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Definition: Reframing describes a technique used in therapy to help create a different way of looking at a situation, person, or relationship by changing its meaning.
The essential idea behind reframing is that a persons point-of-view depends on the frame it is viewed in, the specific way they look at and understand it. When the frame is shifted, the meaning changes and thinking and behavior often change along with it.
Another way to understand the concept of reframing is to think of looking through the frame of a camera lens. The picture seen through the lens can be changed to a view that is closer or further away. By slightly changing what is seen in the camera, the picture is both viewed and experienced differently.
Examples of reframing:
In a family therapy session Carla complains bitterly that her mother is overly involved in her life, constantly nagging her about what she should be doing. In attempting to shift Carla's negative view of her mother, the therapist offers this reframe: "Isn't it loving of your mother to teach you ways to take care of yourself so you'll be prepared to live on your own without her?"
Here's another example:
A teen in individual therapy is struggling to accept the limitations of having a chronic illness. The therapist attempts to reframe how the teen views his illness by saying, "Can you think of your illness as a built in reminder to take care of your health throughout your life?"
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