“The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.” -Michael White

There are a variety of therapeutic approaches that therapists utilize in practice. In our new blog series entitled, “Types of Therapy”, our goal is to help you make better sense of some of these approaches as you navigate your mental health journey. First up in this series is narrative therapy.

What is Narrative Therapy? 

Narrative therapy was developed by therapists Michael White and David Epston in the 1980s. It is a form of talk therapy that focuses on empowering you by separating you from your problems and helping you to rewrite your life stories. The narrative therapist focuses on three main components when it comes to the therapeutic alliance: respect, non-blaming, and seeing you as the expert. To understand narrative therapy, let’s first discuss stories and how they are central to understanding who you are. According to narrative therapy, the stories that you tell yourself and to others are powerful enough to shape your life and narrative therapists are interested in exploring the meaning and effects of these stories, the context in which they were formed, and what they say about your life and your relationships. 

Stories are interpreted and woven together throughout your life and become dominant stories. Sometimes, these dominant stories allow little space for complexities or contradictions and may disempower you if they are saturated with negative thoughts and feelings. Narrative therapists are therefore also interested in the stories by which you would like to live your life, or alternative stories. The narrative therapist works with you to answer the question, “how can we create preferred narratives to your stories?” in which you are encouraged to explore and richly describe these preferred narratives, or alternative stories. The four major narrative therapy techniques used to help you establish these preferred narratives are: externalization, deconstruction, re-authoring, and unique outcomes. 

Externalization: helps you better understand that you are not defined by your problems (by externalizing them from yourself) and recognize that it’s easier to change your behavior than it is to change your identity. For instance, rather than telling yourself, “I’m an angry person,” you would reframe it as, “I'm someone who is quick to anger.”

Deconstruction: involves dissecting negative and problematic narratives that impact your life into smaller, more manageable issues in order to uncover the root of the problem. It can help you gain a better understanding of stressful events or patterns, including societal and cultural influences that may be detrimental to your way of thinking.

Re-authoring: or re-storying, helps you discover your voice by sharing your stories. A narrative therapist collaborates with you to create alternative narratives that reflect your values, strengths, and goals. This doesn't mean you should disregard your past, but rather provides an opportunity to find new meaning in past experiences.

Unique Outcomes: are moments that deviate from the narrative you have constructed for yourself. At times, you may become so focused on a specific story that it hinders your ability to acknowledge things that do not fit into this narrative.

Who Can Narrative Therapy Help? 

Narrative therapy is used in individual, couple, and family therapy and can help you if you’re having trouble managing negative emotions, feelings, or thoughts by learning to see your problem as something you have and not something you are. Research has shown that narrative therapy can help those who struggle with depression and can also reduce levels of depression and anxiety in those who struggle with substance abuse.  

Narrative Therapy Benefits 

Narrative therapy is client-centered and focuses on empowerment by encouraging you to find your voice and take control over your life. Narrative therapy is also strengths-based, focused on your unique talents and skills, and narrative therapists strive to be non-judgmental and meet you where you are at.

Narrative Therapy Limitations 

Narrative therapy can be effective with certain mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and trauma, but it may not be an appropriate form of care for more serious mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Narrative therapy can also be time-consuming and therefore, may not be the best fit for you if you’re looking for more of a structured and solution-focused approach.  

Conclusion

In narrative therapy practices, you are the expert of your own life and your knowledge, skills, and abilities can help you reclaim your life from the influence of the problems you seek help for. It is assumed that there are instances in your life where you have overcome the influence of a problem and it is the therapist's responsibility to create an atmosphere of curiosity, respect, and transparency to help empower you, overcome, and prioritize your well-being.