The Narrative Metaphor

In this chapter we examine how stories are an important frame through which we make meaning of our lives. In each reading and video provided we invite you to be on the lookout for the multi-stories of people’s lives rather than a single story.

Photo: Shaun Tan: Eric (with permission)

 

This dot exercise from Jill Freedman and Gene Combs was animated by Will Sherwin to help you visualise the Narrative Therapy concept of ‘multi-storied lives’.

  For more from Jill and Gene you can go to narrativetherapychicago.com. For more from Will Sherwin and Bay Area Narrative Therapy Resource, trainings and radio shows you can go to sfbantr.org.  
 

Novelist Chimamanda Adichie warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding. In ‘The Danger of a Single Story’ she speaks about how our lives and our cultures are composed of many overlapping stories.

As you listen to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s powerful speech about the danger of the single story, please also think about how Chimamanda’s own life experiences shape the stories she shares, including her class privilege which she has written about elsewhere.  
 

We have included here an extract from Alice Morgan’s influential and highly popular text in which she provides a brief introduction to the narrative metaphor

What is Narrative Therapy – An Easy to Read Introduction | Alice Morgan

 
 

In this short extract Michael White’s speaks about the possibilities that the narrative metaphor opened up in his therapeutic work, what attracted him to the narrative metaphor and offers an example of how the narrative metaphor shapes therapeutic conversations.

The narrative metaphor in family therapy | an interview with Michael White


 

What is the narrative of our lives – and can we influence the way our story is told? Michael White and Barbara Brooks, a memoir writer, join producer Gretchen Miller in conversation on ABC Radio National and online. Michael and Barbara joined Gretchen Miller to talk about the grand narratives of our lives and how much influence we have over the way our story unfolds

The Power of Storytelling

 

This (draft) Charter proposes a framework for considering storytelling rights. We hope it will spark discussions about the rights of people who have experienced trauma/social suffering in relation to how their stories are told and received.

Narrative Therapy (Draft) Charter of Story-Telling Rights by David Denborough

Article 1  Everyone has the right to define their experiences and problems in their own words and terms. Article 2  Everyone has the right for their life to be understood in the context of what they have been through and in the context of their relationships with others. Article 3  Everyone has the right to invite others who are important to them to be involved in the process of reclaiming their life from the effects of trauma. Article 4 Everyone has the right to be free from having problems caused by trauma and injustice located inside them, internally, as if there is some deficit in them. The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem. Article 5 Everyone has the right for their responses to trauma to be acknowledged. No one is a passive recipient of trauma. People always respond. People always protest injustice. Article 6  Everyone has the right to have their skills and knowledges of survival respected, honoured and acknowledged. Article 7  Everyone has the right to know and experience that what they have learnt through hardship can make a contribution to others in similar situations.  
 
Photo: Shaun Tan: Eric
For Reflection 
  How would you describe the narrative metaphor?   What might thinking about stories in this way make possible for you?
 
  Please now share your thoughts & reflections below and then continue to the next chapter! Please include where you are writing from (City and Country). Thanks! 

This Post Has 1,182 Comments

  1. mpatrick

    Hi – I’m Madeline, a school Counsellor in Western Sydney. I am looking forward to using the strength behind the narrative metaphor more in my work eg. “victim” or “survivor” and the energy or drive to go forward that’s associated with the different perspective. I really appreciated Chimamanda’s point about representation in books – whether it’s in terms of race, additional needs, gender. I find kids and parents have so much more hope, connectedness and energy to keep on trying when they know of similar others and their experiences. The dot metaphor is also great for broadening perspective taking and becoming aware that new experiences can reframe their identity and open up possibilities that it won’t always be like this. Especially with primary school kids, who might not have had too many experiences yet. You can use it for what’s already happened in their life but for what is to come as well.

  2. Michelle

    Hello, I’m Michelle from Brisbane, Australia. I would describe the narrative metaphor as how we tell and perceive our own stories and then when we share these same stories with others (particularly the traumatic stories), how in turn they are perceived and treated. Many of us are carrying around stories that convince us this is all we are or all we are going to be. Narrative Therapy addresses that by honouring the story and finding new meaning in the story. Narrative Therapy also addresses that a traumatic event is not the whole sum of us. Thinking about stories either recent or historical using a Narrative Therapy approach allows more caring and respectful thinking towards a comment or an event. One single story does not make us who we are, we are a rich melting pot of thousands of stories and we should be acknowledging all of those stories, not just the stories that have a negative impact on us.

