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Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy is a collaborative, non-pathologizing therapeutic approach that empowers individuals to view themselves as separate from their problems. It emphasizes that people are the authors of their own lives, and that their identity is shaped by multiple narratives—some helpful, some limiting. Through practices such as externalization (seeing the problem outside oneself), re-authoring (creating alternative, more empowering narratives), and exploring unique outcomes (moments that contradict problem-saturated stories), narrative therapy supports clients in reclaiming agency and fostering change. Developed by Michael White and David Epston in the 1980s, this approach also recognizes the influence of social, cultural, and political contexts on individual stories.
Reference
Guy-Evans, O. (2025, July 21). Narrative therapy: Definition, techniques & interventions. Simply Psychology.
—A recent, accessible overview covering core aims, techniques like externalization and deconstruction, and the approach’s empowering nature. Simply Psychology
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. W. W. Norton & Company.
—The foundational text by the creators of narrative therapy, detailing its key practices and theoretical underpinnings.Wikipedia
White, M. (2007). Maps of Narrative Practice. W. W. Norton & Company.
—Introduces therapeutic tools including re-authoring conversations, externalizing maps, and defining outsider-witness practices.Wikipedia.