How to Become Happy? Therapeutic Narrative in the Life Stories of Self-help Teachers in Lithuania

Abstract

The article discusses how a therapeutic narrative is constructed in the life stories of selfhelp teachers in Lithuania. In-depth interviews with the members of the study group revealed that a prevalent structure of the narrative of this group could be discerned and identified as therapeutic narrative. It adapts the perspective of Western therapeutic culture and modifies it by introducing the dichotomy of ‘true’ and ‘false’ desire for self-transformation. The causes of personal misery are here explained by the prevailing emotional culture specific to Lithuania. This culture is characterised here by general fear, mistrust, insecurity, and the stigmatisation of the display of positive emotions as consequences of the experienced cultural trauma and anomie in the Lithuanian society.