Could the Tree of Life Model Be a Useful Approach for UK Mental Health Contexts?
A Review of the Literature
Keywords:
Tree of Life group, narrative therapy, personal recovery, mental health recovery, collective narrative practiceAbstract
Some suggest the ethos of the Tree of Life (ToL) group aligns with the concept of “personal-recovery” promoted in mental health policy. Thus, it is claimed that the group could be a useful approach within UK mental health services. This review collated 14 papers to explore whether existing literature regarding the ToL group supports this assertion. The papers were synthesized using the thematic analysis method and three broad themes were identified, which support the argument for its utility within services. These were recovery-aligned themes, the inclusivity of the model, and group processes relevant to mental health contexts. The papers are critically appraised, key concerns regarding the wider literature discussed, and clinical implications summarized.
References
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., Epstein, N., & Brown, G. (1990). Beck self-concept test. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2(2), 191. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.2.2.191
Bloch, S., Reibstein, J., Crouch, E., Holroyd, P. & Themen, J. (1979). A method for the study of therapeutic factors in group psychotherapy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 134(3), pp. 257–263.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77–101. doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
British Psychological Society (BPS). (2012). Commissioning and delivering clinical psychology in acute adult mental health care: guidance for commissioners, service managers, psychology managers & practitioners. British Psychological Society. Retrieved from: https://shop.bps.org.uk/commissioning-and-delivering-clinical-psychology-in-acute-adult-mental-health-care.html
Butera‐Prinzi, F., Charles, N., & Story, K. (2014). Narrative family therapy and group work for families living with acquired brain injury. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 35(1), 81–99. https://doi.org/10.1002/anzf.1046
Casdagli, L., Christie, D., Girling, I., Ali, S., & Fredman, G. (2017). Evaluating the Tree of Life project: An innovative way of engaging children and young people with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care for Children & Young People, 6(1), 9–15.
Collins, M., Shattell, M., & Thomas, S. P. (2005). Problematic interviewee behaviors in qualitative research. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 27(2), 188–199. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0193945904268068
Denborough, D. (2008). Collective narrative practice: Responding to individuals, groups, and communities who have experienced trauma. Dulwich Centre Publications.
Denborough, D. (2012). A storyline of collective narrative nractice: A history of ideas, social projects and partnerships. International Journal of Narrative Therapy & Community Work, (1), 40.
Department of Health (DOH). (2001). The journey to recovery: The government’s vision for mental health care. Crown.
Dixon-Woods, M., Bonas, S., Booth, A., Jones, D. R., Miller, T., Sutton, A. J., Shaw, R, L., Smith, J, A., & Young, B. (2006). How can systematic reviews incorporate qualitative research? A critical perspective. Qualitative Research, 6(1), 27–44. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1468794106058867
Evans, C., Mellor-Clark, J., Margison, F., Barkham, M., Audin, K., Connell, J., & McGrath, G. (2000). CORE: Clinical outcomes in routine evaluation. Journal of Mental Health, 9(3), 247–255. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1080/713680250
Ferrari, R. (2015). Writing narrative style literature reviews. Medical Writing, 24(4), 230–235. https://doi.org/10.1179/2047480615Z.000000000329
Fraser, J., Williams, L., Hayes, M., Akpan, U., & Bowerman, U. (2018) Humanising the inpatient experience through service user-led tree of tife workshops. Clinical Psychology Forum. 312.
German, M. (2013). Developing our cultural strengths: Using the “tree of life” strengths based, narrative therapy intervention in schools, to enhance self-esteem, cultural understanding and to challenge racism. Educational and Child Psychology, 30(4), 75–99.
Greenhalgh, T. (2014). How to read a paper: The basics of evidence-based medicine. Oxford.
Greenhalgh, T., Thorne, S., & Malterud, K. (2018). Time to challenge the spurious hierarchy of systematic over narrative reviews? European journal of clinical investigation, 48(6). doi: 10.1111/eci.12931.
Harding, C. M., Zubin, J., & Strauss, J. S. (1987). Chronicity in schizophrenia: Fact, partial fact, or artifact? Psychiatric Services, 38(5), 477–486. https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.38.5.477.
Hellider, K. (2009, March 24). No joke: Group therapy offers savings in numbers. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123785686766020551.html
Hughes, G. (2014). Finding a voice through “the tree of life”: A strength-based approach to mental health for refugee children and families in schools. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 19(1), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104513476719
Ibrahim, J., & Allen, J. (2018). The highs and lows through recovery: An integrative group combining cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, and the tree of life. Group, 42(1), 23–33. DOI: 10.13186/group.42.1.0023.
Ibrahim, J., & Tchanturia, K. (2017). Patients’ experience of a narrative group therapy approach informed by the “tree of life” model for individuals with anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(1), 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2017.1315586
Jacobs, S. F. (2018). Collective narrative practice with unaccompanied refugee minors: “The tree of life” as a response to hardship. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 23(2), 279–293. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1359104517744246
Leamy, M., Bird, V., Le Boutillier, C., Williams, J., & Slade, M. (2011). Conceptual framework for personal-recovery in mental health: systematic review and narrative synthesis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(6), 445–452. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.110.083733
London Assembly Health Committee (2018). Supporting mental health for all. Retrieved from https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mentalhealthfinal.pdf
Marshall, K., & Willoughby‐Booth, S. (2007). Modifying the clinical outcomes in routine evaluation measure for use with people who have a learning disability. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35(2), 107–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3156.2006.00422.x
McFarlane, F., & Howes, H. (2012). Narrative approaches to group parenting work: Using the tree of life with “hard-to-reach” parents. Context, 123, 22–25.
