Abstract
Discourse analysis lends itself well to the field of qualitative clinical research because of its unique focus on language as constructive rather than revealing. In turn, taking a reflexive stance as therapist/researcher situates the clinician as an inherent part of this discursive process, constructing notions of normality and abnormality through therapeutic practices. In this paper, I use material from a psychodynamic therapy group for women with eating problems in order to explore the usefulness of a feminist foucaultian perspective in researching aspects of psychotherapy. While taking a deconstructive stance, I also highlight the contribution psychoanalytic theory can make towards understanding the complexity of the 'self'.