Preferred Name
Caroline Hamby
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Date of Graduation
Spring 2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
A. Renee Staton
Lennis G. Echterling
Michele Kielty Briggs
Abstract
This integrative literature review explores the suitability of narrative therapy for children ages 7-12 coping with divorce and family transition. Charting the history of research on post-divorce children, the review discusses common negative and positive post-divorce outcomes for children in academic, financial, and socio-emotional domains. It links the fundamental objectives of narrative therapy to the corresponding needs of post-divorce children and families, namely emotional security, internal control, and personal agency. It posits that narrative therapy is a modality uniquely situated to address these concerns and amplify the often-ignored voices of children otherwise lost in marital chaos. The developmental considerations of the cohort are discussed with respect to cognitive flexibility, perspective taking, and storytelling ability. Relevant literature is considered, synthesizing a variety of individual, group, and family-oriented narrative interventions. Study design, techniques, and significant outcomes are discussed. Finally, key clinical recommendations are compiled for counselors wishing to implement narrative therapy with child clients facing family transition. They include information about the role of the counselor as non-expert, the typical stages of narrative therapy, and specific in-session interventions.
Recommended Citation
Hamby, Caroline, "The kids are (going to be) alright: Authorship of a post-divorce narrative" (2018). Educational Specialist, 2009-2019. 128.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/edspec201019/128
