Narrative Therapy

Re Authoring Practices

Anne Murray

Educational Psychologist

Narrative Practice

Origins of Narrative Practice

• Developed by Michael White and David

Epston

• Influenced by Bruner, Vygotsky and

Foucault

• Founded the family therapy centre in

Auckland and Dulwich centre

• Six kinds of key conversations

Narrative Practice

Person is not the problem Self/Identity is constructed, culturally and

contextually

Self is relational

Problem is the problem Is external to person

Mis-represented, mis-taken identity

Exists within culturally specific discourses

Change process

Attention to unique outcomes

Attention to and development of alternative,

preferred identities

Standing up to cultural oppression: resistance to

problems and cultural dominant ideologies

Trust in one’s knowledge and experience

Principles

Narrative Practice

• Post-Structural / Postmodern

• Awareness of power discourse

• Absence of “Truth”: World is Socially constructed

• Stories emerge from experience

• Dominant and marginalized stories need to be heard

• Identity is socially constructed through dialogue and

experience

• Need to examine different relationships with problems

• Importance of community

Assumptions

Narrative Practice

Appreciative Enquiry

Processes

• Fosters positive relationships,

• Respectful of personal stories

• Build around what works rather than trying to fix what doesn’t

• Create new meanings by drawing on stories of concrete successes

• Create more of these successes

• Re-Authoring Processes

Narrative Practice

1. Naming and Externalizing the Problem

2. Re-authoring Personal Stories-focus on unique outcomes /exceptions

3. Connecting with Past & Building Future Success- Re-Membering

4. Creating Communities of Concern

5. Reflecting teams: Outsider Witnessing

6. Projecting into the future (preferred future)–new possibilities

Key Elements of Narrative practice

Narrative Practice

Re-Authoring Process

Problem saturated stories

Mutual influence

Unique outcomes

Preferred stories

Thicken preferred Stories

Narrative Practice

Naming the problem

Talk about most recent experience of the problem occurring

• Tell me about the most recent time when trouble was with you? Tell me more about this idea that you are naughty?

• What are the effects or influence of the problem

• When this trouble gets hold of you what does it get you to do

• Evaluate these – What’s this like for you?

• Does it make things better?

• Justification – ‘what are your reasons for this not being alright ?‘ Why isn’t this ok for you?

Narrative Practice

Externalise the problem

• Examples

– Sneaky poo

– Worry Dragon

– Little Miss naughty

– Angry Monster

Narrative Practice

Re-Author the Alternate Story

• Unique outcomes, exceptions, sparkling moments or "where the problem fails"

• Examination of fit with one's values (attention to intentions, purpose, hopes, principles, commitments and wishes)

• Thickening descriptions (rich description vs. thin conclusion)

• Name alternative story

Narrative Practice

• Outsider witnessing (reflecting

teams)

• Re-membering practices

• Leagues of support

• Letter writing/create texts

Creating Communities of Concern

Narrative Practice

Outsider Witnessing

• Empathic response/ what connects, resonates with listener- what do you hear

• Hearing a preferred story not heard before

• Outside witnesses can benefit too

Narrative Practice

Re- Membering

• Context – find person from past

• Contribution of this person

• Shaped sense of who they are

• Contribution of subject to this

person’s life

Narrative Practice

Leagues of Support

• Building up audience for new

identity in any way possible

• Building team to help fight the

problem

• Connect to past supports

Narrative Practice

Using Positive Texts

• Texts play a role in re-membering;

• Help thicken story of preferred

identity by providing evidence of

achievements

– Letters-Sticky Notes-Post Cards-

Documents

Narrative Practice

Preferred Futures

• Preferred future

• Preferred identities

• Preferred stories

• Constructed from:

–Values-Intentions-Purpose-

Hopes-Commitments