Storytelling in Counselling: Narrative Therapy and its Applications

This essay delves into the application of storytelling as a therapeutic technique, primarily focusing on narrative therapy and its comparison with the humanistic approach. It begins by defining storytelling and its cultural significance, highlighting narrative therapy's origins with David Epston and Michael White and its emphasis on re-authoring client's stories. The essay contrasts this with motivational interviewing, noting the differences in therapist involvement and client self-actualization. It further examines the challenge posed by scientific theories, particularly the humanistic theory, which focuses on present experiences and self-actualization, while also acknowledging its limitations such as potential client confusion and ethnocentric bias. The conclusion reinforces the enduring value of storytelling in therapy, its role in shaping identity and cultural beliefs, and the importance of distinguishing between positive and negative narratives for effective therapeutic outcomes.

STORY TELLING
STUDENT’S NAME
UNIVERSITY
COURSE
DATE

Story-Telling
as a Counselling Form

INTRODUCTION
• A story is an account of an event or happening either imaginary or real.
• Through stories we are able to distinguish between two or more cultures.
• Through stories we are able to communicate with one another about meaning of events,
experiences and occurrences (Douglas et al., 2016).
• The stories can be transmitted through word of mouth or through written form
• The ability to tell stories start as soon as a baby learns a language.

 Narrative therapy was derived back in the 1980s by two gentlemen namely:
 David Epston and Michael White who were from New Zealand.
 Narrative therapy also goes by other names such as:
 re-storing and re-authoring as anew story is made up from the narrated story
by the client.

• This is an important life story of a person and the therapeutic value to the story maker
and storyteller.
• It started as a way community work and counseling but now it is widely spread in
almost all types of counseling.
• Problems are solved by allowing the client to narrate the event or life experience and its
from this stories that he\she is helped to re-author their beliefs and values replacing
negatives ones with positive ones (McDougall, 2015).
Narrative therapy

 According to the narrative approach we conclude the following :
• Its all about the beliefs
• The approach assumes that people’s lives\existence are all about stories
• Each culture has its own beliefs and values and that’s what makes up our unique practice.
• Counselling through story telling is an ancient activity that was used to offer therapy to
people who had different disorders\troubles.
• Counselors act as co-authors with their clients in the narrative.
• They help create a better story and identity about themselves.

 There are many theoretical approaches that have been developed and used in
counselling sessions e.g. motivational interviewing .
• This method aims to changing the mind of the client where as the therapist is expected
to show empathy and warmth.
• There are some characteristics that the counselor is required to portray :
• Reflective listening
• Open questions
• Affirmations
• Summary

• Reflective listening helps show genuine concern to the client and enable understand the
message thus enabling the counselor to be in apposition to help the client in the best
possible way.
• This way the counselor is able to draw a difference between client’s behavior and the
value they hold.

 In this approach the therapist is expected to allow the client to have his way: that is to
allow the client express resistance as it is their way of voicing their doubt.
 The therapist should support self-efficacy by making the client believe and see that
change is possible (Thibaut, 2017).
 The therapist should also emphasize on positive change.

 This theory builds on the optimistic theory that believes that people should change
through their capacity to exercise free choice.
 The role of the therapist is to offer direction and should e able to invoke self-motivation
from the client

 There is a major difference between the motivational interviewing and the story telling.
 In story telling the therapist does a lot of talking while in the motivational interviewing
he listens a lot.
 Narratives are usually based on other people’s encouraging stories that are meant to
motivate the client into getting out of some traps in the motivative interviewing
however it is all about self- actualization (Piaget, 2015).
 With the emergence of scientific theories today narratives are now diminishing or the
value that was associated with the narrative or narrative therapy.

 Scientific theories
• This theories seek to prove by measuring the authenticity of the narratives.
• They usually explain the human behavior and one of such theories is:
• The humanistic theory
This theory believes that peoples problems are not caused by the event of life but how
they experience the events.
It majors on the clients positive behavior and ability to use these traits you find
wisdom, growth, and healing.
It involves exploring the feelings of a person at a particular time instead of recounting
past events that led to the present problem (Sternberg, 2016).