The Narrative Metaphor
In this chapter we examine how stories are an important frame through which we make meaning of our lives. In each reading and video provided we invite you to be on the lookout for the multi-stories of people’s lives rather than a single story.
Photo: Shaun Tan: Eric (with permission)
This dot exercise from Jill Freedman and Gene Combs was animated by Will Sherwin to help you visualise the Narrative Therapy concept of ‘multi-storied lives’.
For more from Jill and Gene you can go to narrativetherapychicago.com.
For more from Will Sherwin and Bay Area Narrative Therapy Resource, trainings and radio shows you can go to sfbantr.org.
Novelist Chimamanda Adichie warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding. In ‘The Danger of a Single Story’ she speaks about how our lives and our cultures are composed of many overlapping stories.
We have included here an extract from Alice Morgan’s influential and highly popular text in which she provides a brief introduction to the narrative metaphor
What is Narrative Therapy – An Easy to Read Introduction | Alice Morgan
In this short extract Michael White’s speaks about the possibilities that the narrative metaphor opened up in his therapeutic work, what attracted him to the narrative metaphor and offers an example of how the narrative metaphor shapes therapeutic conversations.
The narrative metaphor in family therapy | an interview with Michael White
What is the narrative of our lives – and can we influence the way our story is told? Michael White and Barbara Brooks, a memoir writer, join producer Gretchen Miller in conversation on ABC Radio National and online. Michael and Barbara joined Gretchen Miller to talk about the grand narratives of our lives and how much influence we have over the way our story unfolds
This (draft) Charter proposes a framework for considering storytelling rights. We hope it will spark discussions about the rights of people who have experienced trauma/social suffering in relation to how their stories are told and received.
Narrative Therapy (Draft) Charter of Story-Telling Rights by David Denborough
Article 1 Everyone has the right to define their experiences and problems in their own words and terms.
Article 2 Everyone has the right for their life to be understood in the context of what they have been through and in the context of their relationships with others.
Article 3 Everyone has the right to invite others who are important to them to be involved in the process of reclaiming their life from the effects of trauma.
Article 4 Everyone has the right to be free from having problems caused by trauma and injustice located inside them, internally, as if there is some deficit in them. The person is not the problem, the problem is the problem.
Article 5 Everyone has the right for their responses to trauma to be acknowledged. No one is a passive recipient of trauma. People always respond. People always protest injustice.
Article 6 Everyone has the right to have their skills and knowledges of survival respected, honoured and acknowledged.
Article 7 Everyone has the right to know and experience that what they have learnt through hardship can make a contribution to others in similar situations.
Photo: Shaun Tan: Eric
For Reflection
How would you describe the narrative metaphor?
What might thinking about stories in this way make possible for you?
Please now share your thoughts & reflections below and then continue to the next chapter! Please include where you are writing from (City and Country). Thanks!
Tiffani
June 2, 2023I would describe the narrative metaphor as the all-encompassing collection of the complexities of what it is to be human. None of us are one “thing”, which our culture often tries to push. Our identity is build from layers of experiences from our ancestors to our own births and lives which continuously mold what our futures look like. To step in as a helper in empowering someone to take control over their own narrative, to believe that problems are outside of the core of who they are and do not define who they are, is a blessing! Thinking about stories in this way make possible for me to be a more empathetic therapist, friend, mother, and human walking on this planet. It changes the lens from which I view others.
Thank you for this free course, I can’t wait to learn more and incorporate this into my practice.
Claire Nulsen
May 31, 2023Greetings from Cork, Ireland; I am originally from Perth in Western Australia but current living in Ireland; I’m a Clinical Psychologist and I work with children and parents.
The narrative metaphor provides a lovely structure for thickening the context of behaviour; this is particularly relevant to my work where caregivers may perceive a child using a relatively thin narrative, however the narrative metaphor provides a process to listen/acknowledge the thin narrative, and then work to explore behaviours inconsistent with the thin narrative to provide a much richer thicker understanding of the behaviour.
Using stories with direct child work provides a lovely structure to enable externalising the child’s behaviour from the child themselves – consistent with Article 4 the goal of therapy initially is to support the child and their caregivers to shift away from seeing the child as the problem, and toward seeing the problem as the problem. Children are typically familiar with, and exposed to, stories regularly, enabling them to engage in this process; children with limited verbal skills also benefit from hearing their story verbalised and put in to words.
Thank you!
gribble.cindy
May 29, 2023Greetings from Mossel Bay, South Africa.
