Narrative Family Therapy

Narrative family therapy, developed by Michael White and David Epston, is likely the most visible result of the convergence of postmodern thought and the evolving counseling profession during the latter part of the 20th century. This form of counseling adheres to the social-constructionist view of reality— that is, that each person in a family system constructs reality through the use of self-defined narratives in social exchanges with others. This theory maintains that language is not merely used to transmit one’s reality but that language forms one’s reality as influenced by the values of those in positions of power and privilege, which sway the formation of language. These cultural influences in effect establish norms that individuals internalize and compare themselves against as they construct stories of ...