Founders
● Michael White
o Became interested in ways people constructed meaning in their lives rather than just ways they behaved.
● David Epston
o Emphasized that to maintain new narratives, clients need supportive communities
o Advocates writing letters to clients
Model of Therapy
● Narrative metaphor focuses on self-defeating cognitions- stories people tell themselves about their problems.
● Consider alternative ways of looking at themselves and their problems.
● Narratives therapists:
o Take keen interest in their client’s stories
o Search for times in their histories when clients were strong/resourceful
o Use questions to take non-imposing, respectful approach to any new story put forth
o Never label clients
o Help clients separate from dominant cultural narratives they have internalized so as to open space for alternative life stories
o Believe problems arise because people are indoctrinated into narrow and self-defeating views of themselves
o Externalize the client’s problems
o Encourage clients to think of themselves as struggling against their problems
o Believe that neither the client or the family is the problem, the problem is the problem
o Not interested in family’s impact on the problem, but rather the problems impact on the family.
o Shifted attention to cultural beliefs and practices as source of problems
● Michael White
o Became interested in ways people constructed meaning in their lives rather than just ways they behaved.
● David Epston
o Emphasized that to maintain new narratives, clients need supportive communities
o Advocates writing letters to clients
Model of Therapy
● Narrative metaphor focuses on self-defeating cognitions- stories people tell themselves about their problems.
● Consider alternative ways of looking at themselves and their problems.
● Narratives therapists:
o Take keen interest in their client’s stories
o Search for times in their histories when clients were strong/resourceful
o Use questions to take non-imposing, respectful approach to any new story put forth
o Never label clients
o Help clients separate from dominant cultural narratives they have internalized so as to open space for alternative life stories
o Believe problems arise because people are indoctrinated into narrow and self-defeating views of themselves
o Externalize the client’s problems
o Encourage clients to think of themselves as struggling against their problems
o Believe that neither the client or the family is the problem, the problem is the problem
o Not interested in family’s impact on the problem, but rather the problems impact on the family.
o Shifted attention to cultural beliefs and practices as source of problems