Thank you to the Dulwich Centre for this course. As a counsellor, I have mostly used an integrative approach, but have recently incorporated narrative practices in sessions more frequently. I find storytelling and metaphors in especially palliative care and bereavement counselling truly helpful. It allows the bereaved to alter their reality of imminent loss/death to a celebration of their loved ones’ legacy. By telling stories of the departed’s impact, their characteristics, their favourite meals, sayings, etc.; enables the mourner to “carry the relationship forward”.
Lisa Michaels
May 26, 2023Hello from Sonoma County! I am a writer and writing coach, working with students in their late teens and early 20s. I have noticed a powerful shift in my students as they craft a short personal essay to submit to colleges and scholarship applications. I am interested in narrative therapy as a way to deepen my skills as a coach and mentor to young people. I was delighted to find this course, and the wealth of information here on the Dulwich Centre site.
How would you describe the narrative metaphor?
As I understand it, the metaphor opens up a new way to think about the power of storytelling in the life of a person seeking self-knowledge and self-understanding. The stories we tell about ourselves shape our sense of self. A coach, guide or therapist can help elicit stories that run parallel with but also counter to the “problem-oriented” stories we often tell ourselves.
What might thinking about stories in this way make possible for you?
I am going to listen more closely to my students’ narratives to listen for the undercurrents and alternative stories that can inform a more wide-lensed sense of themselves.
Nancy C.
May 25, 2023Hello from London, England. Thank you to the Dulwich Centre for making this course available online. I was introduced to the Narrative Therapy Metaphor by a friend who works as a psychologist in schools.
From going through the lessons so far and watching the videos I recognise how closely linked narrative therapy is aligned with art therapy, or ‘Story Art’ which is my focus within counselling. I would describe the narrative metaphor as delving beyond the surface of the thin story, to tap into unacknowledged threads that are waiting to be explored and recognised. In this way, individuals and communities can heal and also address the injustices that they have experienced.
Since starting the course I found it has helped me to listen with renewed curiosity, from a different perspective. I have learned that in the Narrative Metaphor, there is not just one single narrative line. There are many paths and we are all multi-storied which enables the person seeking therapy the power to navigate their journey with a renewed outlook to re-author and focus on the preferred stories for their lives.
Elsie
May 21, 2023Hello
In The way I am understating it right now, the narrative metaphor is a way of understanding situations, and lives, as rich and complex webs of stories. This approach allows a curiosity, intention and expansiveness when inquiring into one’s own life or someone else’s. It encourages enquiry into what stories hold dominance because of certain events or sequences being privileged and told. Further expansion is encouraged by narrative practice to explore what missing stories might be illuminated in order to re-frame hat dominant story. Making space for, and listening to alternative stories allows for a deeper recognition or the complexity and richness of life. The narrative metaphor sees life as made up of multiple stories, which can be used intentionally to re-author the stories we tell ourselves and others.
I am already amazed at the simplicity and complexity of narrative therapy. Thinking about stories in this way makes relating to myself and others more of a curious, gentle, yet intentional practice. I think about how important it is to be present and attentive when listening to stories. To acknowledge the parts that are forming this dominant plot. To understand the affects of this dominant story. And then to enquire curiously and compassionately about other possible alternative stories that could affect the outcome narrative.
I work in community development and think this work is particularly relevant when multiple storyline’s collide. Yet I also think the narrative metaphor is an extremely useful tool in my personal day to day life.
Writing from Bundjalung country. Burringbah Australia.
rmgarland
May 17, 2023Hello from Hamilton, Victoria Australia. Thank you very much to the Dulwich Centre for making this material freely available. I’ve been counselling for a few years, and have had a very general idea about Narrative Therapy. However, within this one lesson I feel like a vista has been opened to me. My language and conversation has changed, and I find I’m listening during therapy sessions for more stories in my clients’ lives, behind the story that is dominating their lives at this time. I’ve also noticed a spill-over effect in my family life, as I use different language, and tackle conflicts differently.
