Keywords

aphasia, group therapy, life story, LPAA, narrative

 

Authors

  1. Shadden, Barbara B. PhD
  2. Hagstrom, Fran PhD

Abstract

This article explores the relationship and integration of a narrative and the life participation approach to aphasia (LPAA). Literature from the social sciences situates narrative as a fundamental life concern of humans. Health, illness, and particularly stroke narratives are explored as processes that are inextricably intertwined with the life participation of persons with aphasia and their significant others. The role of self-narratives (storying of self) in recovery and in regaining a sense of coherence in the life story is discussed as part of assessment and treatment that can further the life participation of those affected by aphasia, a guiding principle of LPAA. A brief case study is interwoven with the text to explore the theoretical linkages between narrative and the LPAA, and to demonstrate the role of social others for the storying of self during group therapy.