Narrative Therapy
Beyond the Mechanistic Approach
Paul Michael White
Brandman University
A clever and compassionate Aussie, by the name Michael White, dared to further break through the traditional prescriptive, mechanistic view of mental health therapy by exploring the complexity inherent within the human condition. White was influenced toward a career working directly with people, while he was a mechanical draftsman. Realizing this, he found work with an inpatient unit. It was there that he understood the extent of traditional approaches to therapy and completely disavowed the systems thinking and cybernetic theory of old (Nichols, 2013, p. 204).
White was especially intrigued by the writings of Michel Foucault and Erving Goffman on criticizing the dehumanization of institutions. Gregory Bateson inspired White about his ideas regarding the way people construe their individual worlds. White went on to develop a new approach which externalized the issue as a tangible thing acting on an individual versus the individual committing an act. This approach served to objectify the issue, therefore, view the issue from another perspective. He called this approach narrative therapy (Nichols, 2013, p. 204).
Sadly, White passed away in 2008, but not before a newcomer by the name David Epston, took up the reins of the narrative therapy approach and tweaked them. Epston assimilated his background knowledge of anthropology, emphasizing the importance of supportive communities to healing through the narrative approach (Nichols, 2013, p. 205). Taking the anthropological theme further, a stance of “not-knowing” was adopted by Harlene Anderson and Harry Goolishian; they allowed the “evidence”/client speak for themselves, as expert of their own lives (Nichols, 2013, p. 205).
Utilizing narrative therapy, offers a family the chance to develop a new life story for all family members to reframe their past in a positive light (Miller, Forrest, 2009). Therefore, a true narrative therapist
Paul Michael White
Brandman University
A clever and compassionate Aussie, by the name Michael White, dared to further break through the traditional prescriptive, mechanistic view of mental health therapy by exploring the complexity inherent within the human condition. White was influenced toward a career working directly with people, while he was a mechanical draftsman. Realizing this, he found work with an inpatient unit. It was there that he understood the extent of traditional approaches to therapy and completely disavowed the systems thinking and cybernetic theory of old (Nichols, 2013, p. 204).
White was especially intrigued by the writings of Michel Foucault and Erving Goffman on criticizing the dehumanization of institutions. Gregory Bateson inspired White about his ideas regarding the way people construe their individual worlds. White went on to develop a new approach which externalized the issue as a tangible thing acting on an individual versus the individual committing an act. This approach served to objectify the issue, therefore, view the issue from another perspective. He called this approach narrative therapy (Nichols, 2013, p. 204).
Sadly, White passed away in 2008, but not before a newcomer by the name David Epston, took up the reins of the narrative therapy approach and tweaked them. Epston assimilated his background knowledge of anthropology, emphasizing the importance of supportive communities to healing through the narrative approach (Nichols, 2013, p. 205). Taking the anthropological theme further, a stance of “not-knowing” was adopted by Harlene Anderson and Harry Goolishian; they allowed the “evidence”/client speak for themselves, as expert of their own lives (Nichols, 2013, p. 205).
Utilizing narrative therapy, offers a family the chance to develop a new life story for all family members to reframe their past in a positive light (Miller, Forrest, 2009). Therefore, a true narrative therapist
Citations: Michael P. Nichols, (2013). 'Narrative Therapy '. In: Michael P. Nichols (ed), Pearson Custom Social Work Family Therapy. 1st ed. United States of America: Pearson. pp.(203-224). C.G. Jung, (1973). Memories, Dreams, Reflections. 4th ed. New York: Vintage Books. Nancy L. Murdock, (2009). 'Narrative Therapy '. In: Nancy L. Murdock (ed), THEORIES OF COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY: A CASE APPROACH. 2nd ed. United States of America: Pearson. pp.490-513. RENÉ VAN WYK, (2008). NARRATIVE HOUSE: A METAPHOR FOR NARRATIVE THERAPY: TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL WHITE. IFE PsychologIA. 16 (2), pp.255-274 Christopher Peyton Miller and Alan W. Forrest, (2009). Ethics of Family Narrative Therapy. The Family Journal. 17 (2), pp.156-159 Karen Young and Bonnie Miller, (2012). Weavingthreads of Past Connection and Present Purposes: Conversations About the Legacy of Michael White with Shona Russell, Rob Hall, and Maggie Carey. Journal of Systemic Therapies. 31 (2), pp.54-70