Zac
May 17, 2023Hello from Newcastle, Australia. I thought I was new to the therapy approach but the more i learn the more I see I have been engaging in this style intrinsically for a long time. The narrative metaphor is a powerful tool to help the client understand that they are more than the story they have been telling themselves or that others have been telling them. I find it useful with male client’s presenting with anger and aggression. We can discuss the dominant narratives of ‘fighting solves my problems’ and ‘you’re a wimp if you walk away’. It is a very non-threatening way to introduce this concept as it moves the ‘blame’ from the person to the context. I took a lot away from Chimamanda Adichie’s TEDTalk. It is a powerful way to force you to think more broadly about not just the narrative of the individual but also their broader societal and cultural contexts. Doing work with couples and families, I see relationships her into systems theory.
birdyels
May 16, 2023Hello from South Carolina in the U.S. I am just entering my journey with Narrative Therapy through my MFT Graduate Program at Converse University. I so love this approach to therapy and life. It’s empowering to take ownership of our own narratives and how we can edit them as we interact with our lives. I think too, about how much our personal stories will change as our clients work through their own storylines. This model allows us to be witnesses for our clients, which I think is especially beneficial when working with deep grief and trauma. Especially grateful for this resource and look forward to further growth and connection.
Judith T
May 15, 2023Hello everyone,
I’m writing from Sydney, Australia, on country of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
I found these resources very interesting. I am just at the start of learning about Narrative therapy. I came in with some assumptions – primarily that this would be very different to what I’ve learned about in the past. However, from the resources in this chapter, I can see many connections with other therapy modalities. For example, when Alice Morgan mentioned the importance of being curious, and asking questions for which you genuinely do not know the answer, I immediately thought of Christine Padesky’s description of good socratic questioning being driven by curiosity that guides genuine discovery for the client and therapist.
Seeing the dot analogy, and hearing Michael White discuss the difference between understandings of “Me” and “Myself” also resonated with what I know of Internal Family Systems, such that there are some parts of ourselves that we deny, as the do not fit with what we deem good or right, while we accept and promote other parts of ourselves that fit with our (and our culture’s) definition of good.
I’m hoping that my growing understanding of Narrative Therapy can inform my broader embodied knowledge of those common factors that can help clients across modalities.
Dawn
May 14, 2023Hello from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I wish to thank the Dulwich Centre for providing these services to help me become a compassionate and competent counsellor. I believe that narrative metaphors are useful in capturing the main themes and patterns associated with a problem and how they can be used to effectively communicate meanings ascribed to an issue. I also perceive that narrative metaphors can facilitate alternate stories about a problem by externalizing it and its effects from the person. This will help to create new identities, or identities that may have been otherwise repressed to address the problem from different perspectives. This process of deconstruction will enable the person/client to free themselves from the problem and give new meanings to their experiences with the problem at hand. I can envision great possibilities in my future practice using narrative approaches and techniques to provide dignity, respect, and unconditional positive regard to my clients, while enabling them to self-actualize their potential as a multifaceted human being.
Thank you for this opportunity to share my reflections with you all!
Good Afternoon from Yakima, Washington, United States of America. I am excited to dive deeper into the materials presented here and learn more from the great wealth of knowledge. I have served as a minister for multiple years, and now serve in social work as a Career Instructor. I have seen first hand how stories greatly impact the lives of those around us. In one context, someone can be a monster and a villain. In a different context, that same villain can be a hero and advocate for justice. Stories shape our lives and give us language to communicate with others.
From my brief interaction with Narrative Metaphor, I see that there is great power in both the expression of the story as well as the ability to play with the meanings – to see from different perspectives the diamond we hold dearly.
For personal application, I see great need for being able to listen to people’s stories and help them process the pain and strife they have gone through coming out of COVID-19 and the world gone crazy. Being very interested in generational theory, I also am a strong advocate of learning the needs of those around me. For Gen Z, I see a deep need for discovering identity and I see power in sharing one’s story to uncover that. I see power for healing in many realms through the ability to listen to and pull from stories – racial privilege, gender questions, politics, religion, and even as we move into the realms of technology. So much is connected by our community stories that we oftentimes don’t even think to pause and reflect on our origins.
I look forward to more teachings.
Stella
May 9, 2023Hello! I’m from Brisbane and work in out-of-home-care. I’m doing a refresher in Narrative Therapy as we work in an area in which we hear stories of traumatic experiences regularly. The Narrative Metaphor is a reminder to be curious about the different stories that are told of and by the young people and families we work with and to look for the threads of differing stories, exceptions to the dominant problem saturated story and instances of overcoming obstacles.
ejemail44
May 5, 2023Hi everyone, my name is Emily and I’m writing from Meanjin (Brisbane) land of the Jagera and Turrbal people. As a person in recovery from addiction, the power of narrative metaphor and narrative practice is such a healing, empowering one.
