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Life Review and Heroic Narrative: Embracing Pathology and Attention to Context

Life Review and Heroic Narrative: Embracing Pathology and Attention to Context Holding the Man (Conigrave, 1995), chronicles a fifteen‐year relationship between Timothy Conigrave and his partner, John, and the process of their coping with John's impending death from AIDS related illness. In this article I discuss the autobiography as a naturalistic example of the therapeutic method of life review. What result would have emerged if a narrative therapist had assisted in the writing of the book? Based on my friendship with the protagonists, I would have argued for a less negative picture of the author, but Tim's aim seems to have been to represent the relationship in a dramatic form, with the author embracing his own pathology, and the imbalances and unfairness in their relationship. I suggest that employing methods which externalise pathology to elicit ‘the heroic 2 narrative’ may have disregarded these goals. I highlight the need to recognise and understand individual pattern and context, and raise alternative, less interventionist positions as appropriate for clients involved in such reviews of their lives. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy Wiley

Life Review and Heroic Narrative: Embracing Pathology and Attention to Context

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References (29)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
1999 The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy
ISSN
0814-723X
eISSN
1467-8438
DOI
10.1111/j.0814-723X.1999.00088.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Holding the Man (Conigrave, 1995), chronicles a fifteen‐year relationship between Timothy Conigrave and his partner, John, and the process of their coping with John's impending death from AIDS related illness. In this article I discuss the autobiography as a naturalistic example of the therapeutic method of life review. What result would have emerged if a narrative therapist had assisted in the writing of the book? Based on my friendship with the protagonists, I would have argued for a less negative picture of the author, but Tim's aim seems to have been to represent the relationship in a dramatic form, with the author embracing his own pathology, and the imbalances and unfairness in their relationship. I suggest that employing methods which externalise pathology to elicit ‘the heroic 2 narrative’ may have disregarded these goals. I highlight the need to recognise and understand individual pattern and context, and raise alternative, less interventionist positions as appropriate for clients involved in such reviews of their lives.

Journal

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy – Wiley

Published: Mar 1, 1999

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