Narrative

Therapy
Developed by Social workers
Michael White and David Epston

Neeta Iyer
counseling Psychologist, neeta.iyer@gmail.com
Approaches:

• psychoanalytic
• Cognitive
• Behavioral
• Humanistic
• constructionist
• Systemic
Types of therapies:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

• Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy
• Expressive Art Therapy
• Acceptance and Commitment therapy
• Eye Movement and Reprocessing Therapy
• Gestalt Therapy
• ….
Narrative Therapy
• The narrative therapy approach created by Michael
White and David Epston separates the problem from
the individual.
• They believed that separating a person from their
problematic or destructive behavior was a vital part of
treatment and better mental health.
• Narrative therapy is a psychological approach that
seeks to adjust the stories one tells about one’s life in
order to bring about positive change.
• It centres people as the experts in their own lives.
 Key Concept:

“The problem is the problem, the person is not the problem.”

• Its Focus is on understanding,

deconstructing and retelling clients story
for positive change
 For example :

when treating someone who had run afoul of the law, they would encourage the
individual to see themselves as a person who made mistakes, rather than as an
inherently “bad” felon.
White and Epston grounded this new therapeutic model in three main ideas.

Narrative therapy is respectful.

Narrative therapy is non-blaming.

Narrative therapy views the client as the expert.

(Make notes)
Concepts / Techniques
◦ Problem saturated description
(Putting together a narrative)

Therapist encourages the client to expand

the narrative for more details. As a
therapist or other mental health
professional, his job in narrative therapy is
to help his/her client find their voice and
tell their story in their own words.

The dominant story.

◦ Naming the problem - E.g. Anger, Depression
◦ Externalization Technique

• E.g. ‘depression invaded your life’ rather than ‘you became depressed’. ’You were both affected by stress’ rather
than ‘You were both stressed.’

• Problems occurring simultaneously may be linked to one another – e.g. depression may have allies that are‘ self-
doubt’ and ‘guilt’

• Problems appear less fixed once externalized, people’s skills then come to light

• Disempower the effects of labelling

• Reduce blame and yet leave room for responsibility

• Enables the development of an alternate story that is non-problem saturated

• (find a case story here to explain)
For example,

Statement 1:
if you are quick to anger or you consider yourself an angry person, then you must fundamentally
change something about yourself to address the problem;

however,

Statement 2:
if you are a person who acts aggressive and angers easily, then you need to alter the situations
and behaviors surrounding the problem.
◦ Unique outcomes Technique:

• Sparkling events that are not part of the problem saturated story
• Could be a - plan, action, statement, feeling, dream, belief, commitment
• Often go unnoticed, given less significance
• One needs to listen very carefully to the story, to pick up on these instances and nuances
• Some questions – It seems to me that when you meet your friends, you are going against the
rules of social anxiety. Is that so?

The aim is not to ‘point out positives’

What can be a unique outcome?

• A plan - Planning to go out for coffee when Anorexia says “don’t go”
• An Action - calling a friend despite depression asking you to stay alone.
• A feeling - feeling pleased with your result, despite Perfectionism saying the result is
not good enough.
◦ Alternative Story

Narrative therapists are interested in working with people to bring forth and thicken stories
that do not support or sustain problems. As people begin to inhabit and live out the
alternative stories, the results are beyond solving problems. Within the new stories, people
live out new self images, new possibilities for relationships and new futures. (1996, p.16)

Jill Freedman and Gene Combs

Just as various thin descriptions and conclusions can support and sustain problems,
Alternative stories can reduce the influence of problems and create new possibilities
for living by drawing the attention towards thick descriptions.
Existentialism Technique

The belief that the world holds no inherent meaning ,

and that we all must make our own meaning in life.
 Case Study :

Anger due to grief…

 Interventions/Exercises

• Statement of Position Map (should be done with the help of the

therapist)
• My life story - to be given as homework eg: “Tom’s life story”
• Expressive Arts

make notes
 Works for Disorders like:
• OCD
• Anxiety
• Attachment Issues
• Depression
• Grief
• PTSD
• Eating Disorders
This process can take time (not a brief therapy), but can eventually help people
find their own voice and develop a healthier, more positive narrative.
Studies conducted on

• PTSD refugees and trauma survivors

• Reducing Marital Counselling in Iran
• Children - improving empathy, decision making and social skills
There is little scientific research to back the effectiveness of narrative therapy. Some
professionals also critique the assumption that there are no absolute truths in life. It's
not for everyone. Your unique needs are different from anyone else’s.
Books:

Maps of Narrative Practice - By Michael White

What is Narrative Therapy? An Easy to Read Introduction - Alice Morgan

Playful Approaches to serious problems - David Epston

Retelling the stories of our lives: Everyday Narrative Therapy to draw inspiration and
transform experience - David Denborough
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
Maya Angelou