1. 1 Narrative Couples Therapy Rachelle Bodelle, Claudia Chandler & Ann Rho

2. 2 There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. Maya Angelou 3. Origins/Background 3 Developed during the 1990s, largely by Australian Michael White and his friend and colleague, David Epston. Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. Michael Foucault: Poststructuralism 4. Healthy/Dysfunctional Couple Relationships 4 Do not use terms like, healthy, well-functioning, pathological and dysfunctional 2-Dimentional normative scales dont work Work to develop awareness of problematic discourses 5. Theory of Change 5 Narrative Coupes Therapy Change Experiential Meaning Making New Stories Experiential: based on experience and observation, the here and now. Reclaim, relieve and make meaning of old stories Add new substance and new possibilities in clients lives 3 Factors 6. Structure of Therapy 6 Time Length Flexibility Usually 60 minutes, although sessions can last longer if agreed upon by all parties and it would be beneficial. Length of treatment can last from one session to several years depending on a variety of factors. Therapist should negotiate the time of each meeting as therapy progresses to keep it experiential. 7. Role of Therapist 7 Active facilitators Care, interest, curiosity, openness Not-knowing stance Main task is to help clients construct a story line Client as expert when it comes to what he wants in life Collaboration 8. Assessment and Treatment Planning Generating Experience vs. Gathering Information Evaluate their current situation Name the problems involved Take a stand in regard to them Evaluate the usefulness of the alternative stories Evaluate their relationship to those problems Tell more satisfying stories of their relationship 9. Typical Interventions 9 Deconstructive Listening Deconstructive Questioning Externalizing Conversations Naming the Problem and the Project Unique Outcomes The Absent but Implicit 10. Typical Interventions 10 Developing Stories from Unique Outcomes Time: Developing a History of the Present and Extending the Story into the Future Telling and Witnessing Relational Identity Outsider Witness Groups Continued 11. Mechanisms of Change 11 The telling, retelling, witnessing and living out of multistoried lives. As peoples narratives change, what they do and perceive change as well. The therapist facilitates this process by asking questions to highlight unstoried events and encourage meaning making then tie the meaning to memorable actions and contexts. 12. Cultural and Gender Factors Ideal for marginalized populations, approaches focus on how the clients problems relate to the broader socio-political context The local discourse focus of Narrative therapy ensures that the clients cultural values and beliefs are central to the therapy process Narrative Therapy has international roots and is practiced in numerous countries around the world 12 13. 13 Video from Victoria Dickerson Narrative Couples Therapy 14. 14 15. References Dickerson, V. (2012, December 9. Narrative work with couples. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv8ez3bdYEw Gurman, A.S. (2008). Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy (4th Ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Gehart, D. (2014). Mastering Competencies in Family Therapy: A Practical Approach to Theories and Clinical Case Documentation (2nd Ed.) Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole 15