Narrative Therapy Interview



Narrative Therapy Interview

Introduction

The practice of narrative therapy is to help individuals “articulate multiple aspects of their lived experiences and then aim to identify and amplify indicators of strength and resiliency that clients often fail to recognize when describing their situations” (White, 2007; Kayma, 2007, p. 208). In this paper, I focus on ways in which counselors can adapt narrative therapy to cultivate and support the clients' creativity for use in the life review process. The counselor acts in a co creative and consultative role, drawing on the client's expertise about his or her own life and constructing a collaborative process that also can engage the client's family, caregivers, and important others in the client's community.

Discussion

Agency

The agency, where I work as an intern, is a profit corporation that specializes in affordable housing for elderly and families. They have Resident Social Service Coordinators (RSSC) who are liaisons between management and the residents. They meet and help the needs of the residents to ensure that they live in a quality environment. As an RSSC, I assist residents in accessing services and resolving personal and tenancy issues. I develop and foster self sufficiency when working with residents. As an RSSC, I collaborate with property management to create a safe environment.

Identifying Data

Mrs. Smith is a 76 year old white female of Italian decent who resides in low-income housing. Mrs. Smith has lived on the property for five years. She was married for 50 years. She is a widow, and she is grieving the loss of her husband since two years. Mrs. Smith is dealing with depression and isolation. She is under weight and frail. Mrs. Smith has been diagnosed with cataract and has canceled numerous appointments because she did not have anyone to go with her. In addition, she has been diagnosed with COPD, Asthma and emphysema. She smokes heavily, and she has a problem with alcohol. Alcohol has a large impact on her health and well-being.

Mrs. Smith was first assigned as a short-term client. My first approach was to use Brief theory for intervention. The main focus was to address her drinking and knocking on other tenants doors in my next few sessions with Mrs. Smith. She persistently denied having a problem with alcohol and would refuse to discuss it. During one of our conversation, we discussed the problems that her drinking was causing, and She decided to call her drinking “loop d loop”. At that time, not knowing much about naming the problem through a narrative approach, I noticed that she felt more comfortable talking about “loop d loop” as it was a separate identity. This was a big step for her. I understand that “once a person is separated from the problem or dominant problem story, once they begin speaking about themselves as being affected by the problem as opposed to themselves being, problematic, options become available (Morgan, A, 2000, p.24).

Depression afflicts adults of all ages, but the dominant discourse is that the elderly are uniquely vulnerable to its debilitating ...