The role of client-generated narratives in psychotherapy

Abstract

A consideration of client-generated narratives suggests that they serve vital intra- as well as interpersonal functions in psychotherapy. In particular, narratives often represent clients' attempts to establish a sense of coherence and continuity in their lived experience; this is illustrated by entries from two clients' personal therapeutic journals. The case studies are followed by a discussion of the defining features of narratives in both their historical and anticipatory dimensions. The article concludes with a description of the range of procedures that constructivist therapists have developed to foster therapeutic reconstruction.