The last three articles in this series explored what I have called a “holistic revolution in biomedicine” in the form of narrative medicine – an approach to the clinical encounter designed to address ethical and practical shortcomings of the biopsychosocial approach. It is often confused with motivational interviewing, or a form of psychological profiling or compassionate listening. It is none of these, but it is more, based on a set of carefully honed protocols and principles standing on rich research. This, final part of the series takes a critical look at the relevance of narrative medicine for manual therapy professions, especially in the context of big questions surrounding ethical practice. Why should you use it? Does it matter, or is it just another fad? Why is it based on “narrative ethics” (and what are narrative ethics?) If you do want to apply it in practice, where do you start?
This article was originally published in Massage and Bodywork, November-December 2021.
