Narrative Couples Therapy Essay

Key Concepts and Interventions of Narrative Couples Therapy
Narrative Interventions Narrative couples therapy is an experiential process in which couples relive, make sense of and give new meaning to their experiences (Freedman & Combs, 2008). Narrative therapy helps couples to develop awareness of problematic talk and provide couples the chance to report and assess the effects of those problematic discourses on their relationship (Freedman & Combs, 2008). According to Anderson (1997) our experiences shape our stories. We are shaped by several things in our lives, and therefore have different and many stories to share. Narrative therapy model sets out to separate the couple from the problem; this is done through deconstruction, externalizations, identifying unique outcomes, therapeutic questioning and wiring therapeutic letters. Other interventions techniques involve naming the problem and the project, developing a history of the present and extending the story into the future, and telling/witnessing. Externalizing is perhaps the most important intervention because the problem is separated from the couple; the couple can see that they are not the problem rather the problem …show more content…
The role of the therapist is to facilitate a co-research project and keep the focus on a direction where the couple can find an alternative direction (Freedman & Combs, 2008). The therapist wants the couple to make meaning of their own experiences. According to Anderson (1997) taking a not-knowing stance is an important element in forming a collaborative narrative relationship because knowing can decrease the ability to see things in other perspectives and increase the chances of missing vital information. I am more comfortable taking an expert stance and hypothesizing possible problematic patterns that are occurring within the couple thus helping me to come up with a therapeutic plan to better help