Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTechniquesUsesWhat Is the Goal of Narrative Therapy?BenefitsEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Techniques

Uses

What Is the Goal of Narrative Therapy?

Benefits

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Close

Narrative therapy is a style of therapy that helps people become—and embrace being—an expert in their own lives. In narrative therapy, there is an emphasis on the stories that you develop and carry with you through your life.As you experience events and interactions, you give meaning to those experiences and they, in turn, influence how you see yourself and the world. You can carry multiple stories at once, such as those related to yourself-esteem, abilities, relationships, and work.

There are a variety of techniques and exercises used in narrative therapy to help people heal and move past a problematic story. Some of the most commonly used techniques include the following.

Putting Together Your Narrative

Narrative therapists help their clients put together their narrative. This process allows the individual to find their voice and explore events in their lives and the meanings they have placed on these experiences. As their story is put together, the person becomes an observer to their story and looks at it with the therapist, working to identify the dominant and problematic story.

Externalization

Putting together the story of their lives allows people to observe themselves as though outside of their own story. This helps create distance between the individual and their problems, which is calledexternalization. This distance allows people to better focus on changing unwanted behaviors. For example, a client might name anxiety “the Goblin” and explain to their therapist how they feel when “the Goblin” is around and how they cope with it.

As people practice externalization, they get a chance to see that they are capable and empowered to change.

Deconstruction

Deconstruction is used to help people gain clarity in their stories. When a problematic story feels like it has been around for a long time, people might use generalized statements and become confused in their own stories. A narrative therapist would work with the individual to break down their story into smaller parts, clarifying the problem and making it more approachable.

Unique Outcomes

When a story feels concrete, as if it could never change, any idea of alternative stories goes out the window. People can become very stuck in their story and allow it to influence several areas of their lives, impacting decision-making, behaviors, experiences, and relationships.

“Unique outcomes” in narrative therapy are aspects of the person’s story that contradict or don’t align with the negative or problematic story the person is telling. A narrative therapist will recognize these contradictions and help the person understand that there have been moments in their life that do challenge their overarching narrative.

What Can Narrative Therapy Help With

While narrative therapy is a relatively new treatment approach, there is some evidence that it may be helpful for a variety of conditions. Mental health conditions it might help include:

The Best Online Therapy for Anxiety, Tried and Tested

What Is the Goal of Narrative Therapy?Narrative therapy allows people to not only find their voice but to use their voice for good, helping them to become experts in their own lives and to live in a way that reflects their goals and values. It can be beneficial for individuals, couples, and families.

Narrative therapy allows people to not only find their voice but to use their voice for good, helping them to become experts in their own lives and to live in a way that reflects their goals and values. It can be beneficial for individuals, couples, and families.

Benefits of Narrative Therapy

Narrative therapy holds a number of key principles, including:

Narrative therapy challenges dominant problematic stories that prevent people from living their best lives. Through narrative therapy, people can identify alternative stories, widen people’s views of self, challenge old and unhealthy beliefs, and open their minds to new ways of living that reflect a more accurate and healthy story.

Narrative therapy does not aim to change a person but to allow them to become an expert in their own life.

Narrative therapy appears to offer benefits in the treatment of a number of different conditions and in a variety of settings. Some evidence supporting the effectiveness of this approach:

Further research is needed to determine what mental health conditions narrative therapy might treat most effectively.

The Best Online Therapy Services for Depression We Tried and Tested

Narrative therapy may present some challenges that you should consider before you begin treatment. Some things to be aware of before you begin:

This process can take time, but can eventually help people find their own voice and develop a healthier narrative.

Narrative therapy is a unique, specialized approach to counseling. There are training opportunities for therapists to learn more about narrative therapy and how to use this approach with clients.

Trained narrative therapists are located throughout the world and can be found through online resources and therapist directories. You might also consider asking your doctor to refer you to a professional in your area with training and experience in narrative therapy.

During your first session, your therapist may ask you to begin sharing your story and ask questions about the reasons you are seeking treatment. Your therapist may also want to know about how your problems are affecting your life and what your goals for the future are. You will also likely discuss aspects of treatment such as how often you will meet and how your treatment may change from one session to the next.

