Narrative Therapy: an

The Narrative Metaphor

Introduction
Activity

How did you first learn that you are a boy/girl?

Who confirmed this for you over the years?

What was expected of you as a girl/boy?

How did you learn about these expectations?

Did you notice yourself or others transgressing these

expectations?
Narrative Therapy
is…
An orientation to therapy that is
concerned with culture and the
power imbalances it sustains

A constructivist understanding of
identity and how it is formed

A growing set of practices based

on the narrative metaphor

A way of collaborating with

clients that makes them co-
researchers in therapy
Narrative Therapy is
NOT…
A technique/method

Telling stories in therapy or

helping people tell their story.

A denial of the idea of truth

Writing letters or journals with

clients

Used with only certain problems

or clients
“Why is it“Type
calleda Narrative
quote here.”
Therapy?”

–You
–Johnny
might Appleseed
be wondering
Remaining De-Centred
All therapeutic theories help people to
make meaning of their experiences
and beliefs. Narrative therapy seeks to
intentionally co-author this meaning
with people.
Client Expertise
Narrative Therapy considers the client
to be the expert on their own lives.
Sometimes this expertise has to be
drawn out but we would avoid telling
them how to live.
Meaningful Pain
Pain is teleological (points to an end
goal) not symptomatic (points to a
dysfunction/pathology).
“We all live our “Type
livesathrough
quote here.”
stories - the stories
we tell and the stories others tell about us. Those
stories carry the meaning of our lives; they
organise the way we experience
–Johnny Appleseed
our relationships,
our identities, and the possibilities our lives
hold…as the narratives change, what we do and
– Jill Freedman and Gene Combs (emph. added)
what we perceive changes as well.”
Story/Narrative
For narrative therapists, stories consist
of:
• events
• linked in sequence
• across time
• according to a theme
(From Alice Morgan, my change in italics)
Story/Narrative
Narratives also contain:
• character(s)
• who want something
• but are thwarted somehow
• and try to overcome.
(From me based on lots of reading)
Double Listening

Dominant Story (Problem

Story)

VS.

Alternative Story
Case Example
“Jason” and the Symbiote
Stories We Swim In Deconstructing Cultural Discourse
Externalising and
Historicising
Helping people see the water they are
swimming in.
Externalising and
Historicising
We can turn problems, habits, cycles,
strengths, ways of living, life projects
and ideas into characters or themes or
plots.
“Externalising“Type
conversations
a quote here.”
employ practices of
objectification of the problem against cultural
practices of objectification of people”
–Johnny
–Michael
Appleseed
White
The person is not the
problem the problem is
the problem
Externalising and
Historicising
We can treat these as having a story
rather than existing outside of time.
They have a beginning, allies who
fortified them and adversaries who
weakened them, a course of
development and growth or evolution.
 Externalising and historicising a
Maleness way of being
FAQs

Do you get people to tell their whole life story in therapy?

How is N.T. Different from solution focussed therapy or

coaching?

How is externalising different from parts in IFS?

Are externalising and deconstruction a ways of blaming

others for people's problems?

How is the Narrative approach different to client-centred

approach?
Possible Identities
The gentleman/lady of leisure

The individual

The servant/help
 Externalising
Creating Distance
Conversations
Naturalistic/Essentialist Ideas of Identity vs.
Constitutionalist Ideas
Distance from Problem
 Justifying the
Evaluation

Evaluating the Effects

Here a slide about the levels andDescribing

explainingthehow
Effects
this
works.
Naming and Describing

Le
ve Distance from Problem
Battle and War Metaphors - Hot Engagement
with Problems
Case Example
Practice