Narrative Therapy Methods
Narrative therapy is a method of mental health treatment that may help separate a person from their personal challenges or enable individuals to take control of their own lives.
This therapeutic process may assist people in relying on their internal skills and emotional tools to overcome life's difficulties. The idea behind narrative therapy seeks to convey that our life is a compilation of life stories, and we can give our lives meaning through the little narrative structures within them — the vignettes that unfold within a person's larger story.
By narrating your life story and embracing non-blaming and non-pathological principles, you could experience growth in ways you might not have thought possible.
Narrative therapy techniques & interventions
Narrative therapy history
The narrative therapy approach was developed by Michael White and David Epston, therapists from New Zealand. Michael White and David Epston believed that seeing people as separate from their issues could be essential to treating mental health concerns.
Narrative therapy, developed as a non-blaming and non-pathological treatment by White and Epston, seeks to ensure that clients are not viewed as problematic or with something wrong with them. They believed that people aren't broken and can change their own life stories or explore alternative story paths within their experiences.
The founders aimed to emphasize the benefits of narrative therapy by ensuring that therapists weren't labeling individuals as defective. Instead, they wanted those who sought their help to feel empowered to take control over their own lives and the way they tackle the many stories and challenges that confront them.
The three components of narrative therapy
The founders of narrative therapy came up with three primary components for therapists to focus on.
Respect
Respect is a fundamental aspect of a narrative therapy session, where the therapist treats the person with dignity. They may attend therapy sessions to work through their problematic story, but they themselves aren't the problem.
Individuals sometimes struggle with viewing themselves as “broken” or “messed up.” Narrative therapy seeks to help individuals respect themselves and detach from negative perceptions. Your therapist may help you view yourself positively by recognizing that everyone can experience different stories and go through hard times, which doesn't make you defective. It means you're human.
Non-blaming
When things go wrong, it may feel overwhelming and easy to blame others or ourselves. However, doing so may delay personal development.
In narrative therapy, a client doesn't get blamed for their problems, nor do they place blame on other people. They may explore events and discuss aspects of their life stories, learning to recognize alternative and dominant narratives within their lives, and actively work to change maladaptive thoughts and behaviors.
Narrative therapy can show an individual that blaming may not be helpful because it focuses on a person's story rather than a problem. When one can identify their own stories they may also recognize themselves as individuals with their own meaning within a story.
The client as the expert
In many types of therapy, the client may come to the therapist seeking guidance. We often view our counselors as more intelligent or capable than ourselves. Narrative therapy focuses on the fact that therapists are human beings, too. They have an education in psychology, but they also have flaws and make mistakes as humans.
Narrative therapists may help illustrate what could be painful patterns or unhealthy beliefs in your dominant story. However, as the writer of your own story, you make the final decisions.
Much like person-centered therapy and systemic therapies, in narrative therapy, the narrative therapists may not view themselves as an authority figure or feel better than the client in any way. The therapy session may be a collaborative process in which the client can explore events, get to know their core personality, and trust themselves.
In a typical session, the client may discuss aspects of their dominant story in depth, and the therapist may guide them along the way while supporting them through the process as the story gains richness. A qualified narrative therapist may help you work through the narrative ideas you have and help you remember why you started narrative therapy in the first place.
The foundation of this method may be that objective reality and memories are social constructs and our interactions with other people form a particular sequence that can influence what we see as "real."
Narrative therapists may believe there is no absolute truth; your perception is your reality, and what may be true for one person won't necessarily be accurate for someone else. Narrative therapy sets forth the idea that we can make sense of our lives by choosing how we tell our life affirming stories alongside the support of an expert.
Narrative therapy benefits
Narrative therapy can help individuals recognize that they have the power to navigate their stories and re-author their lives. It acknowledges that an individual's story is constantly evolving and changing and that a core personality characteristic may shape their perspective. Although a problematic story feels overwhelming to confront, narrative therapy may provide a safe space to explore and understand them.
Narrative therapy is a therapeutic approach that encourages individuals to explore their stories and experiences with curiosity and without judgment. It aims to help people recognize and challenge problematic stories that may be impacting their well-being, such as those related to mental illness or specific challenges faced by married women.
