September 11, 2025

Narrative Psychiatry: How Stories Can Shape Clinical Practice

28 minutes

Introduces narrative psychiatry, an emerging field that addresses the historical tension between biological and humanistic approaches to mental health. It argues that clinical practice, from initial evaluations to ongoing treatment, is saturated with stories, and these narratives are crucial for understanding a patient's experience. The text critiques the "thin" stories often found in traditional medical case studies, which prioritize diagnostic criteria over rich contextual details, and advocates for "thick" narratives, often found in literary fiction, to foster a deeper understanding of individuals. Drawing on phenomenology and narrative theory, it highlights the importance of metaphor, plot, and narrative identity in shaping self-understanding and calls for integrating insights from the humanities into psychiatric practice, advocating for a multiplicity of interpretive frames rather than a singular, dogmatic truth. The discussion extends to various psychotherapeutic models, including biopsychiatry, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, and humanistic, spiritual, and feminist approaches, demonstrating how each offers a distinct "story" for understanding and addressing mental suffering.

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