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Narrative Therapy
Making Meaning, Making Lives



September 2006 | 368 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
á 'This volume is especially useful in demonstrating the effects of placing social discourses at the center of therapy. It gores many sacred cows of the larger modernist therapeutic community, but in doing so it offers new ideas for mental health professionals attempting to help their clients with common and serious life problems.'áááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááùPSYCCRITIQUES'This compilation is an insightful read for practitioners who have not taken the opportunity to use narrative therapy in practice...Experienced practitioners will certainly appreciate the theoretical analysis offered by the writers as well as the opportunity for reflective practice. Narrative Therapy is a meaningful contribution to a Canadian book market lacking in clinical literature for social workers'áááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááùCANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERSNarrative Therapy:áMaking Meaning, Making Livesáoffers a comprehensive introduction to and critique of narrative therapy and its theories. This edited volume introduces students to the history and theory of narrative therapy. Authors Catrina Brown and Tod Augusta-Scott situate this approach to theory and practice within the context of various feminist, post-modern and critical theories. Through the presentation of case studies, Narrative Therapy: Making Meaning, Making Livesáshows how this narrative-oriented theory can be applied in the client-therapist experience. Many important therapeutic situations (abuse, addictions, eating disorders, and more) are addressed from the narrative perspective.áá Rooted in social constructionism, and emerging initially from family therapy, narrative therapy emphasizes the idea that we live storied lives. Within this approach, the editors and contributors seek to show how we make sense of our lives and experiences by ascribing meaning through stories which themselves arise within social conversations and culturally available discourses. Our stories donÆt simply represent us or mirror lived events; they actually constitute usùshaping our lives as well as our relationships.áááNarrative Therapyáwill be a valuable supplemental textbookáfor theory and practice courses in departments of Counseling and Psychotherapy and of Social Work as well as for courses in Gender and Women Studies.á
 
Acknowledgments
Catrina Brown, Tod Augusta-Scott
Introduction: Postmodernism, Reflexivity, and Narrative Therapy
 
PART I: WRITING IN THE SOCIAL
Catrina Brown
Ch 1. Situating Knowledge and Power in the Therapeutic Alliance
Michelle N. Lafrance, Janet M. Stoppard
Ch 2. Re-storying Women's Depression: A Material-Discursive Approach
Karin Jasper
Ch 3. The Blinding Power of Genetics: Manufacturing and Privatizing Stories of Eating Disorders
Colin James Sanders
Ch 4. Poetics of Resistance: Compassionate Practice in Substance Misuse Therapy
Normand Carrey
Ch 5. Practicing Psychiatry Through a Narrative Lens: Working With Children, Youth, and Families
 
PART II: SELF-SURVEILLANCE: NORMALIZING PRACTICES OF SELF
Catrina Brown
Ch 6. Discipline and Desire: Regulating the Body/Self
Stephen Madigan
Ch 7. Watching the Other Watch: A Social Location of Problems
Glenda M. Russell
Ch 8. Internalized Homophobia: Lessons From the Mobius Strip
 
PART III: CHALLENGING ESSENTIALISM
Catrina Brown
Ch 9. Dethroning the Suppressed Voice: Unpacking Experience as Story
Tod Augusta-Scott
Ch 10.Conversations With Men About Women's Violence: Ending Men's Violence by Challenging Gender Essentialism
Tod Augusta-Scott
Ch 11. Challenging Essentialist Anti-Oppressive Discourse: Uniting Against Racism and Sexism
 
PART IV: RE-AUTHORING PREFERRED IDENTITIES
Jim Duvall, Laura Beres
Ch 12. Movement of Identities: A Map for Therapeutic Conversations About Trauma
Tod Augusta-Scott
Ch 13. Letters From Prison: Re-authoring Identity With Men Who Have Perpetrated Sexual Violence
Catrina Brown
Ch 14: Talking Body Talk: Blending Narrative and Feminist Approaches to Therapy
 
About the Editors
 
About the Contributors

"This book addresses so many of my unsettled questions at the narrative/ postmodern crossroads. The book is like an outstretched hand that arrived to take me from the edge of my thinking and invite me to venture a few steps further toward clarity and complexity. I found the book overall to be a mind-stretching invitation to turn up the volume on our reflexivity. It read like narrative theory to the second power (narrative X narrative) which offers expanded opportunities to be curious, multi-storied, and reflective — but also political and deconstructive."

Susie Snyder
Portland State University

"Blending modernist and postmodernist approaches, the contributors offer a variety of case studies that apply narrative therapy to a wide range of problems."

SciTech
Book News

"This compilation is an insightful read for practitioners who have not taken the opportunity to use narrative therapy in practice...Experienced practitioners will certainly appreciate the theoretical analysis offered by the writers as well as the opportunity for reflective practice.  Narrative Therapy is a meaningful contribution to a Canadian book market lacking in clinical literature for social workers" —CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS

Eugenia Repetur Moreno
CASW

"This volume is especially useful in demonstrating the effects of placing social discourses at the center of therapy.  It gores many sacred cows of the larger modernist therapeutic community, but in doing so it offers new ideas for mental health professionals attempting to help their clients with common and serious life problems."  —PSYCCRITIQUES

Alejandra Suarez and Douglas M. Kerr
PSYCCRITIQUES

An excellent resource for exploring the ways mental health issues in society are pathologised.

Mr John McGarrigle
Department of Humanities, Institute of Technology Carlow
March 28, 2014

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

Chapter 5


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