Narrative Therapy

Definition

Narrative therapy — from the English narrative — «story», «narration». The method is based on the analysis of the client’s ideas about his life, which he formulates by telling a narrative consultant or therapist about himself. He gets the opportunity to free himself from stereotypes, to see his personal history in a new way, to rethink his preferences and values.

• How to rewrite the script of life? Theory

Operating principle

The method is based on the ideas of the French philosopher Michel Foucault. He showed that ideas about «normality» in different societies and in different eras are largely determined by social institutions, whether it be the council of elders, the church or the media. For example: “every person strives for happiness” or “happiness can only wait for us in the afterlife”; “decent people should work” or “a respected person is one who can afford not to work”… The creators of the narrative approach drew attention to the fact that people tend to agree with such dominant ideas as indisputable truths, limiting their own freedom of choice. Meeting with a narrative counselor or therapist helps us remember events that we did not pay attention to, since they do not fit into the image of ourselves we are used to. Gradually, by analyzing your experience, you can learn to operate with an increasing number of events and gradually discover a new story of your life.

• «Become your own story»

Progress

The client tells stories in which he himself, his relatives and just acquaintances participate. The narrative consultant directs the conversation in such a way as to reveal the main difficulties of the client: the work is not with a person, but with his problem, this is not about a workaholic or a depressed person, but about workaholism or depression. The conversation is built in such a way that the client begins to see an alternative, feels that he can be different, choose how to live and who to be.