Tiltai

The aim of the article is to argue against a few problem aspects in narrative therapy practice from the perspective of Patristic anthropology. The author focuses on several parallel issues in the practical implementation of the method, which gives an opportunity to discuss the methodology to solve essentially important conceptual issues. The assumption that merely replacing the dominant narrative with the more promising alternative can solve a client’s crisis issue is put into doubt. The thesis common in classic narrative therapy that ‘the problem is the problem [of the narrative], but the client is not the problem’ (Differentiating the Client, 2024) is revisited. A simple replacement of the narrative may be a temporary solution, since it affects only the surface of the narrative, only the shell composed of a sequence of external events, but narrative therapy in its classic form as a long-term solution to the identity crisis fails.

The nursing profession is full of challenges, and constant contact with ill patients and complex situations generates stress and anxiety. Reflection is considered one of the most effective ways to cope with stress. The benefits of reflection are multifaceted. Reflection helps us to analyse experiences, learn from them, and reduce emotional tension. To reveal the benefits of reflection, a qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with nurses. It was found that nurses employ various modes of reflection that help them analyse the situations they experience and the actions they have taken. The results show that reflection empowers nurses for mindfulness, intra-dialogue, structured action, and professional reciprocity.

The article examines the phenomenon of self-realisation among older adults in the context of social work, revealing how social workers perceive and support the search for meaning in life in their professional practice. The study was based on a qualitative narrative approach that made it possible to explore the experiences of social workers, processes of meaning-making, and principles of existential empowerment applied in working with elderly clients. The analysis showed that self-realisation in old age is a dynamic and multi-dimensional process, shaped by the interaction of internal (faith, values, reflection) and external (family relations, activity, community) factors. The role of the social worker takes on the meaning of existential companionship, helping individuals rediscover meaning, preserve dignity, and experience personal worth in everyday life. The results showed that the application of empowerment, dialogue and principles of meaningful participation in social work practice strengthens the continuity of identity, self-esteem and sense of life fulfilment among older adults.

The aim of the article is to reveal the value dimensions of the expression of neighbourly love, analysing it in the context of the family system and the anthropological (theological) context. Based on the assumption that the basis of neighbourly love is formed in the family, and the acquired moral and spiritual attitudes are later transferred to social life, the study emphasises the importance of the family for the transmission of values. Representatives of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, interviewed using the qualitative semi-structured interview method, revealed that neighbourly love is manifested through respect, care, forgiveness, responsibility, faith, and service to another person. Although there is a noticeable isolation and limited perception of neighbourliness in society, from the point of view of all three nations, the family remains the main space in which the ability to love one’s neighbour is developed, and, through faith and daily work, to expand the boundaries of this love beyond the personal environment.