Foundations of Narrative Therapy
This approach to therapy focuses on the stories people tell about their lives and how these stories shape their identities.
What is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative therapists believe that this is separate from the person and can be rewritten through new stories.
What is the problem?
This technique involves separating a person from their problem to help them see it as something external and changeable.
What is externalizing the problem?
This Australian social worker co-founded Narrative Therapy and pioneered externalizing conversations.
Who is Michael White?
Narrative Therapy is often used to help individuals struggling with this type of common mental health issue
What is anxiety or depression?
Narrative Therapy was developed in the 1980s by these two key figures.
Who are Michael White and David Epston?
A dominant, negative story that people tell about themselves, which often limits their potential.
What is a problem-saturated narrative?
A narrative therapist might encourage a client to give their problem a name, such as “The Worry Monster.”
What is personifying the problem?
This therapist from New Zealand collaborated with Michael White and helped develop Narrative Therapy.
Who is David Epston?
In working with children, therapists might encourage them to create this to externalize their struggles and strengths.
What is a storybook or superhero narrative?
Narrative Therapy is based on the idea that people’s lives are shaped by these, which can be rewritten.
What are stories or narratives?
The process of identifying unique moments when the problem did not dominate the person’s life.
What are exceptions?
Narrative therapists ask these types of questions to help clients uncover alternative narratives and strengths.
What are scaffolding or exploratory questions?
These types of therapy, such as Solution-Focused Therapy and Postmodern Therapy, share similarities with Narrative Therapy.
What are strengths-based and postmodern therapies?
Narrative Therapy is effective in helping survivors of this process their experiences and reclaim their identity.
What is trauma?
This philosophy, which suggests that reality is shaped by language and social interactions, heavily influences Narrative Therapy.
What is Social Constructionism?
This term refers to uncovering hidden strengths and alternative stories that empower the client.
What are exceptions?
Narrative therapists help clients write a version of their life story where they overcome challenges, a process known as this.
What is re-storying or re-authoring?
Michael White was heavily influenced by this French philosopher known for his work on power and discourse
Who is Michel Foucault?
Narrative Therapy is frequently used in community work to challenge and rewrite these harmful social narratives.
What are cultural or systemic narratives?
Narrative Therapy emphasizes that people are not their problems, a belief known as the principle.
What is externalization?
This technique involves examining and deconstructing harmful cultural narratives that shape personal identity.
What is deconstruction?
This technique involves inviting significant people in a client’s life to witness and affirm their new, empowered narrative.
What is an outsider witness practice?
David Epston is known for incorporating this creative technique into therapy to help clients reshape their narratives.
What is letter writing?
A narrative therapist might encourage someone in addiction recovery to reframe their past struggles into this kind of empowering identity.
What is a survivor or resilience narrative?