Self-narratives

In this book, Hubert J. M. Hermans and Els Hermans-Jansen elaborate a model of the clinical use of self-narratives - the stories that people use to construct meaning out of the events in their lives - in counseling and psychotherapy. Based on extensive case studies and filled with a rich variety of illustrative examples, this integrative work covers the model's theory, methodology, and clinical applications.

In using this model, the client's narrative becomes the core of each therapy session. When a client tells a personal story, he or she gives special significance to certain events, which illuminates personal meanings. The therapist works collaboratively with the client to analyze the content and organization of these stories.

As stories are told and retold over time, changes in the narrative illustrate a gradual shift in the client's concerns, problems, and goals, which forms the basis for the therapeutic process. Chapters describe how clinicians can work with what is openly discussed, and how to ascertain less conscious events and motives.

A powerful clinical tool that enhances cooperation between the client and therapist, the model delineated in this volume can be used in a wide variety of settings and is easily integrated with a range of orientations. Providing complete guidelines for its clinical use, Self-Narratives is an ideal resource for psychotherapists and counselors alike. Teachers or trainers who want to educate students in self-knowledge and self-reflection will find here an ideal method for stimulating these processes.