Patients’ Experience of a Narrative Group Therapy Approach Informed by the “Tree of Life” Model for Individuals with Anorexia Nervosa

Exploring the effectiveness of the Tree of Life in promoting the therapeutic growth or refugee women living with HIV

“…It supports the notion that flexible and creative therapies, which are more culturally appropriate, can be helpful (Naff, 2014;Van der Kolk, 2015). Further, the idea of offering services in community settings is also endorsed (Ibrahim & Tchanturia, 2018).…”

“…The ToL therefore helps participants to build a narrative around their lives, it enables them to look at the influences on their own development, to see themselves positively and to reflect on how they might withstand any future challenges. The group interactions and processes enable support, affirmations and learning from each other (Ibrahim & Tchanturia, 2018;Kira et al, 2012). The facilitators play an important role in promoting the group interactions and helping group members carve a strength-based narrative for their own selves.…”

“…In line with the World Health Organization (WHO) Draft on Global Health Sector Strategies on HIV, 2016-2021 (WHO, 2016), providing immediate and effective psychological interventions to individuals living with HIV is an important public health priority. Thus, it is imperative to provide refugee women living with HIV community and therapeutic interventions that can build their resilience, as well as their sense of connectedness and integration in their host country (Ibrahim & Tchanturia, 2018;Kim, 2016;Naff, 2014;Van der Kolk, 2015). This study is therefore set in this context, and it is built on previous research in which Vitale & Ryde (2018) explored the risk factors affecting the mental health of refugee women living with HIV, as well as their possible motivations for taking part in the ToL.…”

Recipe of Life: A Relational Narrative Approach in Therapy With Persons Living With Chronic Pain

“…In general, for the management of chronic pain, NT can help people disassociate from their problem-saturated stories and discover their unique outcomes, which in turn assist them to explore a new story and establish new relationships (Epston & White, 1990; Gonçalves, Matos, & Santos, 2009; Phillips, 2017). The use of metaphors was beneficial, as they enabled participants to generate new meanings and find new ways of facing their problem (Ibrahim & Tchanturia, 2018; Lyness & Thomas, 1995). Furthermore, embodying metaphors enables both therapists and persons to collaborate in making sense of experience with imagined possibilities, which facilitates the intervention process (Finlay, 2015).…”

“…Finally, the process of definitional ceremony and in-group witness provides a context for enriching the description of people’s lives, identities, and relationships by offering an opportunity for individuals to tell society that they have reclaimed their preferred identities and are heading in their preferred direction (White, 2005). In general, the NT therapeutic process allows people to unveil their skills, competencies, beliefs, values, commitments, and abilities, to further nurture their preferred identities (Chow, 2015; Ibrahim & Tchanturia, 2018; White, 2005) and hopefully garner motivation to tackle their personal relationship with pain and other social relationships.…”