Through the process of narrative therapy, individuals may gain a greater understanding of themselves, including their sexual identity, and their unique experiences, all while recognizing that there is no universal truth. The therapy stresses that change is possible, even in situations that may seem out of a person's control. As a result, narrative therapy can be a valuable resource in addition to seeking professional medical advice and support in navigating their personal journeys.
Four narrative methods
Many narrative techniques may help individuals learn to take control of their lives and their stories. There are four standard narrative methods that a therapist might utilize.
Developing your own stroy
You might be aware of how your story is going, or you may feel clueless about why certain things have happened to you. When you go to narrative therapy, your therapist may support you in figuring out the nature of your story and how to get you on the right track to telling it.
Some people may not know there are repetitive stories within their lives. In that case, narrative practice can help clients identify dominant themes that may impact them. A therapist may empower the client by showing them they can re-steer everyday events.
Externalization
Narrative therapy may focus on helping you understand that you are not your problem. Your therapist may refer to you as a human being moving through life, writing your journey as you go. You might struggle with specific issues, but you are often not the challenges you meet.
The concept of distancing yourself from the problems you experience is called "externalization." When you're putting together a story, it may be beneficial to differentiate yourself from the problem to improve your self-esteem and take responsibility for what you can change.
Externalization may allow you to view issues objectively, non-judgmental point of view. Once you create a distance between yourself and your problems, you may see that change is possible and that you can heal.
Deconstruction
People can sometimes become anxious or overwhelmed when taking in their stories. They might feel that their problems are "too much" to tackle all at once.
If you're trying to look at everything in your life at once, that might make you feel anxious or even powerless. However, in narrative therapy, you can deconstruct the pieces of your story.
Deconstructing the story and looking at it in smaller parts may make the process far less overwhelming and could help an individual see how they may impact change in their life.
Outcomes
Narrative therapy could help you understand your options and how much you can change based on how you write your story. A narrative therapist can show a client that there may be alternative endings or solutions that you haven't considered.
Finding a narrative counselor
Are you ready to continue writing your life story but feel you need some help getting an idea, sense, or example of how to do so? If the answer is "yes," it may be time to find a therapist to help you achieve your goals.
Many individuals find online therapy to be a productive method of treatment. Online counseling has been proven to be just as effective as in-person therapy. Narrative therapy is similarly effective in treating mental health conditions like depression.
If you're ready to reach out for support, consider an online platform such as BetterHelp, which has a variety of counselors available specializing in various types of therapy.
Takeaway
Narrative therapy may help you tell the story of your life in a way that is free of judgment and blame. Your therapist might help you see that how your life has gone so far is not a reflection of who you are or who you will be. If you're ready to reach out for support for any concern, consider contacting a mental health counselor at a narrative therapy centre. Embrace the opportunity to embark on a transformative journey and remember why you started narrative therapy in the first place.What is a typical narrative therapy technique?
There are many narrative therapy techniques, each designed to help patients build a healthy narrative supporting their well-being. One common technique is externalization, which focuses on helping patients perceive their problems or concerns as entities external to themselves. Narrative therapy separates a person and their problems, encouraging the belief that a person’s identity is not defined by the concerns that bring them to therapy. Therapists often help patients deconstruct their externalized narratives and look for opportunities to introduce unique outcomes to possibly harmful stories.
What is the first step of narrative therapy?
The first step in narrative therapy may differ based on the therapist's preference or the patient’s unique needs, but many courses of narrative therapy begin with an exploration of the patient’s current narratives. The patient might be encouraged to describe the situations and circumstances surrounding the concerns that brought them to therapy. The therapist will likely pay close attention to how the patient frames themselves within their story and how their identity arises from their connection with their personal narrative. Once the patient and therapist have established the patient’s narrative, the therapist can help the patient change parts of their story that may be causing them harm.
What is the deconstruction technique in narrative therapy?
The deconstruction technique in narrative therapy typically refers to a process in which patients can modify problematic parts of their personal narrative and replace them with healthier alternative stories. Like many narrative therapy techniques, deconstruction aims to help the patient fully analyze how their personal stories impact their identity and self-perception. By deconstructing those stories, patients can learn how their personal narratives impact their well-being and take steps to change harmful stories into positive ones.
