Re-Authoring Your Life
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy is a collaborative and non-pathologizing approach that views a person's identity and problems as being shaped by the stories they tell about their lives. This approach assumes that people are not their problems; rather, the problem is a separate entity that has been allowed to dominate the person's life story. Healing occurs by separating the person from the problem and helping the client re-author a richer, more empowering life narrative.
Who Created Narrative Therapy?
Narrative Therapy was primarily developed by two Australian social workers, Michael White and David Epston, in the 1980s and 1990s. Their work was heavily influenced by post-structuralist and social constructionist thought, challenging the traditional idea that there is a single "truth" or objective reality. They argued that reality is constructed through language and social interaction, including the stories we tell ourselves and others (White & Epston, 1990).
Perspectives in Narrative Therapy
The Therapist's Perspective
The Narrative Therapist adopts a stance of curiosity, non-knowing, and respect. They deliberately reject the role of expert on the client's life. They believe that clients are resourceful and possess unique knowledge about their own lives and culture.
The therapist prioritizes:
Externalizing the Problem: Viewing the problem (e.g., depression, anger) as a separate, oppressive entity that influences the person, rather than a fixed internal trait of the client.
Deconstruction: Actively questioning the dominant, problem-saturated stories the client tells about themselves to reveal the arbitrary, socially constructed nature of those stories.
Identifying Unique Outcomes: Searching for "sparkling moments" or unique outcomes—times when the client resisted the problem or when the problem did not have its usual power. These moments form the basis of the new, preferred narrative.
The Client's Perspective
The client shifts from feeling defined and overwhelmed by a problem ("I am a failure") to seeing the problem as an external influence that they have the power to resist and ultimately defeat ("The failure narrative has been trying to control my life").
The client learns to:
Separate Self from Problem: See the problem as an entity outside of themselves, allowing them to collaborate with the therapist in fighting it.
Become a Co-Author: Actively engage in re-authoring their life story by drawing out previously neglected details, strengths, and hopeful actions.
Embrace Multiplicity: Understand that their life is not a single, problems-saturated story, but rather a collection of many diverse stories, some of which are strong and positive.
What to Expect in a Narrative Session
Narrative therapy sessions are highly conversational, rich in questioning, and focused on language and meaning.
Externalizing Conversation: The therapist uses specific language to separate the person from the problem. For example, instead of asking, "Why are you depressed?", they might ask, "How has Depression been influencing your life this week?" or "What tactics does Anxiety use to try and isolate you?"
Mapping the Problem's Influence: They explore how the problem affects the client and others, and critically examine the history of the problem's influence.
Searching for Unique Outcomes: The therapist meticulously questions the client for those "sparkling moments"—any exception to the problem story. These unique outcomes are then thoroughly investigated to flesh out the client's strengths and competencies (e.g., "How did you manage to stop Worry from taking over on Tuesday? What does that tell you about your own abilities?").
Re-Authoring and Documentation: The therapist helps the client link the unique outcomes into a new, consistent story. This new narrative is often solidified through therapeutic documents (letters, certificates, journals) created by the therapist or client to document and circulate the client's new identity and achievements.
How Narrative Therapy Can Help a Person
Narrative Therapy provides profound relief by changing the client's relationship with their past and their potential for the future.
Fosters Hope and Agency: By identifying unique outcomes and separating the person from the problem, clients regain a sense of personal agency and effectiveness.
Reduces Shame and Blame: By externalizing the problem, the therapy removes internal blame and allows the client to see themselves as competent and capable of fighting the problem.
Integrates Identity: It helps clients integrate the parts of their story that were previously marginalized or overlooked, creating a richer, more complex, and more resilient sense of self.
Common Uses and Applications (DSM-5 Disorders and Life Problems)
Narrative Therapy is a flexible approach suitable for diverse cultural contexts and is particularly powerful for issues of identity and chronic problems.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Re-authoring the trauma narrative to emphasize survival, resistance, and the strength gained, rather than defining the client by the trauma.
Eating Disorders and Substance Use Disorders: Externalizing the disorder (e.g., "Anorexia" or "Addiction") as an opponent the client can fight.
Couple and Family Conflict: Helping family members change their "relationship story" from one of conflict and blame to one of collaboration against a shared problem.
Life Problems: Chronic self-criticism, low self-esteem, grief and loss, and identity confusion (especially common in adolescents and young adults).
References
Corey, G. (2021). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative means to therapeutic ends. W. W. Norton & Company.
White, M. (2007). Maps of narrative practice. W. W. Norton & Company.
Ready to Rewrite the Story of Your Life?
If you are tired of a problem-saturated story and ready to uncover the unique, empowering narratives that truly reflect who you are, Narrative Therapy can guide you.
Connect with a therapist trained in this collaborative, identity-affirming, and transformative approach.
