THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of NARRATIVE THERAPY and COMMUNITY WORK | 2019 | No.3 1 Contents Continued
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Contents Editorial by Kristina Lainson ................................................................................3 Refusing to separate critique from respect by Kelsi Semeschuk ...............................................................................9 Travelling down the neuro-pathway: Narrative practice, neuroscience, bodies, emotions and the affective turn by David Denborough ..........................................................................13 Reflections on narrative, neuroscience and social engagement by Karen Young ...................................................................................54 Reflections on narrative, neuroscience and social engagement by Gene Combs ..................................................................................58 Feelings, thinking and action as a coherent whole : A reflection on ‘Travelling down the neuro-pathway’ by Jill Freedman ..................................................................................61 Narrative therapy, neuroscience and socio-emotional discourses: Comments by Tom Strong ......................................................................................64 A reflection on self-regulation and neuro-conceal by Emma Van der Klift .........................................................................68 Responding to David Denborough’s paper: A short interview with Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin ...................................74 THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NARRATIVE THERAPY AND COMMUNITY WORK | 2019 | No.3 www.dulwichcentre.com.au 1 Contents continued Narrative therapy, neuroscience and anorexia: A reflection on practices, problems and possibilities by Kristina Lainson...............................................................................80 Intensifying the preferred self: Neurobiology, mindfulness and embodiment practices that make a difference by Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin .................................................................96 Michael White’s particularist ethics in a biological age by Philippa Byers ...............................................................................106 Narrative responses to physical pains An interview with Sister Seraphine Kaitesirwa ...................................117 THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NARRATIVE THERAPY AND COMMUNITY WORK | 2019 | No.3 www.dulwichcentre.com.au 2 Editorial by Guest Editor Kristina Lainson Kristina Lainson is a narrative practitioner from Aotearoa New Zealand and is currently a PhD candidate at The University of Melbourne. She is a member of the faculty at Dulwich Centre, where she is involved in a variety of projects and tutors on the Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work. She can be contacted at: [email protected] THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NARRATIVE THERAPY AND COMMUNITY WORK | 2019 | No.3 www.dulwichcentre.com.au 3 Welcome to this special issue of the International closely related to questions about how narrative therapy Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work. responds to emotions and embodied experience. These Since first being invited to act as guest editor I have are important curiosities, to which there have been been captivated by watching this issue unfold, each diverse responses. Some narrative practitioners have contribution adding a new facet to a rich and rigorous readily found a space for neuroscientific developments discussion. The term editor has many meanings to suit in their practice, whilst others suggest neuroscience is different contexts, whether it’s initiating the design of a poor fit for narratively informed conversations. Some a publication and having authority over what content practitioners have tentatively explored the possibilities is included, responsibility for fact-checking submitted but found themselves with unanswered questions, others articles, or making amendments to manuscripts. Of remain unconvinced that neuroscience has relevance all the possible interpretations of the term editor the for their practice or the lives of the people with whom best fit for my role is largely that of commentator and they meet. In this context, both highly experienced contributor. This innovative issue’s conceptualisation practitioners and beginning students of narrative therapy and orchestration would have been well beyond my may find themselves grappling with big questions and scope, and it has been a great privilege to play even plenty of uncertainty. This special issue aims to address a small part in the evolving process of invitations, some of these questions and create an opportunity for dialogues and gaining greater appreciation for readers to engage rigorously with neuroscientific claims complexity and nuance in the fields and debates this in relation to narrative therapy and highlight some issue seeks to illuminate and explore. Complexity is consequent implications for practice. Articles included an unofficial but very present theme in this issue, and vary greatly in how they engage with ideas drawn from readers will discover apparent contradictions between neuroscience, considering the theoretical, the practical some articles that offer differing perspectives, as content and the philosophical. This issue is intended to be been has selected to reflect diverse knowledge bases, useful, accessible and interesting to readers with an interests, and stances. No attempt has been made to interest in narrative practice, whatever the extent of settle these incongruences, or to come to agreement their current knowledge about neuroscience. or create a unified position. This is a multi-storied special issue that has intentionally created space to highlight complexity, allow incongruence, invite critique and celebrate debate. Narrative therapy as evolving practice Let me introduce the two topics of focus in this issue. Narrative therapy was developed out of a willingness to The first topic under discussion is narrative therapy in explore, innovate and embrace new philosophies and relation to neuroscience, emotions and embodiment. concepts into therapeutic endeavour. There has never The second is attended to more briefly but is no less been an intention that the practices of narrative therapy significant. It is the broader subject of how we in this should remain static, or that the ideas should become field can create contexts for professional differences, fixed in a particular era or location. Far from it. Flexibility debates and critique. and openness to adaptation as circumstances require, or development as new ideas and understandings emerge, I’ll begin by introducing the focus on neuroscience is a particular strength of narrative therapy, one that has and related matters. enabled it to become useful in multiple contexts, shaped by local and cultural considerations. This is cause for celebration but also leads to significant questions, such as: When does openness to adaptation reinforce Narrative therapy, neuroscience, practice through flexibility, and is there a point at which emotions and embodiment openness contributes to a ‘fraying around the edges’ that begins to diminish practice? Can flexibility and Neuroscience is a field that we increasingly hear of openness ever lead to an unravelling? It is also pertinent in our day to day lives, as its ongoing developments to ask ourselves whether there is a difference between contribute to many realms. Curiosity about whether adaptation and alteration, to reflect on how wary or recent advances in neuroscience can contribute to enthusiastic we should be about integrating ideas the field of narrative therapy is already attracting the developed in different paradigms. Narrative therapy attention of many practitioners, and others with an has always sought to centre the lives of the people interest in narrative ideas. This attention is frequently who consult us. Is there a chance that undue caution THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NARRATIVE THERAPY AND COMMUNITY WORK | 2019 | No.3 www.dulwichcentre.com.au 4 in the face of change simply closes off new avenues A good place to begin, particularly if this realm is one for alternative possibilities? These are all legitimate you have yet to explore in depth, is David Denborough’s lines of enquiry. article which provides a critical engagement with concepts of neuroscience and narrative practice. Michael White described narrative ideas in the following Attending to ontological and political considerations terms: and bringing together the theoretical with the practical whilst drawing extensively on Michael White’s writings Is this work better defined as a world-view? and practice, David extends his discussion to address Perhaps, but even this is not enough. Perhaps questions about whether narrative therapy adequately it’s an epistemology, a philosophy, a personal attends to emotions and embodied experience. This commitment a politics, an ethics, a practice, a life, article is a long one. You may wish to set aside some and so on. And, because whatever it is happens space in your week to read it in one sitting or choose to to be on intimate terms with recent developments read it in segments. But once you begin you will need no in social theory that are generally referred to as encouragement to continue. This rigorously researched “non-foundationalist” or perhaps “postmodern”, article illuminates the importance of these discussions. then whatever it is also happens to be a theory. It represents an exquisite level of intellectual and critical (White, 1995, p. 37). engagement with complex considerations, presented in accessible