Narrative therapy is a relatively recent addition to the field, emerging in the late 20th century. Psychologists Michael White and David Epston founded this approach, drawing inspiration from the French philosopher Michel Foucault and his reflections on societal norms. The time and historical context in which a person lives define these societal norms. Narrative psychology builds on Foucault's ideas, exploring the concepts of normativity and deviation in the client's life.
At the core of narrative psychology is the concept of the "narrative." These are the stories and myths that shape our experiences and memories. Imagine you are a writer penning the story of your own life. This story inevitably reflects your perception of yourself.
In narrative therapy, the client tells the therapist their life story: this reveals how they view themselves and others, and how they judge and relate to the events that happen in their life. These stories construct our lives, influence our choices, and shape our future behavior.
People often become trapped by false perceptions of themselves, which are shaped by the stories they tell themselves and how they see themselves in these narratives. By analyzing these stories, the client can identify contradictions in their narratives and shift their self-perception.
Narrative psychotherapy empowers clients to become the true authors of their lives: with the therapist's support, they can gain deeper self-awareness and rewrite their life story according to a new, desired vision.
Features of Narrative Thinking
The contributions of American psychologist Jerome Bruner were also pivotal in the development of narrative therapy. Bruner studied how human perception changes based on our beliefs, desires, and views of ourselves and the world. He demonstrated that our aspirations, thought patterns, and psychological mechanisms shape the way we perceive the world. Bruner called this style of thinking "narrative thinking."
Narrative thinking is our natural way of perceiving the world—a set of biases and conclusions that guide our daily lives. Understanding how this thinking works and what it consists of is the goal of narrative psychotherapy.
Opposite to narrative thinking is the pragmatic style of thinking, a rational approach based on “putting everything in order” and correcting cognitive distortions. However, narrative therapy’s focus on narrative thinking does not make it any less scientific. Rather, it explores the logical and illogical connections we form between various experiences and events in our lives. After all, people do not always view their lives through the lens of categories and objective conclusions, but also through personal interpretations and stories.
Additionally, narrative psychotherapy is largely based on knowledge from other scientific fields such as sociology, neurobiology, and anthropology.
How Narrative Psychotherapy Sessions Work
Like the client-centered approach, narrative therapy is non-directive. The psychotherapist is not the leader or dominant figure in the client-therapist relationship; instead, the client and their concerns guide the therapeutic process. The therapist listens to the client's stories and asks questions that can help the client better understand their experiences and memories that may require closer attention. The client dictates the flow of the conversation and can delve into episodes that are most significant to them with the therapist's support.
Here’s an outline of how a typical narrative therapy session might proceed:
The psychotherapist begins by understanding the client's perspective on the problem that brought them to therapy.
Next, they explore why the client feels this way about the problem and what triggers their dissatisfaction.
The therapist then assists the client in finding a solution: identifying what needs to change, considering possible outcomes, and exploring ways to resolve the issue.
The therapist then assists the client in finding a solution: identifying what needs to change, considering possible outcomes, and exploring ways to resolve the issue.
As the client "rewrites" their story, narrative therapy often involves journaling. The therapist may take notes and share them with the client or assign journaling tasks where the client records stories from their life. Throughout therapy, the client can track how they are shaping their life narrative, notice recurring patterns in their experiences, and reframe them.
During the process, the narrative therapist does not provide explicit instructions or dictate how to act "correctly"—this is something the client determines for themselves. This approach allows the client to break free from imposed "correct" behavioral norms and discover what truly fits them personally. The client becomes aware of their responsibility for their decisions and choices, gradually crafting their new, alternative story.
The narrative approach may require up to 20 sessions to address the client's concerns. To achieve the desired outcome, the psychotherapist may select various techniques and exercises that are tailored to the specific individual and their needs.
Narrative Psychotherapy: Key Techniques
Narrative psychotherapy has techniques unique to this approach. Here are descriptions of some of them:
Re-membering
This technique helps the client recall and restore the involvement of significant people in their life story. This often happens through memories, but sometimes real people may participate in the session. This way, the client can reconstruct their history, considering those who influenced its formation, and re-evaluate the roles others have played in their life.
Externalization
How often do we say things like, "I’m hopeless," or "I’m a bad person"? The technique of externalization can help address this self-perception, as it assists the client in separating themselves from the problem or story that defines them. Narrative therapy views any problem through the lens of societal norms: often, the client begins to feel shame and guilt precisely when trying to conform to these norms.
To separate the person from the problem and reduce the negative feelings associated with it, the therapist uses externalizing language. For example, if a client says, "I’m an alcoholic," in narrative therapy, this would be rephrased as "I have a problem with alcohol."
When a problem becomes part of a person’s story and self-perception, it can have a destructive effect and seem like an inherent trait. However, most problems are situational and do not define a person. By separating the problem from themselves and ceasing to associate it with their personal characteristics, the individual can acknowledge the issue and take responsibility for resolving it.
Rewriting the Story
Every client’s story contains unique episodes. These often stand out from the overall narrative: for example, a person’s tone of voice, body language, or emotions might shift when discussing this moment with the therapist. It could be an episode of contradiction that goes against the narrative the client has constructed about themselves and their life.
For instance, they may view themselves as inherently shy but recall an episode where they were bold and decisive. Using this technique, the client can recognize these unique moments and incorporate new meanings into their story.
Deconstruction
With this technique, the client dissects their experiences and thoughts like a Lego model. Many of our beliefs have been formed under societal pressure, shaped by cultural and social contexts. The therapist helps the client break down and analyze the ideas and rules they follow, to understand their relationship with their problems and identify their root causes.
Who Can Benefit from Narrative Psychotherapy
Narrative psychotherapy is effective in both individual and family counseling, as well as in psychiatry. This approach addresses all fundamental client concerns and also helps manage more severe disorders. Here’s an example of how narrative therapy can work with different types of issues:
Communication Issues/Conflicts
Self-Perception and Self-Esteem
Relationship Difficulties
Communication Issues/Conflicts
Self-Perception and Self-Esteem
Relationship Difficulties
Working on the client’s problematic beliefs and perspectives helps them uncover the root of their difficulties and begin to act in alignment with their true values and goals.
