Narrative counselling is a collaborative, non-pathologising approach that helps clients externalise problems, uncover hidden strengths, and re-author their life stories with dignity and agency.
Introduction
Have you ever found yourself telling a story about your life that feels more like a problem description than a portrait of your strengths? Narrative counselling offers a fresh lens for understanding yourself. Rather than viewing difficulties as internal shortcomings, this approach treats problems as external entities, enabling you to step back, examine their influence, and reclaim control. Developed in the 1980s by Michael White and David Epston, narrative counselling has since empowered individuals, families, and communities worldwide to reshape their identities through storytelling.
Many people arrive at counselling feeling stuck in a single narrative—one dominated by shame, guilt, or despair. Narrative counselling acknowledges these narratives but invites clients to explore alternative threads that reflect their values, hopes, and resistances. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll define narrative counselling, trace its origins, unpack its core practices, and illustrate how it can help you re-author your life story with clarity and confidence.
What Is Narrative Counselling? The Professional Definition
Narrative counselling is a collaborative, non-blaming form of counselling that views people as separate from their problems. It centres on the stories individuals construct about their lives, recognizing that these narratives are shaped by social, cultural, and relational influences. Through conversations that externalise problems and highlight acts of resistance, clients are guided to re-author preferred narratives aligned with their values and aspirations.
Key Characteristics:
- Person-first language: “the problem is the problem,” not “the person is the problem.”
- Non-pathologising stance: focuses on abilities and resilience rather than diagnoses.
- Collaborative dialogue: counsellor and client co-create meaning through open-ended questions.
- Social context awareness: examines how cultural discourses and relationships shape personal stories.
- Emphasis on agency: uncovers clients’ existing strengths and acts of resistance.
Understanding Narrative Counselling: How It Developed
Origins and Foundations
Narrative counselling emerged in the early 1980s through the work of Australian social worker Michael White—co-director of the Dulwich Centre—and his collaborator David Epston. Drawing on post-structuralism and systems theory, they proposed that individuals’ identities are constructed through stories influenced by societal discourses. By separating clients from their problems, narrative counselling aimed to restore agency and open possibilities for change.
Theoretical Influences
- Social Constructivism: Realities are co-created through language and social interaction.
- Post-Structuralism: Challenges fixed meanings and highlights how power shapes narratives.
- Systems Theory: Considers individuals within their broader relational and community contexts.
Core Practices in Narrative Counselling
1. Identifying the Dominant Story
Clients describe their “problem-saturated” narratives—stories dominated by challenges that limit their sense of identity.
2. Externalising the Problem
By naming the problem (e.g., “anxiety” as a visitor rather than an inherent trait), clients reduce self-blame and open space for action.
3. Mapping the Problem’s Influence
Exploring how the problem affects relationships, choices, and self-perception brings awareness and motivation for change.
4. Uncovering Acts of Resistance
Clients recall moments, however small, when they resisted the problem. These acts of resistance become the seeds of new, empowering stories.
5. Re-Authoring the Narrative
Building a preferred storyline grounded in clients’ values, hopes, and strengths, without denying the existence of challenges.
6. Thickening Alternative Stories
Gathering rich descriptions—memories, achievements, supportive relationships—to reinforce the preferred narrative.
7. Remembering and Witnessing
Reconnecting clients with supportive communities and significant others who affirm their new stories, and filtering out unsupportive influences.
What to Expect in a Narrative Counselling Session
A narrative counselling session is a respectful conversation rather than a clinical interrogation. You can expect:
- Open-Ended Questions: Invitations to explore your stories in depth.
- Collaborative Stance: You and your counsellor partner to co-construct meaning.
- Creative Practices: Optional activities like letter writing, metaphors, or timelines.
- Safe, Non-Judgmental Space: Emphasis on dignity, curiosity, and respect.
Common Myths About Narrative Counselling Debunked
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| Narrative counselling is just “talking” | It employs structured practices—externalising, mapping, re-authoring—that foster concrete change. |
| It denies the problem exists | It acknowledges challenges but reduces their power by reframing them as external influences. |
| It’s only for those with “deep” issues | Applicable to a wide range of concerns—from everyday stress to trauma—because everyone has stories. |
| It’s unstructured and chaotic | While conversations flow organically, practitioners use clear maps of narrative practice to guide work. |
Resources and Support
- National Organisations:
- Recommended Readings:
- Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends by White & Epston
- Maps of Narrative Practice by Michael White
- Reauthoring Lives by Michael White & David Epston
- Online Communities:
- Peer-moderated forums at NarrativeApproaches.com
- Local narrative counselling training workshops