What can narrative therapy bring to our understanding and practice around mental health and behaviour? Constructing preferred stories in the classroom

Abstract

Aim:Mental health and behaviour has largely been understood through behaviourist or cognitive-behavioural theories and many classroom-based interventions are founded on cognitive behavioural frameworks. These models have typically considered the constructs of mental health and behaviour through observable, standardised measures. In the existing literature there appears to be a lack of understanding of behaviour from the perspective of individual experiences. The emergence of narrative approaches in mainstream practice shows promising evidence of alternative avenues for educational practitioners. By examining social discourses and individuals’ own constructs of mental health and behaviour, this study aimed to explore the impact of a narrative therapy based intervention on people’s understanding of mental health and behaviour, changes in their relationship with ‘problem’ behaviour and how this can bring about different action within the classroom.Method:Individual accounts were gathered through a series of narrative therapy conversations with three people: a young person, teacher and mother. An iterative approach was taken to data collection and analysed through the method of constructionist grounded theory. The narrative stories from individuals were incorporated into a final grounded theory.Findings:The findings showed that the use of narrative therapy illuminated the possibility for change in understanding a young person outside of structuralist notions of ‘difficult behaviour’. This change in understanding led, in turn, to a change in classroom practice in response to mental health and behaviour.Limitations:The small-scale study is not representative of all practice and therefore has implications for the applicability of the findings.Conclusion:The research has highlighted that supporting mental health and behaviour may not be so much about implementing a programme and ‘getting it right’, but more about constructing alternative stories in the classroom that open up other possibilities.