Collective narrative practice in forensic mental health
| Pages | 204-218 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-10-2014-0034 |
| Date | 10 August 2015 |
| Published date | 10 August 2015 |
| Author | Catherine Gardner-Elahi,Sannam Zamiri |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Forensic practice |
Collective narrative practice in forensic
mental health
Catherine Gardner-Elahi and Sannam Zamiri
Dr Catherine Gardner-Elahi is a
Clinical Psychologist at East
London NHS Foundation Trust,
London, UK.
Sannam Zamiri is based at
the Occupational Therapy
Department, East London NHS
Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –Narrative Therapy offers thinking and practices which can support the developmentof narratives
of desistance and recovery. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the two ways in which collective narrative
practice has been used in a Low Secure Forensic Recovery Service: The Tree of Life and the Knowledge
Group, including the evaluation of the Knowledge Group.
Design/methodology/approach –The therapeutic approach taken was collective narrative practice. The
evaluation design for the Knowledge Group was service user led, resulting in a qualitative approach: a focus
group that was thematically analysed.
Findings –Collective narrative practice offered service users the opportunity to enhance their narratives of
strength and desistance, and to contribute socially by sharing this with others. This encouraged the
development of identities beyond the “patient”and “offender”identities. It gave service users the opportunity
to take a position of expertise and power where they were listened to and respected.
Research limitations/implications –There is a wide range of possibility for the creative use of these
strategies in forensic settings. They are a useful addition to the forensic practitioner’s toolkit.
Practical implications –There is a wide range of possibility for the creative use of these strategies in
forensic settings. They are a useful addition to the forensic practitioner’s toolkit.
Social implications –Collective narrative practice positions service users as taking social action,
for example sharing their experiences with other services users, in educational contexts and for wider social
understanding.
Originality/value –The therapeutic interventions described offer a promising approach which has not yet
been fully exploited for use in forensic mental health services, including a novel approach to collective
narrative practice.
Keywords Narrative, Recovery, Constructionism, Narrative therapy, Desistance, Group interventions
Paper type Case study
Introduction
“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world […]asin
being able to remake ourselves”Mahatma Gandhi.
This paper describes the use of collective narrative practice in a low-secure forensic mental
health settings, focusing on two particular examples: the Tree of Life and the Knowledge Group.
It clearly connects these practices to the theory that underpins them, and describes them in
detail. It includes discussion of a reflective exercise on the Knowledge Group.
Narrative is fundamental to recovery from both mental illness and offending (Slade, 2009;
Maruna, 2001). In mental health, it is recognised that the personal definition of recovery is
underpinned by a narrative account of the journey from illness to recovery (Slade, 2009).
Similarly, much desistance literature points to the value of a narrative account of the personal
Received 9 October 2014
Revised 12 January 2015
Accepted 13 February 2015
With thanks to East London
Foundation Trust for support of
this work.
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JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PRACTICE
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VOL. 17 NO. 3 2015, pp. 204-218, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8794 DOI 10.1108/JFP-10-2014-0034
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