Narrative therapy is a form of psychotherapy that seeks to help patients identify their values and the skills associated with them. It provides the patient with knowledge of their ability to live these values so they can effectively confront current and future problems.

1. Introduction to
Narrative Therapy
Akira Olsen, PsyD
Psychologist Lic.23573
Clinical Supervisor
Gronowski Center
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2. What is Narrative Therapy?
 It is a therapeutic modality that is used for individuals and families.
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 The next video helps people visualize the Narrative Therapy concepts of “multi-
storied lives” and “thin/thick stories” and others.

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 Narrative Therapy aims to separate the individual from
the issue and externalize problems instead of
internalizing them.
 People tend to select events and create a story.
 It is a respectful, non-blaming approach to counseling
and community work, which centers people as the
experts om their own lives.
 It views problems as separate from people and assumes
people have many skills, competencies, beliefs, values,
commitments, and abilities that will assist them to change
their relationship with problems in their lives.

4. Four Principles
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 Reality is socially constructed
 Reality is influenced and communicated through
language having a narrative can help us organize
and maintain our reality
 There is no objective reality or absolute truth
 Existentialism – The belief that the world has no
inherent meaning and that we all must make our
meaning in life.

5. Four Narrative
Therapy
techniques
A technique that involves re-telling your own story to find
new meaning in old experiences.
Telling one’s story
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COLLABORATION: USEFUL QUESTIONS
 How is this conversation going for you?
 Should we keep talking about this or would you be more
interested in ..?
 Is this interesting to you? Is this what we should spend
our time talking about?
 I was wondering if you would be more interested in me
asking you some more about this or whether we should
focus on X, Y, or Z?

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Alternative stories/alternative plots
Understanding the
client’s stories
The effects of dominant stories/dominant plots
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Thin conclusions and their effects
Alternative Stories - Rich and thick descriptions.

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Figure 1
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Dominant Plot/Story

8.  The next video helps people think of the danger of a single story in our clients’ lives -
The danger of a single story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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In this talk, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie articulates this ‘danger’ through her personal experiences and exposes the
hazards of power in stories, expressing that power is not just the ability to tell a story about another person, but to
make it the definitive story of that person, and she describes how some stories are allowed to have more space to exist
than others.

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 Externalizing helps you separate you from your problems making
it easier to change something you don’t like about yourself.
 This short video helps us visualize what externalizing problems
can look like and make possible
Externalization technique
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10. Naming the
Problem
Negotiating a definition of the problem that fits with the meaning
and experience of the person whose life the problem is affecting.
 For example, “the Depression” “the Worry” “the Guilt” “the Self-
doubt” “the Fear”.
 Externalized conversations
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USEFUL QUESTIONS
 When did you first notice the problem?
 What do you remember before the problem entered your life?
 When would you say the problem was strongest? When was it
weakest?
 When did you feel stronger in the face of the problem?
 What was like for you 6 months ago (3 months ago, 1 year
ago, 4 years ago, 3 days ago)?
 What did you notice about the problem? How much of your life
did it have at that time?

11. Explore the effects of the problem
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USEFUL QUESTIONS
 How have the Habits affected your relationship with your teacher? Has it got your closer or further from him?
 How has the Depression affected how you think about yourself?
 How have the Hostile Voices affected your energy levels? Is it easier or harder to do things when they are
dominant?
 How has the Bulimia affected your moods and feelings?
 How has the Fear affected your beliefs about other people and the wider world?
 What effect has the Worry had on your view of yourself as a father?
 What effect has the Fighting has on your social life? Have you noticed any changes?
 How has the injury affected how you see yourself as a parent and partner?
These questions that explore the effects of the problem
allow for an alternative story to emerge?

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Figure 2
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Alternative Plot/Story
Dominant Plot/Story

13. Evaluate the effects
of the problem
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USEFUL QUESTIONS
 What is that like for you and your family?
 Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
 Does this please you or not?
 What is your experience with that? – positive or negative?
 Is that something you would like more of or less of?
 Is this a positive or negative development?
 How does this suit you?

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Breaking problems down into smaller, more specific
issues that are easier to understand and address.
Deconstruction technique
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USEFUL QUESTIONS
 What are the background assumptions that enable the story to make sense?
 What unnamed background assumptions make this story work?
 What are the ideas that might explain how people are speaking and acting?
 What are some of the taken-for-granted ways of living and being that are
assisting the life of the problem?

15. Applying ideas of deconstruction
to therapeutic conversations
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USEFUL QUESTIONS
 What are some of your beliefs about people’s roles in sexual/intimate relationships?
 What ideas do you have about what makes ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sexual experiences?
 How did these ideas develop?
 Are you comfortable with these ideas?
 Which ideas are helpful in your relationship?
 Which ones get in the way?
 How do they work against your relationship?

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To help you see from a new, more positive perspective
broaden your view to see more of your own storylines,
and focus on one that doesn’t include your most
pervasive problems.
Listening for times (the past, the present, the future)
when the problem has had less or no influence and
discover unique outcomes
Unique outcome techniques
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Figure 3

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USEFUL QUESTIONS
 How have you managed to stop the problem from getting worse?
 Are there times when the problem is not as bad as usual? Are there times
when it is less dominating and bossy?
 Can you think of a time when the problem could have stopped you or got
in the way, but didn’t? What happened?
 Is there a story you could tell me about a time when you resisted the
problem and what you wanted to do instead?

19. Exploring the history
and the meaning of the
unique outcome
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USEFUL QUESTIONS
 Where were you when this happened?
 Were you on your own or with someone else?
 When did it happen?
 How long did it last?
 What happened just before and after?
 How did you prepare yourself?
 What did your friend say when you told him?
 Was it a decision you made on your own or with someone?
 Have you done this before or was this the first time?
 What were the steps leading up to doing this?
IDENTITY QUESTIONS
 When you agreed to go out with your friends for dinner, what do
you think that says about what you want for your life?
 What do you think that says about the hopes you have for your
relationship with your daughter?
 What personal values is this course of action based upon?
 When that happened, how would you describe your relationship
with John at that time?
 What did it take to do this?
 When you took this step what were you intending for your life?
 What does it say about you as a person that you would do this?
 Can you help me understand more about what that says you
believe in or value?
 Create a new story with a rich description of skills and abilities
NAME AN ALTERNATIVE STORY
 What would you call this project that involves standing up to the
effects of harassment?
 When you talk about ‘making your life your own’, would this be
a good name for us to use for what you want more of?

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Recommended
Readings