Narrative Therapy In Practice

How to apply the definitive postmodern therapeutic technique in a variety of situations, including treating alcoholics, counseling students, treating male sexual abuse survivors, and more. Narrative therapy, first introduced by Australia’s Michael White and New Zealand’s David Epston more than ten years ago, is based on the idea that problems are manufactured in social, cultural, and political contexts. Each person produces the meaning of his or her own life from the stories that are available in these contexts. As Narrative Therapy in Practice demonstrates, it is the spirit of collaboration that guides clinicians who use this innovative approach. Together they work to help clients unearth competencies, talents, abilities, and resources and create a transformed “redescription” of themselves. The information presented is grounded in solid theories and research in learning, language, and cognitive behavior. Using practical examples, clinicians are shown how narrative therapy can be applied in a variety of situations such as treating alcoholics, group counseling, work with indigenous native communities, and treating male sexual abuse survivors. Narrative Therapy in Practice is the result of an unusual collaboration of therapists, counselors, community and mental health workers, educators, and students who share a firm belief in the hopeful and cooperative style of this therapeutic process. The end result is a book that is as delightful to read as it is instructive, filled with illustrative examples that describe the nature of narrative therapy. The book also includes information on: Using externalizing conversations to move the client’s focus away from self-attack, recrimination, blame, and judgment, all of which work against productive and positive therapeutic outcomes Deconstructing the problem and giving the clients an opportunity to examine unstated cultural assumptions Asking questions and responding to stories to gain a complete account of the client’s full experience of the problem, its history, and its influence How to apply the definitive postmodern therapeutic technique in a variety of situations, including treating alcoholics, counseling students, treating male sexual abuse survivors, and more. Written with scholarship, energy, practicality, and awareness.