Narrative Therapy
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St. John Fisher College Fisher Digital Publications Nursing Faculty/Staff Publications Wegmans School of Nursing 2015 Narrative Therapy Robert H. Rice St. John Fisher College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/nursing_facpub Part of the Mental and Social Health Commons, and the Nursing Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited ou?y Publication Information Rice, Robert H. (2015). "Narrative Therapy." The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychology 2, 695-700. Please note that the Publication Information provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations. This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/nursing_facpub/72 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at St. John Fisher College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Narrative Therapy Abstract Narrative therapy (NT) is a strengths-based approach to psychotherapy that uses collaboration between the client or family and the therapist to help clients see themselves as empowered and capable of living the way they want. In the face of crisis or trauma, NT helps clients achieve a “This too will pass” attitude, while positioning the therapist as an appreciative ally in the process. NT is useful with individuals and is used extensively with families due to its ability to separate clients from problems and unite families against problematic patterns. NT also lends itself well to joining with families because it stresses strengths and achievements over problems. Disciplines Mental and Social Health | Nursing Comments This content was originally published in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychotherapy © 2015 SAGE. It can be found on SAGE's website here: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/ 9781483346502.n250 This content is posted with permission from SAGE. Distributing, reselling, or any repurposing of the content is not allowed and content is not to be used for commercial MOOCs or any other commercial purposes without permission. This article is available at Fisher Digital Publications: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/nursing_facpub/72 Narrative Therapy 695 Letters may also be written to invite and encourage Chang, J., Combs, G., Dolan, Y., Freedman, J., Mitchell, T, & the participation of reluctant family members in Treppei; T. S. (2012). From Ericksonian roots to the process, note duplications of roles in the family postmodern futures: Part I. Finding postmodernism. to those wishing to change them, thank family Journal of Systemic Therapies, 31(4), 63-76. doi;10.1521/ members for their participation and inform them jsyt.2012.31.4.63 that they no longer need to play their role in the Chang, J., Combs, G., Dolan, Y., Freedman, J., Mitchell, T., & alternative narrative, and, at the conclusion of Treppei;T. S. (2013). From Ericksonian roots to therapy, predict continued success and encourage postmodern futures: Part H. Shaping the future. Journal of the family to continue to search for new possibili Systemic Therapies, 32(2), 35-45. doi:10.1521/ ties. Whatever the narrative therapist’s form and jsyt.2013.32.2.35 purpose as a collaborator, the narrative therapist Epston, D. (2008). Saying hullo again: Remembering maintains transparency by exposing his or her Michael White. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 27(3), 1-15. doi:10.1521/jsyt.2008.27.3.1 thoughts to the family in letters and by providing Goldberg, H., &c Goldberg, I. (2008). Family therapy: An room for confirmation or challenge as the process overview (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson. of co-construction progresses. Lewis, R. E. (2003). Brief theories. In D. Capuzzi & D. R. Gross (Eds.), Theories of psychotherapy Therapeutic Process (pp. 286-310). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Minuchin, S. (1998). Where is the family in narrative Narrative family therapy is a nondirective, collab family therapy? Journal of Marital and Family orative, and relatively brief form of family therapy. Therapy, 24(4), 397-403. Throughout the therapeutic process, therapists doi:10.1111/j.l752-0606.1998.tb01094.x consistently and skillfully ask questions to pro Schwartz, R. C. (1999). Narrative therapy expands and mote the development of new narratives. This contracts family therapy’s horizons. Journal of Marital allows client families to feel safe and respected and Family Therapy, 25(2), 263-267. within the therapeutic relationship and be willing doi:10.1111/j.l752-0606.1999.tb01127.x to share in examining internalized and self-limiting Shalay, N., & Brownlee, K. (2007). Narrative family therapy truths transmitted from the dominant culture. with blended families./owrw^t/ of Family Psychotherapy, Over time, family members and the family as a 18(2), 17-30. doi:10.1300/J085vl8n02_02 whole become more aware of the effect that domi White, M. (2007). Maps of narrative practice. New York, nant cultural narratives have had in creating NY: W. W. Norton. problem-saturated