McGrath, L., Griffin, V., & Mundy, E. (2015). The psychological impact of austerity: A briefing paper. UK: Psychologists Against Austerity. Retrieved from http://oro.open.ac.uk/62754
Méndez, G. A., & Cole, E. M. (2014). Engaging Latino families in therapy: Application of the tree of life technique. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 25(3), 209–224. doi:10.1080/08975353.2014.939932
Miller, R. S. (1996). Embarrassment: Poise and peril in everyday life. Guilford Press.
Morgan, A. (2000). What is narrative therapy? Dulwich Centre Publications.
Mullen, A. (2009). Mental health nurses establishing psychosocial interventions within acute inpatient settings. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 18(2), 83–90. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20084
Ncube, N. (2006). The tree of life project. International Journal of Narrative Therapy & Community Work, 2006(1), 3–16.
Ncube, N. (2018). Tree of life practitioners. Phola [Website]. Retrieved from https://phola.org/tree-of-life/
Neimeyer, R. A. (1993). An appraisal of constructivist psychotherapies. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 61(2), 221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.61.2.221.
NHS England (2014). The five year forward view. Retrieved from https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/5yfv-web.pdf
Nolte, L., Brown, R., Ferguson, S., & Sole, J. (2016). Creating ripples: Towards practice based evidence for narrative therapy within NHS contexts. Clinical Psychology Forum, 284, 48–52. Retrieved from https://uhra.herts.ac.uk/handle/2299/17452
Nurser, K. (2017). A qualitative exploration of “telling my story” in mental health recovery [Doctoral dissertation]. Retrieved from https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/66565/
Paturel, A. (2012). Power in numbers. Monitor on Psychology, 43, 48–49. doi: 10.1037/e652122012-023
Payne, M. (2006). Narrative therapy. Sage.
PHOLA. (n.d.). Training opportunities: Tree of life. Retrieved from: https://phola.org/tree-of-life/
Randle‐Phillips, C., Farquhar, S., & Thomas, S. (2016). Adapting and evaluating a tree of life group for women with learning disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 44(4), 301–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12166
Ridgway, P. (2001). Re-storying psychiatric disability: learning from first person recovery narratives. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 24(4), 335–343. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/h0095071.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSE). Acceptance and commitment therapy measures package. Retrieved from http://ueb.ro/psihologie/docs/Psihologie_pozitiva_teste_si_scale.pdf#page=61
Royal College of Psychiatrists. (2016). Outcome measures for psychodynamic psychotherapy services. Retrieved from https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/members/faculties/medical-psychotherapy/medical-psyschotherapy-fr-mp-01-outcome-measures-for-psychodynamic-psychotherapy-services.pdf?sfvrsn=1dc5057b_2
Roy-Chowdhury, S. (2003). Knowing the unknowable: What constitutes evidence in family therapy? Journal of Family Therapy, 25(1), 64–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.00235
Rüsch, N., Müller, M., Ajdacic-Gross, V., Rodgers, S., Corrigan, P. W., & Rössler, W. (2014). Shame, perceived knowledge and satisfaction associated with mental health as predictors of attitude patterns towards help-seeking. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 23(2), 177–187. https://doi.org/10.1017/S204579601300036X
Schweitzer, R. D., Vromans, L., Ranke, G., & Griffin, J. (2014). Narratives of healing: A case study of a young Liberian refugee settled in Australia. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 41(1), 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2013.10.006
Slade, M., Adams, N., & O’Hagan, M. (2012). Recovery: Past progress and future challenges. International Review of Psychiatry, 24, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2011.644847
Slade, M., Amering, M., Farkas, M., Hamilton, B., O'Hagan, M., Panther, G., & Whitley, R. (2014). Uses and abuses of recovery: implementing recovery‐oriented practices in mental health systems. World Psychiatry, 13(1), 12–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20084 Smith, S. E., & Willms, D. G.(1997). Introduction. In S. E.Smith, D. G. Willms, & N. A. Johnson (Eds.), Nurtured by knowledge: Learning to do participatory action research (pp. 1–12). Apex Press.
The Mental Health Taskforce. (2016). The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. NHS England.
Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45
Wellman, J., Lepori, F., & Szlachcic, R. (2016). Exploring the utility of a pilot TOL group in an inpatient setting. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, 11(3), 172–181. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-01-2016-0007
White, M. (1997). Narratives of therapist’s lives. Dulwich Centre.
White, M. (2000). Reflecting teamwork as definitional ceremony revisited. In Reflections on narrative practice: Essays and interviews. Dulwich Centre Publications.
White, M. (2006). Working with people who are suffering the consequences of multiple trauma: A narrative perspective. In D. Denborough, (Ed.), Trauma: Narrative responses to traumatic experience (pp. 25–85). Dulwich Centre Publications.
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative means to therapeutic ends. Norton.
Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2005) The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. Basic Books.
Young, S. L. & Ensing, D.S. (1999). Exploring recovery from the perspective of people with psychiatric disabilities. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 22, 219–223.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright for articles published in Narrative Works is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to Narrative Works. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.