SymLink Restructuring as a complementary

method in the prevention of suicidality

Author: Duan Enova, Clinical psychologist, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Division of Internal Medicine

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
The ability to control life situations is gradually
developed from childhood, and should result
in a solid self-esteem and self-confidence. Rational management of human living conditions,
which is based on objective experiences and
learned knowledge, is the most highly valued
ability in Western culture. The ability to understand a problem intuitively, search for a solution and employ problem-solving based on the
additional information thus obtained is therefore gravely neglected and underappreciated.
Intuitive insight and thoughts can be learned
and improved. A new method of developing intuition is called SymLink Restructuring (SLR),
or Restructuring of the symbolic links , and is
based on concepts developed by Carl Gustav
Jung. With this strategy, a person expands their
internal locus of control.
METHOD
In case of an intervention crisis, the counsellor
should offer basic support and should have a
highly developed intuitive sense. In rapid interventions, e. g. to spread the internal locus of
control of a suicidal person, the counsellor can
use the following tools:
The Archetypal roulette pad,
the book To the Sources of Health and Wisdom Through Art (1),
and the following four techniques:
Brainstorming synchronicity, The symbolism of the poem, Archetypal experiences of
life and 4 Seasons.
RESEARCH RESULTS
In ten patients with somatic disease and comorbid anxiety-depressive symptoms, in addition
to standard clinical psychological treatment,
the effectiveness of the SymLink Restructuring
method in offering important insights into the
patients current psychological issues was also
tested. Such insights should contribute to facilitating the transition to a new, more functional
quality of psychological functioning. In all patients, the results showed clear insights, which
in all cases related to the current psychological
problems of the patients. The results are of a
qualitative nature, in the form of case studies.

Table 1: 4 seasons model of SymLink Restructuring proces:

Seasons
WINTER

Fairy tale wisdom

Phase of
creative thinking

Insistence, trust

Preparation

Willingness to change ( P.& Di Clemente )

Fluctuation between awareness and
unawareness of the necessity of changes

SPRING

Help

Incubation

The decision to change and making a plan

SUMMER

Enthusiasm

Ilumination

Action towards change

AUTUMN

Distinction

Verification

Maintenance activities for a change

Presentation of one abbreviated case study:

The patient, aged 48, Dg: St.post myocardial
infarction, anxiety-depressive; at the end of the
standard psychological treatment after MI.
Technique: Brainstorming synchronicity, Word triad Synchronicity stimulus (the clients question):
Should I go into psychotherapy?
Synchronicity responses (among all obtained
meaningful words, those which are in symbolic
relation to his question):
ONJ = ONJA = Prof.dr. Onja Grad Tekavi, she is
the psychotherapist, national coordinator of suicide prevention programme in Slovenia.

The four season model (4S) helps to explain in

what stage a particular intuitive answer is, or to
what extent an intuitive response contributes to
the solution of the problem. How an intuitive response is evoked by using Archetypal Roulette
pad can be illustrated with pictures of an apple
tree in different seasons (see poster).
The branches of the tree are too thick, which represents the way of exaggerated rational thinking. In addition to rational thinking, intuition
also needs to be included. Our intuition resides
deep in the unconscious part of the psyche. For
this reason, it is imperative to be relaxed and
feel in contact with the ground before asking a
question. There is a lot going on in the ground
or deep in the unconsciousness it is like a universe of information in constant movement.

WINTER

SPRING

Winter is located above the ground, where

everything is resting. At this stage it is important
to believe, trust and insist that the answer exists
somewhere; it just needs to be found, although
this may take some time.
Playing the Archetype Roulette pad is like letting
the juice of life go up the roots and trunk of the
tree of knowledge. This is the incubation time,
where partial solutions are already starting to
show like flowers, but it is not the fruit of the tree
yet. All the elements of nature are helping the
flowers to grow and the counsellors tips act as
the bees.
We have to wait to see the first signs of the fruit,
which is illumination and later maturation. People
often do not immediately recognize the essence
of the answer and they should be assisted in identifying symbolism and its connection to their specific problems or issues.

AUTUMN

SUMMER

CONCLUSIONS
Skills of intuitive insight and thoughts can be
learned and improved. A new method of developing intuition is called SymLink Restructuring
(SLR) and is based on concepts developed by
Carl Gustav Jung. With this strategy, a person is
expanding their internal locus of control. SymLink Restructuring could be a complementary
method to the basic crisis counselling of suicidal
people, as well as a primary and secondary prevention of suicide. In the near future, sufficient
research data for designing the first randomized
study with a larger number of depressed participants will be obtained. The usefulness of this
method in the prevention of suicidal behaviour,
however, will need to be confirmed with a specific study.

RESULTS

The 4 seasons model of

SymLink Restructuring
process

Autumn is the time for distinguishing between

genuine and quasi answers that were picked as
ripe apples. We estimate how much power and
influence an answer has to start the process of
changing behavior, according to the continuum
of phases of the readiness for change process
by the authors Prochaska and Di Clemente. It is
important to distinguish between the final obtained key words (synchronicity), between those
with positive and those with negative connotations. It should be noted that both have their purpose and meaning, and somewhere in the middle lies the correct and the right answer. People
who are not used to noticing symbolism would
need assistance or a counsellor at least in the
beginning, until they gain enough experience.
These phases are in the same symbolic order
as the phases of four seasons, and are symbolically linked to a fairytale by Jerneja Pavek in
the book To the Sources of Health and Wisdom
through Art (1).

NOJ ( OSTRICH ):
Client: The ostrich is a large African bird with long
strong legs, and it cannot fly; I do not like it.
Consultant: What else might be like an ostrich?.
The client cannot think of any more associations
with the word. The consultant reminds him of a
symbolic meaning of the word ostrich: burying
head in the sand.
Client: Of course, this is a man who deliberately
ignores the facts, he looks for more favourable solutions for himself, so that it is not necessary for
him to deal with his psychological issues; he is a
bird which does not fly, flying means the culmination of freedom. I feel much like the ostrich
- heavy and unable to fly. I am something I do not
live, I am afraid to know that ... if I discovered that I

might hurt someone (not in the sense of violence)

by devoting more attention to myself. Im a little
scared with regard to psychotherapy.
Summary
From results of the SymLink Restructuring method
and from a conversation with a patient, it is clear
the patient is at the stage of contemplation of a
possible change, which marks the beginning of
psychotherapy. Possible intervention: directing the
patient to think about predominance of reasons for
change, while stressing the risk of maintaining the
problem behaviour. (See Stages of Change Model
by Prochaska and DiClemente).

REFERENCE
(1): Enova D., Pavek J., et al. (2013). Do izvirov zdravja in modrosti skozi umetnost.( ur. Aleksandra Kocmut
in Duan Enova). Ljubljana : Drutvo za pomo z
umetnostjo Lotisa.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I thank to Dina Gore, student of art at the Faculty of Education Ljubljana for tree images in different seasons.
For assistence in developing User manual for Archetypal Roulette pad, I thank to my colleagues of Society
for helping with art Lotisa: Dominika Porti, Mirjana
Gabrovec, Roman Vahi, Marko Krofli, Marija Perdih,
Ajda ukovt, Klemen Jan Enova, Catherina Zavodnik,
Mitja Derenda, Janja Enova and Tej Enova.