  3. Dyuti

    Hi, i’m Dyuti from Delhi, India. I see narrative metaphor as representing the richness and depth of human lives. Our experiences, conversations all indicate presence of so many stories/narrations within us. It illustrates presence o multiple themes and how some themes can be dominating as compared to others. I think thinking about this way helps me identify the ‘greyness’ of life, to navigate ahead of blacks and whites in life creating a non pathologizing lens to look at individuals and their problems. Problems are problems and may be not so personal to the client as other conventional psychological approaches think it is. I also feel this could help me build my curiosity as a profession with a non blaming approach, giving the ownership of the experience to the client rather than seeing them as the cause.

  4. ellenjin02

    Hi, I am Ellen from Shanghai, China. I get to know narrative practice from my therapist. Fortunately, I came to know this online training course with quite positive feedback. After going through this content provided above, I was aware of the power of retelling a story on a person’s inner part. Making use of the person’s experience is a very smart approach. Retelling the story changes the cognition with the least motion involved, which turns outs to be very effective in re-shaping the story-teller’s thinking model. There’s a well-known Chinese novel, in which the mom kept telling everyone the loss of her son. If the narrative practice is introduced, she will be saved from such miserable situation. I look forward to learning further following the course agenda.

  5. Hannah

    Hi there, I am a registered Drama and Movement Therapist from the UK. As a drama therapist I am interested in the concept of externalization and how it plays a vital role in creating this distance. By externalizing problems or issues, individuals are able to view them as separate entities, distinct from their own identity. This separation enables a shift in perspective, allowing individuals to examine their experiences from a more objective standpoint. Through the lens of externalization, clients can explore their stories with a sense of detachment, opening up space for deeper reflection and insight.

  6. Kim

    Hi – I’m Kim – LCSW and Collaborative Care Clinician in Massachusetts. I feel that using narrative therapy allows the patient/client to become the owner of their story. I am there to simply help facilitate their story and bring out alternatives they may not have thought about. I can’t help but think about a movie I watched where it told the story from three characters perspective. Each told what they remembered about the events of this particular problem. Each were different. They all came to the same conclusion. I am looking forward to broadening my skills during this journey.

  7. 690473488

    Hiiiii, I’m Hui, a trainee consultant in China. During my 3 years of study and training, I realised that I am very sensitive to people’s language and expressions, so I often want to use this sensitivity to do my consulting work better. I am glad that I learnt about Narrative Therapy and found this resourceful learning website. The TED talk was also very impressive and the concept of the single story made me reflect on myself. Great course, looking forward to it.

  8. Gillian Murray

    Hi I am Gillian. I am a frustrated child protection worker since 2005. I have worked across 3 states, NSW, WA and NT. I believe that Narrative Therapy should be used with all families who come before the child protection system and should form part of the risk assessment if possible. It would be so beneficial for parents to be able tell their stories and for children to have their own time to tell their stories. However resources are always a problem. Mostly C.P. workers only see the “thin story” when there is always so much more. I like the practice of “ethnographic research” placing the family as co-researchers not subjects. In C.P. we are so often the experts with ALL the power which immediately places distance, mistrust and anxiety in our families and that is never a good recipe for positive outcomes.

  9. rolf.lungwitz

    Hi, I’m Rolf, and live Adelaide, South Australia. The Narrative metaphor reminds me of the power of language and story to impact how we regard ourselves and others. The idea of the thin story reminds me how easy it is to let a particular story or metaphor impact your view of another person. It also reminds me of how easy it is to confirm the view you have of another person by privileging those events and behaviours that align with that view and being almost blind to anything that may suggest a different view. As I put these ideas through the lens of my own life, I have been reminded that I have far too often defined who I am, and who others are, through thin stories. I believe the ideas and concepts behind narrative therapy will not only give me great tools for my future counselling practice but also help me to view myself and others less one-dimensionally and more from the perspective of the diversity of the many stories and metaphors that make us human beings who we are.

  10. Ashley

    Hi, My name is Ashley, I’m from Saskatchewan, Canada. Working as a mental health and addiction counselor with youth, I can see how the narrative metaphor could help young people make healthy attachments to their own stories. For myself, and being new to narrative therapy model, the focus on creating more of a rich description of ones life can benefit how someone can see themselves, and focus more on healing. With the youth that I work with, there appears to be a very negative mentality on themselves, and the stories they have been told from the outside. I think that the more we can support others in creating a big picture story can truly help people make sense of their world.

