Stories of Constancy and Change: A Narrative Odyssey

Abstract

The main topics covered in this chapter are: • the use of narrative approaches in individual and relationship therapy • the application of narrative approaches when working with individuals and couples challenged by dementia • the importance of reflective practices in multi-narrative therapeutic work. The use of narrative therapy to help clients integrate and make meaning of their life stories has become a commonly used modality for therapists. In instances of dementia, however, when overarching life narratives become less available as a vehicle for integration, can narrative approaches remain a viable therapeutic option? In an effort to address this question, this chapter will reflect on the experience of working therapeutically with an ageing couple where the wife suffered from dementia. In presenting this case study, the authors' intention is to highlight the fact that narratives of loss, in the context of dementia, are not necessarily the dominant plotline for personal and relational meaning-making; rather, there are many sub-narratives marking the changing nature of the experience. The therapist must therefore be prepared to work in a context of multiple narratives: narratives of the ageing sufferer, narratives of those who offer care and support, narratives of changing relationships and narratives of self.