Narrative Family Therapy Flashcards
Who were the founders?
White and Epston - Postmodern
What are the themes?
Therapy is process of freeing people from their own problems. People develop self narrative about themselves that go into a theme, Narratives become powerful influences over individuals lives.
Narrative Metaphor
Primary tool people use to make sense of their lived experiences, that is story and narrative as a metaphor
Constitutionalist Self
The self is fluid, constantly constructed deconstructed thru interaction with others and the environment
Problem Saturated Stories
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.
Preferred Narrative
After a problem saturated story has been deconstructed, clients reflect on what sort of preferred narrative they wish to construct moving forward.
Subjugated story
The more positive, authentic and congruent attributes of an individual that are vulnerable to suppression through a problem saturated or dominant culture discourse. The subjugated story typically entails times in which the problem did not have power over the individual or times when the individual was able to control the problem.
Who is involved?
There is not a particular stance on who is required to come to therapy, will work with whoever is present and willing to come. Resolution of the problem will be achieved on an individual basis and does not require the system as a whole to participate.
How long is treatment?
does not identify with brief or long term. Therapy will continue until each individual develops a desired narrative.
Deconstruction Questions
These questions help individuals unravel their stories and see them from different perspectives, creating and opportunity for them to decide whether or not they choose to continue identifying with it.
Externalizing the problem
Separates the problem from the person. often personalizing the problem into its own external entity. The manner in which the problem becomes externalized is based on the client’s use of language and expressed lived reality.
Externalizing Questions
Questions orientated towards helping the client to externalize the problem, thereby separating from them in an effort to feel powerless. These questions usually entail shifting the use of language and expressed lived reality.
Unique Outcomes ( Sparkling events)
These are types of questions aimed at exploring times when the problem did not have control over the individual or family liife
Relative Influencing Questioning
Assists the client in externalizing the problem thru mapping the influence of the problem and mapping the influence of the person.
Mapping the Influence of the Person
This process entails exploring the role that the person has had on the life of the problem.
Mapping the influence of the Problem
This process entails exploring the role that the problem has had on the individuals life.
Landscape of action questions
Questions that explore specific situations and efforts that are congruent with the preferred narrative.
Landscape of meaning questions
Once their is a clear understanding of the preferred narrative, these questions serve to explore the meanings within the preferred narrative. For instance, how does the clients preferred narrative of spending more quality time with family reflect upon them as a person.
Preference questions
the manner in which the therapist checks in with the client to ensure that the discourse of therapy is congruent with the clients actual desires and hopes
Therapeutic letters
After clients would discharge, a narrative therapist may write them a therapeutic letter to reflect upon the nature of their work and growth they achieved. helping to maintain the growth in the future.
Therapeutic Certificates
After clients discharge, Narrative therapist will present them with a therapeutic certificate , honoring their growth and engagment in therapy.
Collaborative Case notes
the client may write case notes collaboratively with the client toward the end of the session to ensure that he or she was correctly capturing the essence of the clients experience.
clients as consultants
after clients have discharged, the therapist would welcome them back to serve as consultants. This would reinforce the growth and maintain a collaborative stance of the therapist.
