Narrative Family therapy

Question 1

Narrative Family Therapy:

Audio File: 21

Answer 1

Post-Modern domain of Marital &Family Therapy.

~ no absolute reality instead of social construct
~ clients as expert of their own lives
~ people oppress themselves by the narrative that they make about themselves and then they will begin to believe it (I’m a failure) and then we only see things that support that (failing) not things to the contradict it (things I’ve succeeded in).
~ self is fluid that things are constantly changing and belief is self is changing as well.
~assessment = knowing the person apart from the problem, identifying unique outcomes (when is the problem not happening), mapping effects (how has the problem effected the client and how has the client effected the problem.
~ therapist will work with whoever shows up and will last as long as necessary and has a desirable narrative
~ goal is to alter the problem saturated narrative til it looks more like the client wants it to look like using their language.

Primary Contributors

Michael White

David Epston

Key Terms & Primary Interventions

Clients as Consultants:
Collaborative Case-Notes:  
Constitutionalist Self:
Deconstruction Questions: 
Externalizing Questions:  
Externalizing the Problem:  
Landscape of Action Questions: 
Landscape of Meaning Questions:  
Mapping the Influence of the Person:  
Mapping the Influence of the Problem:
Narrative Metaphor:  
Preference Questions:  
Preferred Narrative:  
Problem-Saturated Stories:  
Relative Influencing Questioning:  
Subjugated Story:
Therapeutic Certificates:  
Therapeutic Letters:  
Unique Outcomes (Sparkling Events):

Question 2

Clients as Consultants:

Answer 2

Narrative Family Therapy:
In Narrative Therapy, after clients had discharged the therapist would welcome them back to serve as consultants on current cases. This would reinforce their growth and maintain the collaborative stance of the therapist.

Question 3

Preferred Narrative:

Answer 3

Narrative Family Therapy:
After the problem-saturated story has been deconstructed, clients reflect upon what sort of preferred narrative they may wish to construct moving forward.

Question 4

Relative Influencing Questioning:

Answer 4

Narrative Family Therapy: Assists the client in externalizing the problem through mapping the influence of the problem and mapping the influence of the person.

Question 5

Narrative Metaphor:

Answer 5

Narrative Family Therapy:
This describes the primary tool people use to make sense of their lived experiences—that is, story and narrative as a metaphor.

Question 6

Problem-Saturated Stories:

Answer 6

Narrative Family Therapy:
When clients identify with a narrative that emphasizes a metaphoric problem throughout time, thereby influencing their perception of the past as well as their experience of the present and future. These are traditionally externally influenced and repress the subjugated story more congruent with the authentic reality of the individual.

Question 7

Mapping the Influence of the Problem:

Answer 7

Narrative Family Therapy:

This process entails exploring the role that the problem has had on the individual’s life.

Question 8

Preference Questions:

Answer 8

Narrative Family Therapy:
The manner in which the therapist checks in with the client to ensure that the discourse of therapy is congruent with the client’s actual desires and hopes.

Question 9

Subjugated Story:

Answer 9

Narrative Family Therapy:
The more positive, authentic, and congruent attributes of an individual that are vulnerably to suppression through a problem-saturated or dominant cultural discourse. The subjugated story typically entails times in which the problem did not have power over the individual, or times that the individual was able to take control of the problem.

Question 10

Landscape of Meaning Questions:

Answer 10

Narrative Family Therapy:
Once there is a clear understanding of the preferred narrative, these questions serve to explore the meanings within the preferred narrative. For instance, how does the client’s preferred narrative of spending more quality time with family reflect upon them as a person.

Question 11

Mapping the Influence of the Person:

Answer 11

Narrative Family Therapy:

This process entails exploring the role that the person has had on the life of the problem.

Question 12

Therapeutic Certificates:

Answer 12

Narrative Family Therapy:
After clients discharge, Narrative Therapists will present them with a Therapeutic Certificate for them to keep, honoring the effort and growth of their engagement in therapy.

Question 13

Landscape of Action Questions:

Answer 13

Narrative Family Therapy:

Questions that explore specific situations and efforts that are congruent with the preferred narrative.

Question 14

Externalizing the Problem:

Answer 14

Narrative Family Therapy:
A process that separates the problem from the person, often personifying the problem into its own external entity. The manner in which the problem becomes externalized is based upon the client’s use of language and expressed lived reality.

Question 15

Therapeutic Letters:

Answer 15

Narrative Family Therapy:
After clients would discharge, a Narrative Therapist may write them a therapeutic letter that reflects upon the nature of their work and the growth they achieved, helping to maintain the growth into the future.

Question 16

Unique Outcomes (Sparkling Events):

Answer 16

Narrative Family Therapy:
These are types of questions aimed at exploring times when the problem did not have control over the individual’s or family’s life.

Question 17

Therapeutic Letters:

Answer 17

Narrative Family Therapy:
After clients would discharge, a Narrative Therapist may write them a therapeutic letter that reflects upon the nature of their work and the growth they achieved, helping to maintain the growth into the future.

Question 18

Deconstruction Questions:

Answer 18

Narrative Family Therapy:
These questions help individuals to unravel their stories and see them from different perspectives, creating an opportunity for them to decide whether or not they choose to continue identifying with it.

Question 19

Externalizing Questions:

Answer 19

Narrative Family Therapy:
Questions oriented toward helping the client to externalize the problem, thereby separating from them in an effort to feel less powerless. These questions usually entails shifting the use of language from identifying the problem as an adjective (i.e. feeling depressed) to a noun (i.e. recognizing the presence of depression).

Question 20

Constitutionalist Self:

Answer 20

Narrative Family Therapy:
The concept that the self is fluid, constantly constructed and deconstructed through interaction with others and the environment.

Question 21

Collaborative Case-Notes:

Answer 21

Narrative Family Therapy:
In Narrative Therapy, the therapist may write case notes collaboratively with the client toward the end of each session to ensure that he or she was correctly capturing the essence of the client’s experience of the session.