"Once upon a time, everything was understood through stories....The
philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said that 'if we possess our why
of life we can put up with almost any how.'...Stories always dealt
with the `why' questions. The answers they gave did not have to be
literally true; they only had to satisfy people's curiosity by providing
an answer, less for the mind than for the soul." --From Chapter 1
Each of us has a story to tell that is uniquely personal and profoundly
meaningful. The goal of the modern therapist is to help clients probe
deeply enough to find their own voice, describe their experiences, and
create a narrative in which a life story takes shape and makes sense.
Emphasizing the vital connections among personal experience, family, and
community, the authors of this provocative new book explore the role of
narrative therapy within the context of a postmodern culture. They
employ the interactional dynamics of family therapy to demonstrate how
to help people deconstruct oppressive and debilitating perspectives,
replace them with liberating and legitimizing stories, and develop a
framework of meaning and direction for more intentional, more fulfilling
lives. Blending scientific theory with literary aesthetics, Story
Re-Visions presents a comprehensive collection of specific narrative
therapy techniques, inventions, interviewing guidelines, and therapeutic
questions.
The book examines the development of the postmodern phenomenon, tracing
its evolution across time and disciplines. It discusses paradigmatic
traditions, the meaning of modernism, and the ways in which the ancient,
binding narratives have lost their power to inspire uncritical assent.
Methods for doing narrative therapy in a destoried world are presented,
with suggestions for meeting the challenges of postmodern value systems
and ethical dilemmas.
Numerous case examples and dialogues illustrate ways to help people
become authors of their own stories, and each of the last four chapters
concludes with an appendix that provides additional information for the
practicing clinician. Detailing ways in which a narrative framework
enhances family therapy, the authors describe how the therapist and
client may act together as revisionary editors, and present techniques
for keeping the story re-vision alive, well, and in charge. Finally, the
book examines re-vision techniques for clinical training and supervision
settings, with discussion of how therapists may help one another create
stories about their clients, as well as themselves.
Accessibly written and profoundly enlightening, Story Re-Visions is
ideal for family therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and anyone
else interested in doing therapy from a narrative stance. It is also
valuable as supplemental reading for courses in family therapy and other
psychotherapeutic disciplines.