  11. jillsummerwill

    Hi My name is Jill and I am originally from Northern Ireland and have worked as a social worker in England and BC, Canada where I live now. I have been a practising social worker for over 25 years. I am so excited about this course as I realise that I use a lot of the tools associated with narrative practice without much intentionality, I am really looking forward to a deep dive into narrative practice and the opportunity to reflect on how I can use this effectively and intentionally in my work with families, with multiple members with conflicting stories and overriding stories given to them by others.

  12. mo.beans.mosley

    Hello, my name is Mo, and although I’m originally from South Africa, I’ve lived in Massachusetts, USA, since 2015. I’m currently completing a master’s in clinical mental health and am super excited about this course because my program only tangentially touches on narrative therapy.
    I decided to conduct an experiment to reflect on the narrative metaphor materials. I thought about one of my “problemed” dominant narratives and how it shows up in my thoughts daily. Then, I sought a subordinate story to contradict the problematic one. I had to do a bit of rummaging in the deep recesses of memory to find such a story. But once I’d found one, others started surfacing, as well. It was like I’d pulled at some tightly wound rug, thinking it was made of a single thread, only to realize there must be several threads since each color and pattern needs a new thread. It was rather fun after a while, a bit like playing detective. I also tried to “bulk up” the contradictory stories, make them less “thin”, if you will, by imagining how I felt during the subordinate stories. Thinking about those subordinated stories and feeling the pride accompanying them did something unexpected. They made me cry. I sat on my actual rug and cried because I caught a glimpse of the power of such a simple idea (shifting your focus from negative to positive narratives) to untangle minds. Beautiful! I am super excited to learn more!!

  13. catherine.ann.smit

    Hi, I’m Cat Smit, a former psychologist turned certified holistic health coach with HCANZA (Health Coaches Australia and New Zealand Association). I live and work in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland in Queensland, Australia.

    So far, I understand the narrative metaphor to be a way of thinking about the stories people tell themselves and others about their lives that either add evidence to a dominating problem-saturated description or one that tells many different meaning-making stories, including those of competency, connection and hope. If there is a tapestry of rich, salient stories, there are multiple possibilities for a more meaningful, inspiring future, as these stories shape both the way we see the past and the present and also the future.

    As a holistic health coach, I am already thinking about what neglected events in people’s health stories could be brought forward for clients to form an alternative storyline about their health and their future health. Particularly those stories that might challenge the dominant cultural stories about rapidly declining physical and mental health being a normal part of ageing. This might be a rich foundation which bolsters motivation for health behaviour change, particularly preventative health behaviour change for healthy ageing.

    It also makes me reflect on the stories told or not told in my extended family that may be thin descriptions with consequences for our future way of being as a family.

  14. porter.psychotherapy

    Hey all! Just posting my comment again because I realized I did not make an account before I started my training here. My name is Abbey and I am a psychotherapist (Qualifying) in Toronto and am finishing my practicum. I would explain Narrative Therapy as a client centred approach that sees clients as their own experts while also viewing the problems as external to the person. How we view our stories is vital in how we view ourselves and our own competencies. I loved how in the TedTalk we learned about how a single story of somebody can actually dehumanize and break down a person’s character. When we talk about somebody and how often we talk about somebody using a specific narrative can make them become something they are not in the mind of ours and the people that heard it. I want to use my stories and my client’s stories empower them and help them see that there is so much more than just that single story.

  15. Abbey Porter

    Hello everyone! My name is Abbey and I am a psychotherapist (Qualifying) in Toronto and am finishing my practicum. I would explain Narrative Therapy as a client centred approach that sees clients as their own experts while also viewing the problems as external to the person. How we view our stories is vital in how we view ourselves and our own competencies. I loved how in the TedTalk we learned about how a single story of somebody can actually dehumanize and break down a person’s character. When we talk about somebody and how often we talk about somebody using a specific narrative can make them become something they are not in the mind of ours and the people that heard it. I want to use my stories and my client’s stories empower them and help them see that there is so much more than just that single story.