I have a BA in sociology and I’m currently studying Cert 4 in Peer Work. I really enjoy engaging with a therapeutic modality that loudly proclaims the person as the expert as their own lives. I was privileged to work as a sexual assault counsellor for a couple of years and I saw the positive impact of incorporating narrative values into our work with survivors and I saw the narrative metaphor assist in re-authoring and repairing ‘self-narratives’ by locating blame for the problem externally and allowing greater awareness of social and structural contexts of our lives – particularly around gender, race, class, sexuality and ability.
Aside from allowing for creativity, play and joy in our healing work and spaces, the greatest potential I see for this practice is allowing hope to flourish – finding, enquiring and enriching our stories can change the outlook and vision for someone – especially when we’ve come to internalise labels or view ourselves through the deficit lense that is so often promoted within fields of psychiatry and clinical mental health.
Nancy Bell
May 2, 2023Hello Everyone,
My name is Nancy and I live in the beautiful river city of Brisbane, Australia. I am a social worker and my work has been predominantly with older people.
The Narrative Metaphor from my very beginning perspective seems to offer a thematic framework, a lens through which the practitioner and the client might view and review individual stories; carefully and gently challenging conclusive dialogues; affirming what is, and offering hope for change through the realisation of alternative discourses. I love the Dot Exercise from Jill Freedman and Gene Combs. A wonderful visualisation to describe storytelling.
In my work with older people, strong themes of grief and loss are often present in many forms and I’m hoping that I might be able to develop a more diverse and holistic approach, using stories creatively.
Thank you so much for offering this introductory online course. I am loving it! Nancy.
Janelle P
April 28, 2023Hey everyone, I’m a healthcare social worker based in Naarm (Melbourne) Australia, on the lands of the Wurundjeri people. Huge thanks to Dulwich centre for making this course free and accessible for all.
In reflection, to me the narrative metaphor is a way of approaching clients stories with respect and an open mind. I love the idea of broadening the narrow lens that we tend to put on when looking at ourselves and others, it reminds me of the openness of mindfulness, of curiously becoming aware of all that is present rather than honing in on the one focus or one story. I can see that thinking about stories in a clients (or my own) life in this way could help with rumination and worry, feelings of despair or of being ‘stuck’ and also challenging the internalization of problems that are systemic. The model could also be flexibly adapted to micro, meso or macro levels of practice.
Finally, I also love the creativity and collaboration in this model, this is something that differs from some other therapeutic models that are more didactic. One quote from the podcast – ‘creativity and play are subversive’ – really stood out to me as I think it reflects the power in creatively subverting dominant storylines on a community, familial and personal level, just Chimamanda Adichie talks about in their Ted talk. It makes my social work heart sing!
Hello from Bonnie Scotland!! Many thanks to the centre for this course. I work for a Scottish charity PAMIS(promoting a more inclusive society). Working in partnership with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their families I find the charter of storytelling rights opens so many doors for the people I work with and is the framework for a lot of our story work. The description of the narrative metaphor for me is a narrative of hope. It is a way of remembering that someone is more that just a single story, and that in any one story there are layers of even more stories. A single story does not define a person but it also reminds me that a mothers story is not her child’s story, even though that child does not have a voice and is non verbal, and very much relies on the mother to tell their story and be their voice, their individual stories are unique to them. My favourite metaphor for exploring someone’s story is the river. I work with a model called the KAWA model. Kawa is Japanese for river and is an Occupational Therapy model developed by Michael Iwama. This model helps identify the barriers and influencers in a persons life using the metaphor of the river and all it’s important parts as it flows to the sea. This model of practice enables the hidden stories to be revealed and the forgotten stories of everyday life to be remembered and retold. This section of the course has helped me to remember that narrative practice is about revealing more than a single story and actually that when these single stories are told as community stories they can perhaps lead lead to systems change. Thank you for giving me all this food for thought I will certainly use it all in my work going forward.
ahunt
April 24, 2023Hello, I am Alison from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I have enjoyed this first chapter. I don’t know a lot about Narrative Therapy yet so am excited to have found this course. I really liked the dot diagram and how it illustrates that there are so many stories we all have and how many of them intersect and influence our understanding of our experiences. I think one of the impactful things I learned in this chapter is how we develop our story based on a particular narrative and often dismiss other stories that don’t support the story we tell. This is troublesome when our story is “problem saturated” as we will then dismiss times when things were going well or we were being skillful. It reminds me of human tendency toward the negativity bias. I am looking forward to exploring this more with my own narrative and with that of clients.
lisapagebouley
April 23, 2023Hello from Kjipuktuk, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People (also known as Nova Scotia, Canada). My name is Lisa Page-Bouley and I am currently in my M.Ed. in Counselling program.
