Narrative practices in medicine and therapy: Philosophical reflections

This article examines two important movements-narrative medicine and narrative therapy-that aim to put narrative practices at the heart of medicine and therapeutic practices. It exposes the core assumptions of these movements and identifies ways in which attention to those assumptions can benefit from philosophical clarification and further investigation. Overall, our analysis defends the view that being a competent narrator matters for understanding and building trust with others, and that it also matters for shaping ourselves because the narratives we weave can help us to see "live options" and improve our chances of flourishing and living well.