Why Specificity Matters in Therapy

"Rick Moody's famous short story "Boys" begins as generically as possible: "Boys enter the house, boys enter the house." The repetition establishes a rhythm for a story composed in one long paragraph, with almost every single sentence beginning with "Boys enter." The story is about a particular family in a particular suburb, sure. But as the repetition and lack of any specific names or physical description reinforce, it's also about all boys."

"A general rule of literature is that the more specific the writer writes, the more universal the content becomes. With a wry wit, Moody is playing with this irony. The plot of the story is as cookie-cutter as they come. Boys cause trouble, grow up, get married, and grieve the loss of their father as they are just becoming fathers themselves: a simple bildungsroman."

"Take, for instance, the pubescent ritual of concocting an absolutely wretched gastronomical thing from leftovers around the house or school lunch table. Moody takes the description to a comical level: "Where boys mix lighter fluid, vanilla pudding, drain-opening lye, balsamic vinegar, blue food coloring, calamine lotion..." The needless excess of the prose mirrors the needless excess of the gastronomical concoction itself. (Pity the poor boy triple-dared to taste it!)"

A tension exists between specificity and universality across literature and therapy. Generic repetition can create rhythm while specific sensory details produce universality. Detailed, metaphorical descriptions transform conventional plots into resonant, universal experiences. Rich, excessive imagery can mirror excess in subject matter, amplifying emotional effect. Specific language and metaphor correlate with improved clinical outcomes by enhancing reflective functioning and emotional resilience. Reflective functioning serves as a measurable window into language-linked resilience. Language can be used deliberately to strengthen reflective functioning and to invite experiences of wonder. Clinical practice can leverage rich description to foster meaning-making and empathy. Therapeutic use of language that balances specificity with universality supports recovery.

Read at Psychology Today