A recent commentary by Professor Martin Milton on the novel, A Little Life, was published in The Psychologist, the member magazine of the British Psychological Society (BPS). In his article, Milton suggests that the book is “a story that every practitioner should read.”
In the article Milton notes that in psychology practice there is a focus, quite rightly, on what we all learn as part of typical psychology training – that is, on objective practices of assessment and intervention and diagnostic classifications. As a result our psychological services are often set up to address the needs of many rather than one individual. This can mean that learning associated with the subjective experience of the individual is lost. Milton proposes a refocus on seeking to understand at a deeper level the individual experience and seeing beyond the constraints of structured initiatives and manualised treatment programs. He points out that “we often fit the client to what we offer, rather than adapting our services to what each client may need.”
Milton argues that when practitioners truly engage in and understand a client’s story and experience, then true empathy emerges and the therapeutic relationship is most effective. He proposes that this complete immersion in a person’s experience and struggles can be garnered through various means, including through reading fiction. In this case the focus is on the novel, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, which Milton declares is “like nothing else I have read”.
A Little Life is the story of Jude, a young man exposed to significant abuse and trauma who finds an ability to cope with life through self-harm practices and key friendships. It is argued that novels such as this can provide a deep understanding of life experience, struggle and coping as the reader becomes immersed in the character’s experience. Milton goes as far as to suggest that fictional stories about the struggles of everyday people can enhance knowledge and form an important part of continuing professional development for psychologists. He points out that books focused on research, theory and practice are limited in their ability to take the reader on the client’s emotional journey the way a novel can. A Little Life is but one example of such a book.
Members interested in the article can access it on the BPS website.
Disclaimer: Published in InPsych on February 2019. The APS aims to ensure that information published in InPsych is current and accurate at the time of publication. Changes after publication may affect the accuracy of this information. Readers are responsible for ascertaining the currency and completeness of information they rely on, which is particularly important for government initiatives, legislation or best-practice principles which are open to amendment. The information provided in InPsych does not replace obtaining appropriate professional and/or legal advice.