narratives, and they become White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative means to empowered to reauthor their stories of the past, therapeutic ends. New York, NY: W. W. Norton. present, and future. Once armed with new, prob lem-free stories, the therapist provides reinforce ment and support to the family through the use of letters and by facilitating the recruitment of others Narrative Therapy who can serve as audiences or witnesses to the family’s new narratives. Narrative therapy (NT) is a strengths-based approach to psychotherapy that uses collaboration Herman R. Lukow II and Emilie Godwin between the client or family and the therapist to See also Constructivist Therapies; Overview; help clients see themselves as empowered and capa Constructivist Therapy; Existential-Humanistic ble of living the way they want. In the face of crisis Therapies: Overview; Palo Alto Group; White, or trauma, NT helps clients achieve a “This too will Michael pass” attitude, while positioning the therapist as an appreciative ally in the process. NT is useful with individuals and is used extensively with families due Further Readings to its ability to separate clients from problems and Beels, C. (2009). Some historical conditions of narrative unite families against problematic patterns. NT also work. Family Process, 48{3), 363-378. lends itself well to joining with families because it doi:10.1111/j.l545-5300.2009.01288.x stresses strengths and achievements over problems. 696 Narrative Therapy Historical Context mind exceptions to a client’s or family’s stance of no control. It assumes that many of our patterns of In the 1980s, Michael White from Adelaine, behavior are supported by self-fulfilling prophecies Australia, and David Epston from Auckland, New or false beliefs about ourselves that have been Zealand, developed what has come to be known as shaped by the world around us. Using these excep “narrative family therapy.” White passed away in tions, new stories or narratives are created that 2008, but not before NT became widely accepted better match the client’s sense of self. as a standard option in family therapy. White NT is strengths based. This means that the nar and Epston’s original book Narrative Means to rative therapist will choose to focus on strengths Therapeutic Ends was inspired and shaped by over problems whenever possible. NT assumes that Michael Foucault’s theory of power and knowl a client or family will rely on their strengths to edge. Foucault’s work highlights how social power overcome problems in their lives, making them an forges the knowledge that people use to interpret important part of the therapeutic process. Focusing their lives. Using these ideas, NT challenges the on strengths over problems also helps promote a dominant knowledges that restrict clients from more collaborative atmosphere where the narrative progressing in their lives. therapist can admire the client or family outside More recently, NT has been influenced by the of the problematic context. This greatly contributes work of therapists such as Stephen Madigan, who to the joining process and makes it easier to discuss helped popularize techniques such as therapeutic problems without judgment. According to some letter-writing campaigns, and William Madsen, research, therapists can actually learn more about who developed collaborative family therapy. Of problems by asking about strengths. particular importance was the development of col NT is goal directed. Narrative therapists are less laborative therapy by Madsen, a narrative approach concerned with what caused a problem and more outlined in his book Collaborative Therapy for concerned about what changes will look like when Multi-Stressed Families. This book has become a the problem is no longer as much of a problem. guide for many agencies supporting families due to NT is also referred to as a future-focused approach its straightforward and practical approach to for this reason. Treatment plans are positively working with systems and multistressed youth. It is worded and stress how improvement will be also commonly assigned as required reading for noticed versus how problems will be resolved. many family therapy programs and courses. Finally, NT does not accept resistance as a useful concept in therapy. That is not to say that narrative therapists do not experience resistance; instead, Theoretical Underpinnings they interpret it as misunderstanding, rather than NT refers to a range of social-constructionist and some of the other meanings that therapy sometimes constructivist approaches to the process of thera chooses to assign. If a narrative therapist is experi peutic change. Therefore, NT is based on the idea encing a client or family as resistant, he or she will that problems are manufactured in social, cultural, respond by considering what is not being under and political contexts. Change occurs largely by stood about the client or family, always taking exploring how language is used to create and special care to avoid overresponsibility for a client maintain problems.