The technique of externalizing the problem was used in this practice to break from the problem story and separate the person from the story. The problem becomes separate from the person rather than a defining factor. This practice included recognizing verbal labels students often place on themselves and those that others use to identity them. The poems on the right are examples of externalizing the problem. These new narratives, created by Antonio and Ricardo, disrupt and challenge their problem stories and labels such as, juvenile delinquent and drug addict. 

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