Premium
Narrative and Collaborative Practices in Work With Families that are Homeless
Author(s) -
Fraenkel Peter,
Hameline Thomas,
Shan Michele
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2009.00119.x
Subject(s) - narrative , futures contract , coping (psychology) , psychology , family therapy , narrative therapy , sociology , social psychology , psychotherapist , philosophy , linguistics , financial economics , economics
This article reports on the use of narrative therapy ideas and practices in working with families that are homeless in a shelter‐based, multiple‐family discussion group program called Fresh Start for Families. It begins with a review of the challenges facing homeless families. It then briefly describes the collaborative methods used to develop the program. It then describes a range of practices and activities that provide opportunities for families to be witnessed in telling their stories of challenge and coping, to help and be helped by other families experiencing similar challenges, to reconnect and strengthen a positive sense of family identity while externalizing the constraining, stigmatizing descriptions associated with homelessness, and to envision and take steps towards their preferred futures.