Narrative Therapy
2. A healthy family:
a. Understands the construct of the dominant culture in which they live and the effect on their family narrative.
b. Is empowered to identify their problems as separate from themselves and thereby disempower the problem.
c. Is able to re-author life narratives in such a way that they identify themselves in a new healthier manner.
How change happens:
1. A family is asked to describe their problem story, and eventually how they managed to survive their problem story.
2. The therapist will begin to deconstruct the problem by externalizing the family story so that clients experience an identify separate from the problem and the problem is disempowered.
This process is summed up in the statement, “The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.” 3. A narrative takes form and the deconstructive process continues with “why” and “how” questions. 4. The therapist encourages family to remember unique outcomes when they showed competence and strength. These unique outcomes become the basis for a more positive narrative.
5. The process of creating this new story is called re-authoring. These lead to a new vigor of engagement in life or re-engagement with life.
6. The client can now decide whose voices or stories he will give authority to. These new stories are encouraged through groups, letters and life witnesses.
THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES
DECONSTRUCTION – Reconsider judgments by looking at both the good and bad elements in situations. The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.
EXTERNALIZATION – Deconstructing the power of a narrative by looking at the problem separate from the client.
MAPPING – Discovering the relationship between the client and the problem through a series of open ended questions.
RE-AUTHORING – Client and therapist construct alternative stories that separate the client from the problem. UNIQUE OUTCOMES – Challenges the client to look for unique outcomes for problems.
a. Understands the construct of the dominant culture in which they live and the effect on their family narrative.
b. Is empowered to identify their problems as separate from themselves and thereby disempower the problem.
c. Is able to re-author life narratives in such a way that they identify themselves in a new healthier manner.
How change happens:
1. A family is asked to describe their problem story, and eventually how they managed to survive their problem story.
2. The therapist will begin to deconstruct the problem by externalizing the family story so that clients experience an identify separate from the problem and the problem is disempowered.
This process is summed up in the statement, “The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.” 3. A narrative takes form and the deconstructive process continues with “why” and “how” questions. 4. The therapist encourages family to remember unique outcomes when they showed competence and strength. These unique outcomes become the basis for a more positive narrative.
5. The process of creating this new story is called re-authoring. These lead to a new vigor of engagement in life or re-engagement with life.
6. The client can now decide whose voices or stories he will give authority to. These new stories are encouraged through groups, letters and life witnesses.
THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES
DECONSTRUCTION – Reconsider judgments by looking at both the good and bad elements in situations. The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.
EXTERNALIZATION – Deconstructing the power of a narrative by looking at the problem separate from the client.
MAPPING – Discovering the relationship between the client and the problem through a series of open ended questions.
RE-AUTHORING – Client and therapist construct alternative stories that separate the client from the problem. UNIQUE OUTCOMES – Challenges the client to look for unique outcomes for problems.