  16. dvmilam

    Hi! My name is Dianne- I am a student in a Pastoral Care and Counseling class in Johnson City, Tennessee. I think the idea of Narrative therapy is seeing an individual in a very holistic and healthy way. It finds a way to unravel the negative ‘thin descriptions’ and ‘thin conclusions’ and help people to focus on a positive area of thier life, helping them to see a different side of thier abilities. When we work to build an alternate story, and explore other areas of thier lives that have not been explored, the possibilities multiply tremendously.
    I am looking forward to learning more about this intriguing therapy that empowers someone to be thier best.

  17. caglakarademir

    Hello, I’m Cagla. I am a lecturer in the department of psychological counselling and guidance at a university in Turkiye. The ideas and practices of narrative therapy excite and inspire me. Perhaps one of the most important characteristics that distinguish humans from other living things is the ability to create narratives. I think it is very impressive to consider the multi-layered stories that make sense of people’s lives and provide a structure to their lives in the context of narrative therapy. With the excitement of creating a new meaning in my own narrative…

  18. katerumney

    Hi, I’m Kate, I’m a family violence social worker. I’m excited about this course as it is already connecting dots for me in work that I already do, but did not recognise as elements of narrative therapy. This excites me because it makes deepening practice in narrative therapy feels possible as I’ve already been taking steps. I am excited to learn more about this form of therapy, and am excited to have conversations about dominant and alternative stories, and thin and thick descriptions now that I have better language for this. Thinking about stories in this way excites me for the possibilities of client work and understanding my own stories more.

  19. alexandra.postrigan

    My name is Alexandra Postrigan, and I’m joining you from Italy, though my roots trace back to Russia. Currently, I am deeply involved in a project that resonates with my passion for sustainable development and inclusive dialogue. This project aims to bridge the gap between diverse communities, including Indigenous Peoples, in co-creating knowledge about nature and our environment. What really inspired me to be part of this conversation is the palpable risk posed by the ‘single story’ approach. Too often, in environmental conservation and policy-making, the narratives and perceptions of the dominant culture take precedence. This standard modus operandi overlooks the rich tapestry of stories, wisdom, and insights that other communities, especially Indigenous groups, bring to the table.

  20. billywadeodonnell

    This course showed me how generalisations or thin descriptions are an unfair way to represent someone. Thin descriptions over represent one part of someones life story – skipping over the experiences, pains and significant events that may have shaped someone. Narrative therapy allows us to paint a holistic picture of someones past to more accurately understand others.

    Thin descriptions diminish people down to names and not humans with rich stories, histories and feelings.

  21. billywadeodonnell

    This course showed me how generalisation or thin descriptions are an unfair way to represent someone. Thin descriptions over represent one part of someones life story – skipping over the experiences, pains and significant events that may have shaped someone. Narrative therapy allows us to paint a holistic picture of someones past to understand others more effectively.

    Thin descriptions diminish people down to names and not humans with rich stories, histories and feelings.


  22. mandyklc

    As a person who lives between two different cultures, I find that the meaning of one story can differ based on which cultural lens I am looking from. For example, my Asian roots would expect that my relationship with my parents is one of a ‘top-down’ (well the parents at the top and I am at the bottom) basis, where children (and even when you are an adult) respect the parents regardless of any circumstances- even when the relationship is a toxic one. In the western culture where I live in, and where I raise my children- it is possible to call someone out for their wrongdoings- even if the person is your parent, and setting boundaries with parents is actually OK! Even within an individual facing a challenge, stories can be interpreted differently because the meanings we give them can be different based on the values and contexts. I therefore find that it is interesting to use narrative therapy in helping others find the meaning to their stories, and helping them find where their actual voice is amongst the different interpretations of a story. It resonates with me. It really does.

  23. rachel-8257

    Hi, Rachel from Western Australia. I am a social worker working as a children’s counsellor in an FDV setting. I have been wanting to do some more learning around narrative practice. So thank you so much! I love the way I’ve read about the multiple story lines that create our lives and that if we limit ourselves to one story line we do our lives a disservice. I have a lot more to learn to be better at articulating this but for now this shall do. :)

  24. yeeweicheo

    Hi, my name is Yee Wei from Singapore. I am a counsellor with a suicide prevention agency that provides intervention and support for people who struggle with suicidal thoughts and people who were bereaved by suicide death. I would describe the narrative metaphor as a framework that views human experience and communication through the lens of storytelling. It is to understand that when people step into the counselling room, they all have a story they tell the counsellor and often themselves about who they are and how they make sense of what happens in their lives. Thinking about stories through the narrative metaphor can offer benefits for me to understand the client based on what they tell me, and whether the narratives can be further richen by exploring perspective that had not been adopted. Understanding that we have the power to share and reshape our own narrative is empowering and brings upon hope to create sense of agency to take control of their life story and make intentional choices to make a life worth living. Taking into consideration the population I work with, this will help to contribute to having new meanings or lessons that can broaden resilience to achieve personal growth and strengths. Doing so, I hope it helps to stimulate the client’s creativity to continue the process of enriching their own story even after the therapeutic relationship comes to an end – since life is a never ending unravelling of our life journey.

