Caley O'Dwyer, M.A., MFT
Psychotherapy for Individiduals, Couples, and Families
What is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative Therapy is a therapy wherein questions and curiosities are used to identify, access, and engage the consultant’s abilities, resources, talents and communities of care in order to open space for change in whatever preferred direction the person is wanting. It is a therapy that works on the metaphor of story revision. We assume that people understand who they are and what they are capable of (or limited by) according to the stories they circulate about themselves. Others participate in the circuation and authoring of these stories, too. Sometimes these others are friends, family, and co-workers, and colleagues. The culture in which a person lives is also a major participant in the shaping of life stories, so narrative therapists tend to be very interested in how cultural ideas, ideals, and "shoulds" figure into the problem story.
Narrative therapists seek to help consultant's unpin the cultural and experiential influences that lend power to problems so that people can become more free of these influences and lead more satisfying, more productive lives.
You might be interested in this brief introduction offered by the Narrative Therapy Center of Toronto.
"The One-Minute Question: What is Narrative Therapy" may be helpful, too.
You might also like to see Alice Morgan’s longer, very helpful introduction to narrative therapy.
Here are some "Commonly Asked Questions about Narrative Approaches..." from the Dulwich Center website.
Also, you can call me and ask me about Narrative Therapy. I think it's very interesting to talk about as well as to do.