What are the pillars of narrative therapy?
The pillars of narrative therapy may refer to the core techniques used to help patients achieve meaningful change. Some of the core techniques of narrative therapy include:
- Externalizing problems. A primary focus within narrative therapy is separating the person and the problem, allowing the patient to critically examine how their personal story surrounding the problem impacts their identity.
- Deconstruction. The therapist helps the patient break down their personal narrative to explore how the individual elements of their story impact their identity and sense of well-being.
- Unique outcomes. Following deconstruction, the therapist helps the patient develop new stories with different outcomes that have a more supportive impact on the patient’s well-being.
What are the criticisms of narrative therapy?
Narrative therapy is an evidence-based approach and has been demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of many mental health conditions. However, narrative therapy is not appropriate in all circumstances. A few commonly criticized elements of narrative therapy are described below:
Training requirements. Narrative therapy requires a skilled therapist to administer it successfully. The level of training and practice required to become adept at using narrative therapy techniques may keep some therapists from adopting narrative approaches. For example, anxiety in people participating in narrative therapy is common, and a therapist must become skilled at helping their patients manage it.
Oversimplification. Some experts believe narrative therapy oversimplifies a patient’s concerns by focusing only on personal narratives.
Interpersonal dynamics. Narrative therapy has been criticized for deprioritizing social relationships. This criticism is especially common regarding family therapy, where narrative approaches might disregard patterns of interaction between family members more than other types of therapy.
What is the critical principle of narrative therapy?
One of the most critical components of narrative therapy is likely the ability to reinterpret personal narratives through a nonjudgmental lens. The Dulwich Centre, one of the leading organizations for training therapists in narrative techniques, notes the importance of a non-pathologizing approach to the success of the therapy. Narrative therapy seeks to separate people’s narratives from the problems they are experiencing, reducing blame and guilt while shifting the narrative's focus to include personal strengths, skills, and values. In many cases, reframing personal stories improves a person's well-being substantially.
What is the ultimate goal of narrative therapy?
As with most types of therapy, narrative therapy's ultimate goal is likely to improve a person’s quality of life by allowing for personal reflection, growth, and meaningful change. Narrative therapy is one possible way to address adverse life circumstances, mental health conditions, or other concerns, such as poor family dynamics or low marital satisfaction. By helping people change how they understand and interpret their personal stories, narrative therapy seeks to help them find positivity and satisfaction in their narratives.
How to use narrative therapy for trauma?
Traditional narrative therapy is not often used to treat traumatic exposure due to the possibility of harm to the patient while encountering and reframing personal narratives rooted in trauma. However, a variation of narrative therapy, narrative exposure therapy (NET), is designed for use with those who have experienced complex trauma. NET differs from traditional narrative therapy by utilizing permanent reminders that emotions and physical sensations associated with memories are linked to episodic facts, such as a specific time or place.
The therapist helps the patient stay grounded in the present and reframe the stories surrounding their trauma by creating an autobiographical account of their life story rather than focusing on one or a few specific traumatic occurrences. The theory behind NET suggests that encouraging the patient to reflect on their entire life helps them place their traumatic experiences in context, making it easier to manage the physical and emotional responses associated with traumatic memories.
Is narrative therapy like CBT?
Narrative therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are separate psychotherapies with unique theoretical foundations. They are both evidence-based and have use cases where they are known to be effective. Narrative therapy builds new personal stories to create meaningful change, while CBT modifies the interactions between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors by helping a patient develop cognitive or behavioral skills. Although the two therapies have different theoretical foundations, some approaches, like narrative CBT, integrate narrative, solution-focused, and CBT-based techniques. An integrated approach likely allows the patient to take advantage of the strengths of each method, potentially improving their outcomes following therapy.
What are the cons of narrative exposure therapy?
Narrative exposure therapy uses a narrative approach to help patients address concerns related to past trauma. As with many psychotherapies intended for use with those who have been exposed to traumatic events, narrative exposure therapy comes with the risk of emotional and physical distress. Patients may find it challenging to navigate challenging memories associated with traumatic events, and therapists must be adept at helping their patients manage the adverse emotional and physical sensations that often occur when confronting memories associated with trauma.
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