Discourse analysis: Rich pickings for counsellors and therapists

Abstract

Aim: It is only relatively recently that discourse analysis has begun to rise to prominence in the fields of counselling and psychotherapy. This paper briefly explains ways of understanding discourse analysis, discussing what the approach can offer counselling research and practice. Approach: An initial categorisation of recent discourse analysis studies is offered, to demonstrate diverse ways in which this type of research can address issues relevant to counselling practice. The five categories proposed range from the examination of language use in therapy to analyses that focus on the social structures, meanings and power relations related to therapy. Implications: The paper demonstrates that through the critical analysis of counselling sessions, research interviews, written texts and other materials, discourse analysis can provide insight into ways in which counselling operates as a social practice, and so help counsellors to contextualise their work within broader social structures and processes.

Approaches to Language, Culture, and Cognition

“…This runs contrary to the growing number of discourse analytic studies which highlight the properties of conversational exchanges between therapists and patients (Avdi and Georgaca, 2007;Ferrara, 1994;Muntigl and Choi, 2010;Spong, 2009), and is perhaps symptomatic of the lack of collaboration between therapists and linguists/discourse analysts (cf. Teasdale, 1993).…”

How do Black Caribbean-born Women Living in the UK Construct Their Experience of Retirement? A Discursive Psychology Analysis

“…Furthermore, by utilising a framework that emphasises the importance of language in relation to the creation of social realities, the current study might be useful for therapists working with the sampled population. According to Spong (2010), discursive approaches denote that language is a medium by which clients share their experiences and meanings of the world. In other words, discourse is not simply a means of expression, but rather how things are constructed into being.…”

“…Upon completion, I now believe that the current study could also be informative in other areas. As previously discussed, Spong (2010) put forward a convincing rationale as to how discourse analysis could be beneficial for psychological therapists within their practice. She continued to suggest that by using our practice with the intention of offering utility for clients, rather than solely theorising, we are better able to understand more about the counselling process.…”

Mental models in discourse production Atypical discourse and the role of event models in the narratives of depressed patients

“…The relationship between discourse and psychology has attracted many research perspectives. There is great applied interest, for example, in the clinical applications of discourse analysis (DA) (Spong, 2010;Fine, 2006). More specifically, researchers have examined conversational structure in counseling sessions (Perakyla, Antaki, Vehvilainen, & Leuder, 2008;Madill, Widdicombe, & Barkham, 2001;Stiles & Shapiro, 1995), aiding in the assessment and diagnosis of disorders (Fine, 2006;Schubert, Hansen, Dyer, & MENTAL MODELS IN DISCOURSE PRODUCTION 10 Rapley, 2009) and even highlighting how DA can provide insight to counselors as to the cultural underpinnings of their clients' pathologies (Madill & Barkham, 1997).…”