Labels, Language and the Lives They Miss: A Bonus Conversation with Sanni Paljakka and Tom Stone Carlson Part 1
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Labels, Language and the Lives They Miss: A Bonus Conversation with Sanni Paljakka and Tom Stone Carlson Part 1

55:32 Sep 5, 2025
About this episode
In this bonus episode of Therapist Confidential, host Travis Heath is joined by Sanni Paljakka and Tom Stone Carlson for a spirited conversation on the evolving language of narrative therapy. They challenge the rise of diagnostic labels, explore the concept of "unstories," and reflect on how language both shapes and limits our understanding of human suffering. A timely dialogue, brought to you by Psychotherapy.net, for therapists seeking to reclaim imagination and complexity in the therapy room. Guests: Sanni Paljakka & Tom Stone Carlson  Topics: Narrative therapy, diagnostic labels, unstory vs. problem story, redefining client struggles  Highlights:  New terms introduced in contemporary narrative therapy  How diagnosis can obscure lived experience  “Unstories” as a response to label-driven therapy  The cultural dangers of “cutified” therapy 
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