The Person in Narrative Therapy

The Person in Narrative Therapy

Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology publishes scholarly books that use historical and theoretical methods to critically examine the historical development and contemporary status of psychological concepts, methods, research, theories, and interventions. The books in the series are characterised by an emphasis on the concrete particulars of psychologists scientific and professional practices, together with a critical examination of the assumptions that attend their use. These examinations are anchored in clear, accessible descriptions of what psychologists do and believe about their activities. All the books in the series share the general goal of advancing the scientific and professional practices of psychology and psychologists, even as they offer probing and detailed questioning and critical reconstructions of these practices. Titles include: Michael Guilfoyle THE PERSON IN NARRATIVE THERAPY A Post-structural, Foucauldian Account Palgrave Studies in the Theory and History of Psychology Series Standing Order ISBN 978 1 137 34443 4 Hardback (outside North America only) You can receive future titles in this series as they are published by placing a standing order. Please contact your bookseller or, in case of difficulty, write to us at the address below with your name and address, the title of the series and the ISBN quoted above. Customer Services Department, Macmillan Distribution Ltd, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS, England

The Person in Narrative Therapy A Post-structural, Foucauldian Account Michael Guilfoyle Psychology Department, Rhodes University, South Africa palgrave macmillan

Michael Guilfoyle 2014 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-38054-8 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6 10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2014 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave and Macmillan are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-47928-3 ISBN 978-1-137-38055-5 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9781137380555 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

Contents Acknowledgements vi Introduction 1 1 The Problem: Constitution versus Agency 8 2 Power/Knowledge: The Social 16 3 The Constituted Subject 45 4 A Constitutionalist Account of Resistance 78 5 Embodied Resistance 105 6 Narrative Empathy and the Resisting Figure 133 7 From the Resisting Figure to the Ethical Subject 167 Glossary of Terms: Five Narrative Therapeutic Practices 212 References 214 Index 222 v

Acknowledgements To my wife and best friend, Trudy Meehan, one of the smartest people I know. Thank you for not agreeing with me on so many occasions, for pushing me to rethink and to be clearer, and for always believing that I had something important to say. I am inspired by your ability to model resistance and agency in the face of a world that s not always kind, and notalwaysfair.forwhatit sworth,thisisforyou. I am also very grateful to Ed, Sydney, and Blue, for loving me, and for nudging me away from the computer every now and then. My mom and dad, two of the most ethical human beings I know, as well as Kelly, Richard, Andrew, and Shanna. Thank you to my colleagues all around the world. There are three groups to whom I am particularly grateful for giving me space to share my narrative practice experiences, and for sharing their own experiences with me in turn. My peer supervision group in Dublin, Ireland: Paul Kelly, Paidraic Gibson, and Tony Horgan. The Dublin narrative therapy group: Therese Hegarty, Paul Heslin, Marie Keenen, Ann Campbell, Nora Sweetman, Trish Tyrrell, Margaruete Kirwan, Keith Oulton, and all those others I met along the way. And then the Grahamstown Narrative Therapy Network: Jan Knoetze, Lisl Foss, Ilse Appelt, Kim Barker, Linda Schwartz, Trudy Meehan, Zimbini Ogle, Lucia Oosthuysen, and Lindsay Smaill. Emerging from that group, Lisl and I had many stimulating conversations about the strengths and limitations of narrative practice. Thank you, Lisl, for standing alongside me as I jumped from my safe perch. You helped me to teach, practise, and in some ways even live more openly and honestly. I am so pleased to have friends in you, Richard, and Torey, who nurture us with meals and conversation when we most need it. Special mention must go to Judy Rankin, Ruby Patel, and Floss Mitchell, for always treating me like a human being. I have learned much from the students with whom I have worked over the years, and who stretched me across some kind of zone of proximal development, at both Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and Rhodes University (South Africa). I would like to make special mention of the 2012 M1 students of the Counselling Psychology Master s programme at Rhodes University: Kirsten Farquharson, Donna Mitchell, Thobeka vi

Acknowledgements vii Msengana, Jeremy Ruiters, Lindsay Smaill, and Beverly Texeira. You pushed me to think through my ideas more clearly, and always to make them relevant to the people with whom we work. It is with you, during our Tuesday conversations, that many of these ideas began to come to life. I tip my hat to Tim Barry, Kevin Durrheim, Graham Lindegger, Doug Wassenaar, Anthony Pillay, David Ingleby, and Len Holdstock: my intellectual stimulants. We haven t always kept in touch, but over the years you have inspired me, believed in me, and pushed my thinking to places I never thought it could go. I am grateful to Rhodes University, for giving me the time and space needed to complete this book, to series editor Jack Martin, for offering very useful suggestions regarding what I needed to clarify, and to Nicola Jones, editor, for guiding me through the publishing process with kindness, wisdom, and patience. And then, to the people with whom I have worked over the last 24 years. None of the stories I tell are about you, and yet your mark on my thinking pervades the book. Your stories of pain, trauma, misery, hope, celebration, connection, humility, courage, determination, and resolve have touched my life in ways I cannot easily put into words. You have shown me a million ways in which ethics, values, and commitments can be brought to life. In my eyes you have contributed to an enrichment of the world, and inspired not only my thought but also my ways of being. Thank you for making therapy such a wonderful lifetime journey for me. This work is based upon research supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF, South Africa). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author, and therefore the NRF does not accept any liability in regard thereto.