A Theoretical and Applied Review of Embodied Restorying for Post-Deployment Family Reintegration

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the theory and application of Embodied Restorying Practices (ERPs), an intervention designed to promote military family reintegration.  ERPs are an approach to family storytelling that takes on a sociomaterial, translational approach.  ERPs are geared toward individuals and families who have experienced stress, separation, or trauma.  A facilitator follows the steps of ERPs to encourage people to move beyond grand culturally imposed narratives or separate, looped stories of trauma/difficulty.  ERPs prompt families to reframe stories in cognitive and material ways to create positive, unified, living stories of the future that, when reinforced by the family system, give members increased agency and family connection.  Practical roots of ERPs stem from equine-assisted interventions with veterans. Theoretical review shows how ERPs fit in the context of family storytelling research and warrant further research.

Keywords: military, family, stress, PTSD, deployment, family communication, storytelling, narrative, restorying, equine, sociomaterial,