The Best Online Therapy ProgramsWe’ve tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wallis J, Burns J, Capdevila R.What is narrative therapy and what is it not?: The usefulness of Q methodology to explore accounts of White and Epston’s (1990) approach to narrative therapy.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011;18(6):486-97. doi:10.1002/cpp.723Hutto DD, Gallagher S.Re-authoring narrative therapy: improving our self-management tools.Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology. 2017.24(2):157-167. doi:10.1353/ppp.2017.0020Rice, Robert H. (2015).“Narrative Therapy.“The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychology2, 695-700.Shakeri J, Ahmadi SM, Maleki F, Hesami MR, Parsa Moghadam A, Ahmadzade A, Shirzadi M, Elahi A.Effectiveness of group narrative therapy on depression, quality of life, and anxiety in people with amphetamine addiction: A randomized clinical trial.Iran J Med Sci. 2020;45(2):91-99. doi:10.30476/IJMS.2019.45829Beaudoin M, Moersch M, Evare BS.The effectiveness of narrative therapy with children’s social and emotional skill development: An empirical study of 813 problem-solving stories.Journal of Systemic Therapies.2016;(35)3: 42-59. doi:10.1521/jsyt.2016.35.3.42Ghavibazou E, Hosseinian S, Abdollahi A.Effectiveness of narrative therapy on communication patterns for women experiencing low marital satisfaction.Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. 2020;41(2):195-207.doi:10.1002/anzf.1405Muruthi B, McCoy M, Chou J, Farnham A.Sexual scripts and narrative therapy with older couples.The American Journal of Family Therapy. 2018;46(1):81-95. doi:10.1080/01926187.2018.1428129Additional ReadingDulwich Centre Publications.What Is Narrative Therapy?Goodtherapy.org.Narrative Therapy.Positive Psychology Program.19 Narrative Therapy Techniques, Interventions and Worksheets.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wallis J, Burns J, Capdevila R.What is narrative therapy and what is it not?: The usefulness of Q methodology to explore accounts of White and Epston’s (1990) approach to narrative therapy.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011;18(6):486-97. doi:10.1002/cpp.723Hutto DD, Gallagher S.Re-authoring narrative therapy: improving our self-management tools.Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology. 2017.24(2):157-167. doi:10.1353/ppp.2017.0020Rice, Robert H. (2015).“Narrative Therapy.“The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychology2, 695-700.Shakeri J, Ahmadi SM, Maleki F, Hesami MR, Parsa Moghadam A, Ahmadzade A, Shirzadi M, Elahi A.Effectiveness of group narrative therapy on depression, quality of life, and anxiety in people with amphetamine addiction: A randomized clinical trial.Iran J Med Sci. 2020;45(2):91-99. doi:10.30476/IJMS.2019.45829Beaudoin M, Moersch M, Evare BS.The effectiveness of narrative therapy with children’s social and emotional skill development: An empirical study of 813 problem-solving stories.Journal of Systemic Therapies.2016;(35)3: 42-59. doi:10.1521/jsyt.2016.35.3.42Ghavibazou E, Hosseinian S, Abdollahi A.Effectiveness of narrative therapy on communication patterns for women experiencing low marital satisfaction.Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. 2020;41(2):195-207.doi:10.1002/anzf.1405Muruthi B, McCoy M, Chou J, Farnham A.Sexual scripts and narrative therapy with older couples.The American Journal of Family Therapy. 2018;46(1):81-95. doi:10.1080/01926187.2018.1428129Additional ReadingDulwich Centre Publications.What Is Narrative Therapy?Goodtherapy.org.Narrative Therapy.Positive Psychology Program.19 Narrative Therapy Techniques, Interventions and Worksheets.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Wallis J, Burns J, Capdevila R.What is narrative therapy and what is it not?: The usefulness of Q methodology to explore accounts of White and Epston’s (1990) approach to narrative therapy.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011;18(6):486-97. doi:10.1002/cpp.723Hutto DD, Gallagher S.Re-authoring narrative therapy: improving our self-management tools.Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology. 2017.24(2):157-167. doi:10.1353/ppp.2017.0020Rice, Robert H. (2015).“Narrative Therapy.“The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychology2, 695-700.Shakeri J, Ahmadi SM, Maleki F, Hesami MR, Parsa Moghadam A, Ahmadzade A, Shirzadi M, Elahi A.Effectiveness of group narrative therapy on depression, quality of life, and anxiety in people with amphetamine addiction: A randomized clinical trial.Iran J Med Sci. 2020;45(2):91-99. doi:10.30476/IJMS.2019.45829Beaudoin M, Moersch M, Evare BS.The effectiveness of narrative therapy with children’s social and emotional skill development: An empirical study of 813 problem-solving stories.Journal of Systemic Therapies.2016;(35)3: 42-59. doi:10.1521/jsyt.2016.35.3.42Ghavibazou E, Hosseinian S, Abdollahi A.Effectiveness of narrative therapy on communication patterns for women experiencing low marital satisfaction.Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. 2020;41(2):195-207.doi:10.1002/anzf.1405Muruthi B, McCoy M, Chou J, Farnham A.Sexual scripts and narrative therapy with older couples.The American Journal of Family Therapy. 2018;46(1):81-95. doi:10.1080/01926187.2018.1428129

Wallis J, Burns J, Capdevila R.What is narrative therapy and what is it not?: The usefulness of Q methodology to explore accounts of White and Epston’s (1990) approach to narrative therapy.Clin Psychol Psychother. 2011;18(6):486-97. doi:10.1002/cpp.723

Hutto DD, Gallagher S.Re-authoring narrative therapy: improving our self-management tools.Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology. 2017.24(2):157-167. doi:10.1353/ppp.2017.0020

Rice, Robert H. (2015).“Narrative Therapy.“The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychology2, 695-700.

Shakeri J, Ahmadi SM, Maleki F, Hesami MR, Parsa Moghadam A, Ahmadzade A, Shirzadi M, Elahi A.Effectiveness of group narrative therapy on depression, quality of life, and anxiety in people with amphetamine addiction: A randomized clinical trial.Iran J Med Sci. 2020;45(2):91-99. doi:10.30476/IJMS.2019.45829

Beaudoin M, Moersch M, Evare BS.The effectiveness of narrative therapy with children’s social and emotional skill development: An empirical study of 813 problem-solving stories.Journal of Systemic Therapies.2016;(35)3: 42-59. doi:10.1521/jsyt.2016.35.3.42

Ghavibazou E, Hosseinian S, Abdollahi A.Effectiveness of narrative therapy on communication patterns for women experiencing low marital satisfaction.Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy. 2020;41(2):195-207.doi:10.1002/anzf.1405

Muruthi B, McCoy M, Chou J, Farnham A.Sexual scripts and narrative therapy with older couples.The American Journal of Family Therapy. 2018;46(1):81-95. doi:10.1080/01926187.2018.1428129

Dulwich Centre Publications.What Is Narrative Therapy?Goodtherapy.org.Narrative Therapy.Positive Psychology Program.19 Narrative Therapy Techniques, Interventions and Worksheets.

Dulwich Centre Publications.What Is Narrative Therapy?

Goodtherapy.org.Narrative Therapy.

Positive Psychology Program.19 Narrative Therapy Techniques, Interventions and Worksheets.

Hannah Owens, LMSW

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?