Community Narrative and Personal Stories in Seikatsu no Hakken Kai:

A Sociological Consideration of the Conditions for Recovery

Abstract

This paper considers the connection between community narrative, personal stories and recovery in a self-help group for neurosis, Seikatsu no Hakken Kai（SHK).
SHK is based on Morita therapy, and SHK's community narrative states that recovery is possible when members arrive at a full and correct understanding of Morita therapy. However, not a few members who have achieved recovery by participating in SHK say that their recovery was not only brought about by Morita therapy. This indicates that sometimes the personal stories of SHK members do not conform with SHK's community narrative.
By focusing on this point, this paper elucidates the somewhat complicated relationship between community narrative and personal stories and the conditions for recovery in SHK.