Narrative Therapy and Abused Women:
This paper will evaluate the effectiveness of Brief Narrative Therapy in treating abused women who are in shelters. In addition to living with violence, many women who seek shelter have been living in poverty, dependent on humanitarian aid, and suffering from trauma. Being abused undermines virtually every aspect of a woman’s life; her physical as well as her mental health. Psychiatric effects may include depression, suicidal thoughts, dissociation, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, eating disorders, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In the delivery of effective clinical interventions with abuse survivors specific narrative practices and approaches will be addressed.The paper draws on theory, in class lectures and the personal experiences gained from working with women who have encountered domestic violence and are currently sheltered.
For some groups of women in Canada, experiences of discrimination, racism, poverty, and social and geographic isolation create additional barriers. These women often must deal not only with the consequences of being abused but also with the effects of their marginalized position in society, and the reality of limited services. A therapist working in this environment should be aware of the lack of adequate community resources, and the prejudice the client is more likely to have experienced in the “ system ”. This lack of external resources means the therapist may need to reconceptualize their role, shifting from "one of many" providers to being the primary or even only point of intervention for sheltered clients. When dealing with this population the most important role for any therapist is to allow for an intervention that offers choice, something these women have been denied as part of their traumatic experience.
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It is unclear how many of these women suffering from abuse trauma seek and accept therapeutic aid or even have access to psychotherapeutic assistance that might
For some groups of women in Canada, experiences of discrimination, racism, poverty, and social and geographic isolation create additional barriers. These women often must deal not only with the consequences of being abused but also with the effects of their marginalized position in society, and the reality of limited services. A therapist working in this environment should be aware of the lack of adequate community resources, and the prejudice the client is more likely to have experienced in the “ system ”. This lack of external resources means the therapist may need to reconceptualize their role, shifting from "one of many" providers to being the primary or even only point of intervention for sheltered clients. When dealing with this population the most important role for any therapist is to allow for an intervention that offers choice, something these women have been denied as part of their traumatic experience.
2
It is unclear how many of these women suffering from abuse trauma seek and accept therapeutic aid or even have access to psychotherapeutic assistance that might
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