  25. Catherine

    Catherine from Canberra, Australia here. As a lifetime lover of literature, I find the narrative metaphor really powerful. It reminds us that we’re all meaning makers and often construct that meaning through stories – some conscious, some more subterranean. Helping people to build and reclaim subordinate stories to create a richer understanding of the lives is a strong motivator for me as a student counsellor, just starting to work with clients. The material has also been a very helpful reminder to ask myself regularly about the stories I tell myself about other people and their circumstance and to hold those very lightly, opening them up to question. Thanks for curating such a rich introductory segment.

  26. Martin

    Hi, I’m Martin from the UK. I’m an ex-English-Teacher about to set up a Writing Workshop business, but with an emphasis on using a ‘beginning, middle and end’ or ‘past, present and future’ structure to create a path towards attendees’ life purpose. It seems to me that Narrative Therapy, and the use of metaphor specifically, is an amazing way of helping people take stock of their own lives. By reflection on the past, and the deconstruction of ‘thin’ stories we have come to take as our ‘truth’, it is hugely liberating and empowering to see the events that have shaped us from a multi-storied perspective. To ReAuthor one’s story is to regain control of one’s life…to reclaim our power from those we have allowed to tell our story from their narrow…often prejudiced…perspective. Through metaphorical contemplation of one’s life trajectory, it seems to me that Narrative Therapy can bring about literal change, enabling and facilitating recipients to write their next chapter with confidence. I’m so glad I have found this groundbreaking yet simple concept, and can’t wait to incorporate its methods and ethos when working with my clients. Hugely grateful for this free course…but I suspect I shall be diving much deeper before too long!

  27. Sarah

    Hello I’m Sarah and I’m based in the beautiful county of Devon in the United Kingdom. As a business writer, I am familiar with the idea of storytelling, but I have not considered narratives in the context of psychotherapy or healing trauma. I have read extensively, though, on how our mental pictures can influence our behaviours, including many books on the brain and the powerful tool that is neuroplasticity. I did NLP training some 10 years ago and have just started to incorporate it as part of a training course I’ve designed for 16-18 year olds to help them get work/go forward in their careers. I believe strongly that confidence and resilience is as much a part of job search as the practical capabilities such as CVs and interview technique. I am finding the course fascinating, enjoying the Dot Exercise idea which I would like to articulate in my own material in due course.

  28. Valerie

    Hi, my name is Valerie and I’m in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I read “What Is Narrative Therapy?” by Alice Morgan about 20 years ago. At the time I was dealing with a lot of grief and loss. The narrative metaphor made innate sense to me immediately. Since then, I finished the requirements to become a clinical counselor and worked in mental health for over 10 years. As an older white woman, I am interested in understanding how white supremacy and racism came to exist in the USA, and recognizing the history and harm caused by whiteness. I took some time away from my work and wrote columns for my local newspaper about universal health care, disability rights, and how my community can rebuild after death of George Floyd. I believe that creativity, manifested through story, can bring some measure of healing.

    1. moonlotus11111

      This is my 1st time learning about all of this. I realized that in my healing journey, my one counselor used this. I am learning because my son is experiencing some mental health issues and I need to help him in any way possible, so if that means getting this certificate then so be it. I can’t take him to a see a professional because he leaves for the army July 2nd after he graduates high school. i have been teaching him some of the things i learned but i feel this is going to be very successful. i need to get him in tip top shape before he leaves me and teach him healthy ways to deal with any trauma that may happen.

  29. kathleen

    Kia ora koutou, my name is Kathleen and I work with whanau (families) within the community who are experiencing a multitude of challenges due to the effects of colinisation. I am also a 1st year counselling student. I really enjoyed Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Ted Talk and her experience of the single story. Being multicultured both Maori and European, I have many single narratives that have been influenced from society, especially media and education. The history I was taught in school has given me a perspective that has been shaped by the colonising system and this does affect the way in which I view the world. I am filled with curiosity to understand my own stories and to learn to really listen to others. To focus not on the problems and to see the skills, talents, strengths and attributes of myself and others.

