The Use of Narrative Therapy with Clients Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder

ABSTRACT

Clients diagnosed with bipolar disorder often suffer from mood instability, and research suggests that these clients need both counseling services and pharmacotherapy. Narrative therapy is a social constructionist approach grounded on the premise that there is no single “truth”; individuals may create new meanings and retell their stories to overcome the discourses that have oppressed them. This manuscript (a) reviews bipolar disorder and the traditional therapeutic approaches employed to treat the disorder, (b) introduces the theoretical constructs of therapy, and (c) presents a case illustration of the application of narrative therapy with a client diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

KEYWORDS:

• Bipolar disorder
• narrative therapy
• affective disorders
• creativity
• counseling