Silver Screen Metaphors: Film Use in the Context of Narrative Therapy with Substance Misusers

I have worked with several substance-misusing clients who, despite my best efforts, adamantly adhere to their problematic narrative and cannot participate in re-storying their experience in a meaningful manner. The purpose of this article is to outline an alternative technique of using films to help substance-misusing clients generate a positive metaphor for their lived experiences. Using this metaphor, the therapist and client can then engage in dialogue designed to create space for a re-storying of the client’s lived narrative. This article explores the use of films and metaphors with reference to a case example, and explains how films can be synthesised with narrative therapy for substance-misusing people.