Narrative Therapy
Core Mechanism
Externalizing problems + re-authoring preferred identity narratives through unique outcomes
Ontology
Dominant cultural narratives constrain identity; problems are social/linguistic constructions, not internal pathology
Therapeutic Voice
"So depression has been telling you that you're worthless. When has there been a time when you didn't believe depression's story?"
View of the Person
A self constituted by stories — dominant narratives constrain identity, and re-authoring is possible
Evidence
Not listed in major guidelines
Limited RCTs; some in specific populations
No comprehensive meta-analysis
Philosophical tension with RCT methodology. Some studies in grief and children.
Conditions
Epistemology
Blind Spots
Can feel intellectually abstract; political framing may not resonate with all clients; limited controlled research
Contraindications
Active psychosis with severely impaired narrative coherence, acute crisis requiring immediate stabilization, severe cognitive impairment, young children without sufficient language development for narrative co-construction
Training
Graduate training + workshops. No formal certification required
Dulwich Centre offers intensives; no certification
Graduate coursework + workshops
$500-3K for intensives
Equity & Cultural Adaptations
Philosophical Roots
Foucault (power/knowledge, subjugated knowledges); Ricoeur (narrative identity); Derrida (deconstruction); Bruner (narrative as mode of knowing); Bateson (ecology of mind); social constructionism
Related Modalities
Clinical Vignettes
See how Narrative Therapy formulates these cases:
Test Yourself
What is externalization?
Show answer
Separating person from problem — 'the anger' not 'your anger problem.'