preemptively said.

Teacher Xiao Zhao was at a loss, stunned by the pre-emption.

"But when we look beyond the surface action of ’letting students sleep during class,’ is it not a psychological intervention measure you’ve ’actively chosen’ to ’alleviate students’ study stress’?"

Nan Zhubin shrugged his shoulders: "After all, if you look at the surface, psychological consultation is merely ’finding a place to talk with the student’."

"And psychological consultation takes weeks, months, and intervenes with only one student at a time. But with one class session, you allow an entire class of students to achieve rest and reduce stress through their own choices. Isn’t this, for you, better than doing 10 or 20 consultations?"

Nan Zhubin’s eyes reflected earnestness: "This is the ’meaning’ of being a ’psychological teacher.’"