Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy focuses on identifying and analysing the stories that a person tells about themselves with the aim of fostering change by re-authoring their life narratives (West-Olatunji & Rush-Ossenbeck, 2016).
Unique differences
Narrative therapy separates the person from the problem and gives a powerful sense of agency – the person being the author of their own story (Cottone, 2017).
Narrative therapy lends itself to addressing the person in an environment of injustice and oppression (van Breda, 2023) by identifying and unpicking dominant cultural discourses that marginalise and disempower (Brown, 2023).
Theoretical basis
Narrative therapy emerged from post-modernism and social constructionism and suggests that our perception of ourselves is the result of the stories that we create and share in an effort to make sense of our lives (Brown, 2023). We make sense of the world around us through language and organise our experiences in the world into stories from which we create meaning (Cottone, 2017). These narratives are not neutral but are shaped and mediated by social and cultural factors such as gender, ethnicity, education, employment/career, religion, family and relationships and the narratives are driven by internalised discourses and unwritten social norms (Meier, 2015) – the must and should in a person’s story (Cottone, 2017). This ensures that no person’s experience or interpretation of events is the same as anyone else’s. Meaning is not inherent in things or events but is generated in socially and culturally mediated interpretations by people and it is the interpretation of events that can be re-authored (Brown, 2023).
Social work context
Narrative therapy is empowering in that it takes a strengths-based approach in exploring unique outcomes and coping strategies, and in its positioning of the person as the author of their own story (Cottone, 2017).
Narrative therapy also takes an anti-oppressive approach in its examination, deconstruction and re-shaping of internalised dominant cultural narratives (Brown, 2023).
Narrative therapy reflects respect for persons and social justice (Brown, 2023).
Key methods
IIt is not the events in a person’s story that are changed but rather the person’s interpretation of the meaning and relevance of those events (Cottone, 2017). Change is possible when the story is retold but with different meaning. Stories can be incomplete, distorted and cause strong affect in the person (Meier, 2015). Stories are identified, examined, challenged and developed to fill in gaps in a collaboration between practitioner and the person (Meier, 2015).
- Assessment is led by the person and focuses on gaining a greater understanding of their story (Cottone, 2017) – especially parts that cause strong affect (Meier, 2015) – through questioning but without diagnosis or practitioner interpretation (Cottone, 2017)
- Person identifies and names the problem if appropriate (Cottone, 2017)
- Mapping the problem’s influence on the life of the person, their life goals, identity and values
- Examining previous coping strategies that led to unique outcomes to enable self-reliance and re-visiting self-identity in that context (Brown, 2023)
- Inviting the authoring of a new story based on new understandings of themselves (Cottone, 2017)
Practitioner’s role
The practitioner’s role is as both facilitator and collaborator using a range of targeted questions to invite the development of alternative narratives (Cottone, 2017).
Person’s role
The person is an agent of their own change – the author of their own story that reflects preferred identities and values (West-Olatunji & Rush-Ossenbeck, 2016).
Applications
Trauma, loss, grief, depression, anxiety, addictions, eating disorders (Meier, 2015).
Expected outcomes
Decrease in affective intensity associated with dominant or problem story (Meier, 2015). New alternative story is dominant with redefined sense of self, renewed meaning and associated feeling of personal agency (Cottone, 2017).
Advantages
Highly empowering and culturally adaptable with an emphasis on social justice and the person-in-environment (Kelley & Smith, 2015).
Limitations
Lacking in measurable goals and evidence-base (Kelley & Smith, 2015).
References
Brown, C. (2023). Postmodern theory in practice: Narrative practice in social work. In D. Hölscher, R Hugman & D. McAuliffe (Eds.), Social work theory and ethics: Ideas in practice (pp. 79-100). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1015-9_5
West-Olatunji, C., & Rush-Ossenbeck, M. (2016). Constructivist theories: Solution-focused and narrative therapies. In D. Capuzzi & M. Stauffer, Counseling and psychotherapy: Theories and interventions (pp. 497-501). American Counseling Association.
Cottone, R. (2017). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: Individual and relational approaches. Springer. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uwa/detail.action?docID=4857220.
Kelley, P., & Smith, M. (2015). Narrative therapy. In K. Corcoran & A. Roberts (Eds.), Social workers’ desk reference (3rd ed., pp. 525-532). Oxford University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/UWA/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=1987674#
Meier, S. (2015). Narrative therapy: Language and stories in counseling and psychotherapy. In H. Tinsley, S. Lease, & N. Giffin Wiersma (Eds.), Contemporary theory and practice in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 493-522). SAGE Publications. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uwa/detail.action?docID=5945514.
Van Breda, A. (2023). Person-centred approaches to social work practice. In D. Hölscher, R Hugman & D. McAuliffe (Eds.), Social work theory and ethics: Ideas in practice (pp. 143-168). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1015-9_5
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