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A Narrative-Inspired Recovery Group Counseling Model For Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities
by Carrie Powell
This paper describes the design and delivery of a Recovery Counseling Group model for persons with psychiatric disabilities. The RCG model is designed as a simple yet effective group counselling model which guides and supports persons with psychiatric disabilities through a self-discovery, growth and recovery process. The RCG model integrates a traditional group counseling approach with recovery concepts and narrative therapy. The RCG model was piloted with a group of persons with psychiatric disabilities in a community mental health clinic in Northeastern Ontario. Three lessons were learned from the pilot. The first lesson is that narrative therapy offers much promise in working with persons with psychiatric disabilities. The second lesson is that the recovery process of experiencing an identity that is distinct and separate from the mental illness is a very painful emotional process. The final lesson is that stigma experiences are a significant obstacle of recovery. The RCG model proved to be an environment that facilitated an internal recovery process supporting persons with psychiatric disabilities to experience themselves as unique individuals rather than just illnesses. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of future considerations for the Recovery Group Counseling model.
E-Mail: CPowell@nemhc.on.ca
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