By Katerina Medina
Narrative Therapy can be very effective in improving the wellbeing of older clients. Humans have used story telling for centuries to bond, collaborate, educate and support each other. Many cultures and societies have used narrative stories to pass on their historical and cultural wisdom, their traditions and their beliefs from elders to the younger generation. Story telling plays a huge role in our current world. From parents reading their children bedtime stories every night which usually include some lessen to be learned, to documentaries about certain world events that can differ greatly depending on the agenda or worldview of the authors and editors. Storytelling can be very powerful.
Many older adults struggle with loneliness, isolation and feeling down (National Seniors Council, 2014). Unfortunately, many also struggle with chronic illnesses that limit their life to varying degrees. Some seniors might also be facing difficult financial situations, relationship and family issues and more. There are many ways to improve these struggles for our older population and seeing a counsellor individually or in a group setting might be very helpful. Narrative therapy can be a great way for older people to use language to work through some of their issues, traumas and rewrite the narrative to improve their current lives and relationships.
Narrative Therapy has been used in clinical counselling for many years and it is becoming more and more popular (Etchison & Kleist, 2000). By sharing their stories, clients can express their emotions, process events or traumatic parts of their life and see their experiences from a different (hopefully more positive and empowering) perspective. It is important for the client to work through their issues by expressing them in a story and hopefully recreating them in an alternative or updated narrative (Gardner & Poole, 2009). Narrative Therapy emphasizes collaboration between the therapist and the client, understanding the social and cultural context of the stories and issues, retelling of the dominant stories in a more positive or helpful light or to improve the understanding of oneself and focus on problem solving and the future (Rice, 2015).
Loneliness, social isolation and low mood can be very detrimental to our enjoyment of life and happiness. Chronically ill clients are usually limited by their disease physically and socially. Older chronically ill people often prefer to stay at home to avoid being judged or having their symptoms visible to others. They do not want to be seen with their oxygen tank, using walking aids or have a coughing spell. This only increases their social isolation, loneliness and low mood. It also minimizes their activity level. The less active they are, the more limited they will be.
For seniors to see a counsellor individually or in a group setting, they must leave their home, walk or drive and socialize with another person or group. Attending therapy will, therefore, improve not only their psychological symptoms and mood, but also their physiological wellbeing by exposure to fresh air and an increase in their activity level. It might also give them a sense of purpose and something to do or look forward to in their daily life. Many seniors enjoy sharing their experiences and being in a group with others struggling with similar symptoms might promote a sense of belonging and realization that they are not the only ones suffering from the same disease. The participants can share tips and tricks on how to improve their symptoms and also create friendships outside of the group. Narrative therapy can be a very effective method to improve not only their mind but also their body.
Katerina Medina MLA (Psychology), BHSc., RRT, CRE
References:
Etchison, M., & Kleist, D. M. (2000). Review of Narrative Therapy: Research and Utility. The Family Journal, 8(1), 61-66. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480700081009
Gardner, P. J., & Poole, J. M. (2009). One Story at a Time: Narrative Therapy, Older Adults, and Addictions. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 28(5), 600-620. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464808330822
National Seniors Council (2014). Report on the Social Isolation of Seniors 2013–2014. Government of Canada, p.9. Retrieved July 15, 2015. https://www.canada.ca/en/national-seniors-council/programs/publications-reports/2014/social-isolation-seniors.html
Rice, R. H. (2015). Narrative therapy. The SAGE encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychology, 2, 695. https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/nursing_facpub/72/