  30. mara.bennett

    Hi everyone, I’m a social worker in Queensland, Australia. To me, the word “narrative” implies constructing a storyline with intention. It makes a lot of sense to use narrative as a metaphor, because our life really is a series of stories. Usually we are not aware that we have already unknowingly constructed a narrative with a plot, and therefore we might be confined to that story because we do not realize that it’s there, and hence that we have the power to adjust it. I find the power of narrative therapy is that it provides people with a safe space to explore their situation, intentionally interrogate their narrative, construct a new storyline with a different plot, and to redefine aspects of the story in ways that align more with their values, intentions, goals and aspirations. I am a counsellor and support people impacted by dementia, it is often very useful to apply a cultural historical lens to the ways in which we make sense of dementia, and to interrogate the ways in which mainstream discourses of dementia (i.e., fear-based representations) impact our ability to come to terms with it, cope with it, and find peace after the diagnosis. I hope to hone my skills in narrative practice through this online course.

  31. John Hankikns

    Greetings, my name is John, I’m writing from Colorado, USA. My background is in Restorative Justice and I think Narrative Therapy is a good next step in my training as I move into individual practice work. My goal is to work with older adults in helping them manage that stress that can arise at that point in one’s life. I believe that Narrative Therapy is a powerful tool in this area since these are individuals with stories that have been formed over many years and merit both respect and examination. I’m excited to learn more about Narrative Therapy through this course and other materials.

  32. laikwlkw

    Hi there! I am writing from Hong Kong and currently practise as an educational psychologist. Narrative therapy has been fascinating to me, particularly how it retells the story of humanity – full of complexity and richness.

    As an educational psychologist in Hong Kong, my major work is to administer intellectual assessment with children who are suspected to have learning difficulties. When I meet with their parents, I heard many stories from the parents about how their children mishaved and dissapointed them. I recognised these stories as ‘thin descriptions’ of their children, which definitely needed inputs from the psychologist (me) to enrich their imagination about their kids.

    While the above sharing might give us the impresson that the parents are ‘bad’ and ‘harsh’ about their kids, I heard, nevertheless, alternative stories that were not present in the parents’ consciousness. Hong Kong is a fast-paced society which emphasizes efficiency and performance over personal diverse talents and possibilities. As a result, parents face a great fear of missing out opportunities for higher social-economic positions, trimming out the ‘side’ stories of their children and leaving the negative impression when the kids do not perform well at school.

    I am glad to start this journey of narrative practice and joining you from the far side in Hong Kong, at the end of 2023. Wish you all a peaceful day and a fruitful year ahead!

  33. Anjali Bhatia

    Hello! I am Anjali from Dehradun, India. I have been practising as a therapist and educator for about 19 years now. Narrative Therapy has always attracted me, as I am a writer of fiction as well as a psychologist. So the narrative metaphor has made me re-think about the ways I frame stories. Would connecting the dots differently lead to alternative stories? And would the discovery of such “many stories” (in writing as well as in therapuetic work) lead to a particular catharsis for the reader and the client? This chapter set me reflecting.
    In my country at the moment, there is a lot of right-wing nationalism that is bent upon rewriting history books, renaming places to erase the historical significance of some periods (with the stated intent of reclaiming our ancient heritage from ‘invaders’) , and stereotyping through propaganda certain minority groups- – thereby creating a ‘thin narrative’ of a nation’s evolution. I have felt helpless in the face of such a matrix of mistrust. Though I am not a religious minority in my country, I can empathise with the suffering of those whose narrative has been re-written as ‘trespassers’ in their own country. I feel that narrative practice can help me to be that small but brave voice reminding people of their many stories and their layers of identity. I hope that this will also help me to overcome some recent stories of grief in my own life, but discovering new narratives hidden within the dominant one of defeat.

  34. teresa.urquhart

    Hi, I’m Teresa – Reg Psychologist from NZ. I think the premise of narrative therapy is to focus on, and question, the stories that people tell about themselves and their lives, as these are often a very narrow description/interpretation and can sometimes be problematic. Furthermore, the stories that are told are consequential and influence future thoughts, feelings, actions and experiences. Narrative therapy helps people find alternative stories through which other information (evidence) can be sought and made explicit, thereby reducing the ‘power’ or influence of the single story.

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