Transformational Reminiscence: Life Story Work

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Product Description

"[A]s recently as fifty years ago people believed that reminiscing was a sign of senility....Today, along with a greater understanding of the significance of reminiscence we have seen the rising popularity of private memoirs in various forms, from oral histories by universities to audio and videotapes for family archives. John A. Kunz and Florence Gray Soltys have made a major contribution to the field by providing a framework for individuals and groups engaged in this enriching and important work."
--Robert N. Butler, MD

Finally, a book that takes a "big picture" look at the complexities of using life story work with older adults. Using the life story matrix as a framework, the authors and their contributors cover the complexities of reminiscence and life review, techniques and advice for making a personal story public, and the delicate balance of when to focus on content and when the process of telling one's life story can be therapeutic or destructive.

Transformational Reminiscence teaches the reader how to use the full spectrum of life story approaches to enhance quality of life for older adults, ameliorate social and psychological problems, and intervene if they occur. Practical applications, anecdotes, exercises that help clarify the experiential side of the content, and helpful suggestions enhance each chapter and ensure a safe and ethical application of this technique. This book is a must read for anyone who uses a life story approach in his or her work with older adults or is teaching or supervising others in doing so.

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Transformational Reminiscence: Life Story Work Review

J. A. Kunz & F. G. Soltys. 2007. Transformational Reminiscence. New York: Springer.

The primary orientation of this book is to open a pathway to enhancing the lives of mature and older adults. The pathway is provided by methods of encouraging the telling and sharing of life stories, a process of enriching reminiscence.
There is growing interest our life stories in present day society. Uncertainties and ambiguities of life transitions have been increased by people living longer and having more active lives in a changing society that has rapidly evolved from the industrial into the information era. Society has become more efficient but also less personal. This book prepares the reader to work with older adults to release and interpret their memories and life stories which will result in increased personal strengths.
In the past, reminiscence by older adults was looked upon as an idle pre-occupation, a non-productive "killing of time". This book demonstrates that reminiscence is a productive activity which provides insights and releases the wisdom from accumulated experiences of long lives. There are many facets to memories and life stories. The eleven chapters of this book provide insights and instruction about methods to stimulate reminiscence and integrate memories. In addition to the two senior authors, there are eight other authors. They all review relevant literature and provide evidence that encourages individuals to engage in the processes of reminiscence and life review. The dominant professional background of the authors is in social work; five are from social work, two from counseling, and the remaining three are other specialized professionals, i.e., nursing, public health, and paraprofessional services.
The processes of human development over the life span are complex. Various disciplines have developed different paradigms or models for explaining the processes and events that shape lives and how lives are interpreted. The book does not guide the reader in determining the validity of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Erikson's stages of life, or Cohen's four phases of the second half of life. These are the external templates that are placed on lives in contrast to the internal view of lives that individuals evolve and reveal in their reminiscence and life stories. We will learn much more in the years ahead from the interactions of research studies and the studies of therapeutic reminiscences.
The book has a therapeutic orientation in helping older adults in a wide variety of contexts, "from working with fully oriented and functional older adults to working with the very frail, confused, and dying". The described methods of stimulating reminiscence range from one-on-one to group work. The title of the book, Transformational Reminiscence, is in itself a contribution. It implies that constructive transformations result from the conduct of reminiscence with the elderly.
There is a wide range of contexts into which narrative reminiscence fits from the therapeutic couch to insightful lunch conversations with friends and colleagues. This book on Transformational Reminiscence broadens the perspective on the constructive sharing of memories. It contributes to making the 21st century more personally constructive in contrast to the trends of the automated information era.
This book is written for those who serve or want to serve the older population. Its primary emphasis is on the therapeutic or helping use of reminiscence to improve the lives of older adults. Both individual and group reminiscence processes are described in detail. Also included are descriptions of art-based techniques for bringing memories to the surface and integrating them. The book will find a ready audience among professionals who are seeking to improve the lives of older persons.
James E. Birren

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