Publication details
Integrative aspects of narrative metaphor in psychotherapy for mind-body problems
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2007 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Within the last decades a metaphor of story and narrative attracted attention of many scholars as well as practitioners from various disciplines such as psychology, psychotherapy and social sciences. A new approach called narrative therapy has sparked enthusiasm of practitioners from various working contexts in different countries around the globe. Research on narrative and psychotherapy followed and expanded despite scientists initial hesitation fuelled by some proponents of narrative therapy, who grounded their therapeutic principles in postmodern philosophy and theory of social construction. Stories dominating patients lives, which developed around an intractable problem or significant relationships, became a central focus of narrative-informed individual psychotherapy and also systemic family therapy. Clinicians started to pay more attention to patients narratives which were considered as an important resource for both understanding therapy process and essential vehicles for positive change. Narrating experience and multiple perspectives of family members often appeared to enhance the understanding and reflection upon different meanings of behaviour of a person with mental illness or so called psychosomatic problems. Unlike the prevailing trend of categorization and medicalisation in mental health that sustains monological ways of treatment, the narrative approach brings forth dialogical interaction and collaboration between a therapist and a patient as well as his or her family. For problems in childhood and adolescence in particular is the narrative approach beneficial. It may help to improve the family relationships and consequently quality of life of children and adolescents. What is the integrative potential of narrative metaphor with regard to many outwardly dissimilar psychotherapy models? How can narrative approach be integrated in systemic therapies? In which indications might the narrative approach be most useful? The presentation aims at answering those questions while emphasizing the integrative aspect of narrative metaphor with its special usefulnes in psychosomatic medicine. The presented paper is supported by the grant No.406/06/0035 GA CR. |