The Use of Spirituality in Narrative Couples and Family Therapy

Abstract

Narrative therapy is a postmodern therapy approach that suggests that people make sense of their lives through the stories they create. Spirituality plays an active role in the processes of understanding life as a part of the stories of spiritually oriented individuals, couples, and families. The nature of narrative therapy aimed at considering the culture, beliefs, and spiritual values that shape clients’ stories allows spiritually oriented couples and families to express the spiritual dimension they possess within the therapy process of this approach and to use spirituality as a source of power for dealing with problems. This study aims to discuss narrative couples/family therapy and the use of this therapy method within the framework of the related literature by noting ethical rules and incorporating spirituality with spiritually oriented couples and families. Information is provided in this context primarily with regard to narrative therapy, narrative couples/family therapy, the process of narrative couples/family therapy, and the responsibilities of the therapist in this therapy approach. Afterward, case samples in narrative therapy with regard to the importance of spirituality are presented, and the use of spirituality by inclusion in the techniques is explained using narrative couples/family therapy techniques. This study is thought to fill in the missing points that exist with in Turkey’s literature with regard to both narrative couples/family therapy as well as the use of spirituality by incorporating it in family therapy and to provide a different viewpoint to practitioners and researchers in the field.

Spirituality-based narrative counseling model to reduce self-injurious behavior in Islamic boarding school students

“…Because narrative counseling is not an approach based on the concept of spirituality, previous research was limited to literature reviews that attempted to explain the relationship between spirituality and narrative counseling. Another finding that supports the internalization of spirituality in narrative counseling is research which attempts to examine the use of spiritual values in narrative therapy in family/couple settings (Akbulut, 2020).…”