ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the definition of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), its impact on individuals, couples, and families taking into consideration cultural factors, economic factors, life cycle issues, and traditional medical models. Deficit assumptions surrounding therapy with the chronically ill, including the psyshosomatic model, standardized family assessments, family of origin issues, object relations and solution-focused models of therapy are explored. Social constructionism as it relates to narrative therapy is presented as a both/and world view within which to effectively create possibilities for IBS sufferers.
