The suspended self: Liminality in breast cancer narratives and implications for counselling
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Koutri, Ifigeneia
Avdi, Evrinomy
Abstract / Description
In the field of chronic and serious illness, meaning-making with regards to the illness experience has been shown to be a core process for patients. This study focuses on women's narratives of their experiences of living with breast cancer. Within the framework of narrative psychology, illness narratives are considered to provide the main means through which patients make sense of their illness experience and construct its place in their life story. In this paper, we present findings from a narrative study that aimed to explore the different meanings that breast cancer holds for Greek women. In the broader study, four basic narrative types about breast cancer emerged from the analysis. In this paper, we focus on one of these narrative types, in which illness is constructed as an entrance into a state of liminality and where the women's sense of self seems to be “suspended”. The core features of this narrative type are described and arguments are developed regarding its usefulness. We argue that this is a narrative type that deserves further attention, particularly as it seems to reflect a socially non-preferred storyline, which might result in these women's stories being sidestepped or silenced. The implications of this narrative type for healthcare and counselling in cancer care are discussed.
Keyword(s)
illness narratives liminality breast cancer narrative identityPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2016-12-23
Journal title
The European Journal of Counselling Psychology
Volume
5
Issue
1
Page numbers
78–96
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Koutri, I., & Avdi, E. (2016). The suspended self: Liminality in breast cancer narratives and implications for counselling. The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 5(1), 78–96. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejcop.v5i1.92
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Koutri, Ifigeneia
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Avdi, Evrinomy
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-29T07:49:06Z
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Made available on2018-11-29T07:49:06Z
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Date of first publication2016-12-23
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Abstract / DescriptionIn the field of chronic and serious illness, meaning-making with regards to the illness experience has been shown to be a core process for patients. This study focuses on women's narratives of their experiences of living with breast cancer. Within the framework of narrative psychology, illness narratives are considered to provide the main means through which patients make sense of their illness experience and construct its place in their life story. In this paper, we present findings from a narrative study that aimed to explore the different meanings that breast cancer holds for Greek women. In the broader study, four basic narrative types about breast cancer emerged from the analysis. In this paper, we focus on one of these narrative types, in which illness is constructed as an entrance into a state of liminality and where the women's sense of self seems to be “suspended”. The core features of this narrative type are described and arguments are developed regarding its usefulness. We argue that this is a narrative type that deserves further attention, particularly as it seems to reflect a socially non-preferred storyline, which might result in these women's stories being sidestepped or silenced. The implications of this narrative type for healthcare and counselling in cancer care are discussed.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationKoutri, I., & Avdi, E. (2016). The suspended self: Liminality in breast cancer narratives and implications for counselling. The European Journal of Counselling Psychology, 5(1), 78–96. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejcop.v5i1.92en_US
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ISSN2195-7614
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1669
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.2035
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/ejcop.v5i1.92
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Keyword(s)illness narrativesen_US
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Keyword(s)liminalityen_US
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Keyword(s)breast canceren_US
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Keyword(s)narrative identityen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleThe suspended self: Liminality in breast cancer narratives and implications for counsellingen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue1
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Journal titleThe European Journal of Counselling Psychology
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Page numbers78–96
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Volume5
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record