The Role of Narrative Therapy in Family Healing
Developed by Michael White and David Epston (1990), Narrative Therapy is a powerful therapeutic approach that helps clients reshape their personal and family stories. Instead of viewing problems as inherent to individuals, Narrative Therapy sees issues as separate from the person, allowing families to rewrite negative narratives that shape their identities.
This article explores how therapists can use Narrative Therapy to help families break free from limiting beliefs, reshape their family history, and create new possibilities for healing.
Core Principles of Narrative Therapy
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The Problem is the Problem – Not the Person
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Families often define themselves by problems (e.g., “We are dysfunctional,” “I am a failure as a parent”).
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Narrative Therapy externalises these issues, separating identity from struggle.
Therapeutic Approach: Use externalisation techniques to shift from “I am anxious” to “Anxiety is something I experience, but it does not define me.”
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Reauthoring Family Narratives
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Many families operate under fixed, inherited narratives (e.g., “We’ve always been bad at communication”).
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Therapy helps clients rewrite their stories, empowering them to change relational patterns.
Therapeutic Approach: Ask meaning-reframing questions like:
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“If your family story were a book, how would you want the next chapter to unfold?”
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Thickening the Preferred Narrative
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Families often focus on failure, dysfunction, or trauma, reinforcing a single negative perspective.
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Therapists help expand positive aspects of their identity, strengthening alternative narratives.
Therapeutic Approach: Use narrative journaling and letter-writing exercises to solidify new identity stories.
Narrative Therapy empowers families to reshape their own stories, fostering resilience and healing. At Williams Road Family Therapy Learning, we provide specialised training on narrative therapy techniques for family therapists.
