Narrative Therapy

What Is Narrative Therapy?

Narrative therapy is a therapeutic approach that aims to empower people to view themselves as separate from their problems. The emphasis is on the stories spoken by each one of us, enabling people to reframe experiences and seek new possibilities.

Originally developed in the 1980s by Michael White and David Epston, this approach enables people to "rewrite" their life stories and thus supports personal growth and healing. In place of seeing oneself as deficient or broken, narrative therapy helps cultivate self-care and resilience by helping clients realize how stories shape their identity.

What Are The Benefits of Narrative Therapy?

Some of the benefits that accrued from the narrative therapy include:

• Empowerment: 

The clients can develop a sense of control by realizing that they are not their problems.

• Non-blaming: 

The approach focuses on changing unhelpful narratives without blame.

• Respect: 

Individuals concerned are respected and supported in handling personal problems.

• Client as Expert: 

The therapist works together with the client and keeps in mind that the client is the expert in their own life.

• Increased Life Satisfaction: 

Positively changing stories make the clients feel fuller in life.

• Better Problem-Solving: 

Enhances resilience and problem-solving skills by testing new insights.

• Growth and Development: 

Stimulating personal growth through challenging unreasonable, growth-restrictive beliefs.

• Elevating Mood: 

Helps in raising the mood level by re-framing unhelpful stories.

• Contextual Awareness: 

It puts the client's story in a context whereby they appreciate how the social, cultural, and political parameters influence the stories.

How Narrative Therapy Works

Narrative therapy views life events as stories. In that aspect, some stories take precedence over others in the development and course of an individual's life. Even though negative events define a person's identity, narrative therapy will find those buried stories that pertain to strengths, values, and goals.

During therapy sessions, clients are encouraged to consider themselves experts in their lives. The therapist is not involved for an advisory purpose but rather to support the person further in developing a deeper understanding of their selves. Together, they explore buried narratives such as dreams, values, goals, and skills that define who this individual truly is apart from their problems.

Through this collaborative effort, the client learns to re-author their stories. They identify alternative stories that challenge the limiting beliefs, thus opening new ways of living that better reflect a more accurate and healthy story about who they are.

Narrative Therapy Techniques

Narrative therapy uses several techniques to help the person reframing their experience and learn to live beyond problematic stories:

• Putting Together Your Narrative

The therapist works with the clients to investigate events occurring in their lives and the meaning they have attached to those events. As people step back and observe their stories from an outsider's perspective, they might then identify dominant narratives holding themselves back from further development.

• Externalizing the Problem

This technique separates the person from the issue, enabling clients to view their problems as separate entities from themselves. For example, naming anxiety, such as "the Goblin," helps clients understand that the problem is not part of them and thus is permanent, which is a powerful tool in building potential for change.

• Deconstruction

Therapists help clients break down overwhelming stories or narratives into smaller and clearer components to highlight the root of the problems. This process keeps one's thinking clear from overgeneralizing challenges, making the challenges easier to deal with. Deconstruction also considers sociocultural variables like gender, race, and culture that identify and influence the context of one's story.

• Distinct Outcomes

Also known as "re-authoring," this approach helps clients discover exceptions to their dominant stories. Through consideration of other stories, clients are able to rewrite their story in a manner that allows that story to be more indicative of who they really are and what they truly can be.

What Can Narrative Therapy Be Helpful For?

Narrative therapy holds promise in the treatment of many mental health conditions and emotional challenges, which may prove to be particularly useful in some of the following areas:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depressive disorders
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD
• Eating disorder
• Grief and loss
• Attachment problems

Beyond mental health, narrative therapy is valuable for individuals who feel overwhelmed by negative thoughts, emotions, or experiences. 

It can help those struggling with low self-esteem or feelings of powerlessness regain control by reshaping how they view themselves and their circumstances.

Is Narrative Therapy Effective?

Narrative therapy has shown promise in treating various mental health conditions. In one study, patients who received the treatment reported higher levels of an improved quality of life and a decrease in symptoms associated with anxiety or major depression.

Another research demonstrated that narrative therapy improved empathy, problem-solving skills, and social behavior among children. Narrative therapy has been used in marriage in order to enhance intimacy levels and marital satisfaction, as revealed by the research conducted on married women.

A study involving group narrative therapy showed a notable reduction in ADHD symptoms among girls, which was sustained even 30 days after treatment (Looyeh et al., 2012).

While more research is still needed to fully understand the full scope of what it can do, these findings indicate that narrative therapy can prove to be a useful tool in treating a wide range of mental health conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is narrative therapy CBT?

No, narrative therapy is not a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). While CBT aims to change distorted negative thought patterns, narrative therapy highlights the importance of helping individuals reshape the stories they tell about their lives. It may be combined with CBT for a more holistic therapeutic approach.

What are the 5 steps of narrative therapy?

The five key steps constituting the narrative approach to therapy are as follows:

1. Personal narrative construction: Creating a framework for the narrative of one's life.
2. Externalization: It is a technique of separating the individual from the problem.
3. Deconstruction: Breaking down unhelpful thoughts and beliefs.
4. Increased Interpretation Skills: Improve the ability to interpret experiences.
5. Unique Outcomes: Exploring alternative stories and perspectives.

These steps are not invariably linear but rather dynamic to meet the needs of the client. 

What is a narrative therapy approach?

Narrative therapy emphasizes storytelling, treating clients as the authors of their own lives. This therapy is based on rebuilding and reframing unhelpful narratives, which can shape an individual's view of self or actions by distinguishing between facts and feelings and past and present identity. Due to this, a client will be able to reauthor unhelpful narratives, reconnect their voices, and move forward to a healthier perspective.