Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Clients' And Therapists' Stories About Psychotherapy, Jonathan Adler

Jonathan M. Adler

This article provides an overview of the emerging field of research on clients' stories about their experiences in psychotherapy. The theory of narrative identity suggests that individuals construct stories about their lives in order to provide the self with a sense of purpose and unity. Psychotherapy stories serve both psychological functions. Focusing on the theme of agency as a vehicle for operationalizing purpose and coherence as a way of operationalizing unity, this article will describe the existing scholarship connecting psychotherapy stories to clients' psychological well-being. Results from cross-sectional qualitative and quantitative studies as well as longitudinal research indicate a connection …