Wk 12 - Narrative Therapy

Question 1

Narrative therapy has an ____-_______ orientation. Why and how so?

Answer 1

Anti-psychiatry
it is a subversive sort of therapy because they feel that the health profession has too much power and narratives can be used as a form of social control, where people in power determine the narrative.

Question 2

Describe the nature of narratives and stories.

Answer 2

Narratives are stories about ourselves that we tell ourselves. This understanding of the world, others, and the self is understood through stories that are told.

Question 3

What are the 3 key assumptions of narrative therapy?

Answer 3

1) people behave differently depending on which story has the most influence on them in a particular context (dominant story)
2) dominant vs subordinate/neglected stories
3) scaffolding new story development

Question 4

What are problem-saturated stories?

Answer 4

tend to be the presenting concerns that clients come with

Question 5

What is scaffolding the new story development?

Answer 5

the incremental process of distancing from the dominant story

Question 6

What are thick stories?

Answer 6

Rich and full of detail.
these stories are told over and over again
Dominant stories tend to be thick

Question 7

What are thin stories?

Answer 7

Lacking in detail, contains few events, not compelling. subordinate stories tend to be thin.

Question 8

What are the 4 aspects of identity?

Answer 8

1) Relational
2) Fluid (historically and culturally specific)
3) Chosen (we decide which parts of ourselves to share)
4) Language (central to self-concept and meaning)

Question 9

Describe what it means to make “exotic” the “domestic”

Answer 9

our actions always reflects a deeper value. it’s about finding the meaning behind the mundane everyday event

Question 10

What are unique outcomes?

Answer 10

Events of a person’s past that are not aligned with the story. Vital in helping clients develop alternative understanding of their problems. When we string together these unique outcomes, the sub-dominant plots become stronger.

Question 11

What is dysfunction and health from the perspective of Narrative Therapy?

Answer 11

Dysfunction
- the dominant and problem-saturated story is too narrow and does not fully represent the individual’s life experiences

Health

• recognizing that we are multistoried in nature
• have personal agency in choosing a preferred story

Question 12

Name the 4 different techniques used in NT

Answer 12

1) Externalizing the problem
2) Re-storying/Re-authoring
3) Definitional Ceremonies
4) Therapeutic Letters

Question 13

How do you externalise the problem?

Answer 13

Therapist helps client recast the problem as something outside of him/her. Use relative influence questioning where the problem is separated from the person. Externalizing the problem so that clients can take a stand against it.

1) name the problem using an “experience near definition”
2) map the effects of the problem (what is the effect of xxx on your life/friendships/work?)
3) evaluating these effects (what is the meaning of these effects)
4) justifying these evaluations (are you happy with it?)

Question 14

What methods can you use to externalise the problem?

Answer 14

• fictional character in your minds
• soft toys. sympbolic representations of the problem. ask them reflective questions
• slam poetry. externalizing anxiety as a friend

Question 15

Describe the technique of re-authoring and restorying.

Answer 15

1) explore the person’s influence over the problem
2) explore unique outcomes.
3) track a new preferred storyline (Landscape of Action, Landscape of Identity)
Landscape of Action questions - require the client to situation outcomes in a sequence across time
Landscape of Identity questions - help client reflect on the material gleaned from action questions and to give it meaning

Question 16

What are the 3 stages of NT according to Beels, 2001?

Answer 16

1) Re-authoring
2) Re-storying
3) Re-membering

Question 17

How do you engage in exploration of unique outcomes?

Answer 17

Scaffolding

• therapists will ask questions to distance client from the dominant story
• therpaist and client will together:
  (a) create a rich, personal description of the new story
  (b) create a detailed description of the effects of the unique outcome
  (c) evaluate effects of outcome
  (d) client justifies the evaluation

Question 18

When client attempts to protect the dominant view of the self and the world, what should you do?

Answer 18

counselor must be sensitive to local politics or cultural/ethnic contexts that can lead to client protest

Question 19

What does relative influence questioning do?

Answer 19

helps client explore:

1) the influence of the problem on her life, and in her relationships with others
2) the influence on the problem itself

Question 20

Describe what happens in a definitional ceremony

Answer 20

• Invite a special person or group of people to participate in therapy conversations
• purpose is to develop a rich thick storyline for the client in a public way
• witnesses should not evaluate or judge the client’s new story.
• witnesses should talk about the impact of the new story on themselves and what was most salient for them in the client’s story. witnesses become allies of the client in establishing the preferred story. witnesses can talk about expression, images, resonance, transport.

Question 21

Describe what happens in therapeutic letters.

Answer 21

• way of thickening preferred stories
• poses as important evidence for the client and the client’s new story
• summarize session content; document progress
• comment on unique outcomes
• offer new perspectives on problem-saturated stories of clients. opposes the dominant discourse influencing the client’s life.