Michael White and David Epston developed this therapy type in the 1980s. They thought that an individual should see themselves as making a mistake rather than as bad, per se. The individual is respectful of the self and does not point blame or judgment inward. A good narrative helps a person process and clarify what they experience. In a paper that appeared in The Sage Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychology, this modality can be useful for individuals.
There are core aspects of narrative therapy:
- The deconstruction of problematic and dominant storylines or narratives
- Breaking the narrative into smaller and more manageable chunks
- Rewriting the script of the problematic and dominant storylines
- Broadening your view and moving toward healthier storylines (this is also called the unique outcomes technique, which may help us better understand our experiences and emotions)
- What is true for one person may not be true for another person
- Externalizing the problem because you are not your problem
- A healthy narrative will also help us make meaning and see purpose