MFT Exam - Narrative Family therapy

Narrative Family Therapy, developed by Michael White and David Epston, is a postmodern approach that views reality as socially constructed rather than absolute. Clients are seen as experts of their own lives, and problems are understood as separate from the person (externalization). People often become trapped in problem-saturated stories, believing negative self-narratives that limit their perspective. Therapy aims to deconstruct these stories and identify unique outcomes—times when the problem does not dominate. Through collaborative dialogue, the therapist helps clients re-author their preferred narrative, emphasizing strengths and agency. Techniques include externalizing questions, mapping the influence of the problem and person, and using therapeutic letters or certificates to reinforce change. The self is viewed as fluid, continually shaped by experiences and language, and therapy continues as long as it supports the client’s evolving, more empowering story.

Narrative Family Therapy:
In Narrative Therapy, after clients had discharged the therapist would welcome them back to serve as consultants on current cases. This would reinforce their growth and maintain the collaborative stance of the therapist.

Narrative Family Therapy:
After the problem-saturated story has been deconstructed, clients reflect upon what sort of preferred narrative they may wish to construct moving forward.

Narrative Family Therapy: Assists the client in externalizing the problem through mapping the influence of the problem and mapping the influence of the person.

Narrative Family Therapy:
This describes the primary tool people use to make sense of their lived experiences—that is, story and narrative as a metaphor.

Narrative Family Therapy:
When clients identify with a narrative that emphasizes a metaphoric problem throughout time, thereby influencing their perception of the past as well as their experience of the present and future. These are traditionally externally influenced and repress the subjugated story more congruent with the authentic reality of the individual.

Narrative Family Therapy: This process entails exploring the role that the problem has had on the individual’s life.

Narrative Family Therapy:
The manner in which the therapist checks in with the client to ensure that the discourse of therapy is congruent with the client’s actual desires and hopes.

Narrative Family Therapy:
The more positive, authentic, and congruent attributes of an individual that are vulnerably to suppression through a problem-saturated or dominant cultural discourse. The subjugated story typically entails times in which the problem did not have power over the individual, or times that the individual was able to take control of the problem.

Narrative Family Therapy:
Once there is a clear understanding of the preferred narrative, these questions serve to explore the meanings within the preferred narrative. For instance, how does the client’s preferred narrative of spending more quality time with family reflect upon them as a person.

Narrative Family Therapy: This process entails exploring the role that the person has had on the life of the problem.

Narrative Family Therapy:
After clients discharge, Narrative Therapists will present them with a Therapeutic Certificate for them to keep, honoring the effort and growth of their engagement in therapy.

Narrative Family Therapy: Questions that explore specific situations and efforts that are congruent with the preferred narrative.

Narrative Family Therapy:
A process that separates the problem from the person, often personifying the problem into its own external entity. The manner in which the problem becomes externalized is based upon the client’s use of language and expressed lived reality.

Narrative Family Therapy:
After clients would discharge, a Narrative Therapist may write them a therapeutic letter that reflects upon the nature of their work and the growth they achieved, helping to maintain the growth into the future.

Narrative Family Therapy:
These are types of questions aimed at exploring times when the problem did not have control over the individual’s or family’s life.

Narrative Family Therapy:
After clients would discharge, a Narrative Therapist may write them a therapeutic letter that reflects upon the nature of their work and the growth they achieved, helping to maintain the growth into the future.

Narrative Family Therapy:
These questions help individuals to unravel their stories and see them from different perspectives, creating an opportunity for them to decide whether or not they choose to continue identifying with it.

Narrative Family Therapy:
Questions oriented toward helping the client to externalize the problem, thereby separating from them in an effort to feel less powerless. These questions usually entails shifting the use of language from identifying the problem as an adjective (i.e. feeling depressed) to a noun (i.e. recognizing the presence of depression).

Narrative Family Therapy:
The concept that the self is fluid, constantly constructed and deconstructed through interaction with others and the environment.

Narrative Family Therapy:
In Narrative Therapy, the therapist may write case notes collaboratively with the client toward the end of each session to ensure that he or she was correctly capturing the essence of the client’s experience of the session.