I like to think about the narrative metaphor as a web. When people share a story about themselves, including events that support that story, there is the possibility to ask questions about those different events in order to see what other stories they may be attached to. Asking questions to clients becomes like pulling on one silky thread of the web to see which other parts of the web move in connection. By exploring these other connections, we thicken the story and we can see how the web is more complex and interconnected than we thought at first glance. People are complicated beings who often simplify their stories in order to draw conclusions about themselves and others so that they can decide how to interact with the people around them. Thinking about stories this way makes it possible to open up space for understanding others and finding exceptions or alternative stories that might support someone in navigating a problem they are currently faced with. In approaching stories this way, we can see connections to the wider world and cultural contexts, as well as examine how the impressions and stories of others impact our own.
Nina Mc
April 23, 2023Hi from Sydney Australia! I think a few of the key take concepts for me so far are linked to this idea of the constructed self, and that when we become too rigidly fixed to a single story and brutishly force our perception of events into line with this story, it can take away from our deep and complex experience. I like the idea that part of the therapeutic process is a broadening of the stories and deepening of the felt experience of multiple events. This seems to focus in on the relational work and give added meaning to the power of therapist’s reflections in the room. I think for myself, I had started to think of reflecting mostly as a rapport building tool, but it is very helpful to be reminded of the validation and co-creation of story lines that happens during these conversations. Very important to remember. I think this perspective of the therapeutic relationship releases some internal expectation i have, and reminds me that we are humans talking to each other and just being understood and perceived with warmth and kindness and a different lens can add a lot. Exited to learn more! Thank you.
Hello from Seattle, Washington, USA!
The metaphor is a way of understanding the world and our experiences by constructing and telling stories. According to this metaphor, our lives are not simply a series of disconnected events but a coherent narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. We use stories to make sense of our experiences, create meaning and identity, and communicate with others. This metaphor emphasizes the power of storytelling and its role in shaping our perceptions and understanding of the world.
In a Narrative Therapy context, thinking about stories can make it possible for clients to reframe their problems and experiences in a more empowering way. By examining their stories about themselves and their lives, clients can identify the dominant cultural narratives that have influenced their thinking and behavior. This can help them to challenge and rewrite these narratives, creating new, more positive stories that support their preferred ways of being. By co-creating these new stories with their therapist, clients can gain a sense of agency and control over their lives and develop a more hopeful and constructive outlook. Ultimately, thinking about stories in therapy can help clients to create a more meaningful and fulfilling narrative for their lives.
Alison
April 11, 2023HI, Im Alison and I’m in Castlemaine, Victoria on the unceded lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung. I love stories, and how they shape our lives, I have become interested in Narrative practice through a friend, who realised that a lot of the work I was doing had many parallels and recommended I check it out. I got a lot out of Chimamanda’s Ted Talk on the dangers of a single story, and and am critically reflecting on my own versions of the thin and thick narratives described by Alice Moore – how blind we can be when we don’t have a full picture of someone’s story – I mean its obvious on reflection, but the power of words to describe it helps take off the blindfold! Very excited to see where this leads me!
dd
March 31, 2023TEST
Lynn
March 30, 2023Greetings from Canada, My name is Lynn, and I have been learning and trying to practice Narrative Therapy. To me, the Narrative Metaphor offers a fresh perspective on the stories we tell about ourselves and others. It allows us to explore the multiple layers of our identity and the events that shape our lives, while acknowledging that there are always different ways of interpreting these experiences. I am very grateful that the Dulwich Centre offers these free online courses.
As a counsellor, I see my role as a collaborator, rather than an expert. By listening deeply to my clients and encouraging them to share their stories, I am able to gain a better understanding of their unique understanding of their stories and the values that guide their lives. I believe that this approach empowers my clients to take power back and gain a sense of control of their own narrative and make meaning of their experiences in a way that feels authentic and empowering to them.
Furthermore, the Narrative Metaphor offers a way to explore the meaning of life and our place while interacting with the world. By recognizing the role that our stories play in shaping our sense of purpose and direction, we can work together to identify the values that are most important to us and chart a path forward that aligns with these beliefs. I look forward to continuing to explore this approach and to learn from the diverse perspectives of my clients.
Sandra
March 27, 2023Greetings from Beirut, Lebanon
My name is Sandra. The Narrative Metaphor makes great sens to someone like me who has lived her childhood in a country at war. It means that we can look at people’s lives with an open heart and a nonjudgmental approach, looking at all details that are not necesseraly present in the actual story told. It mens we can have empathy and curiosity for everything not being said, for the “hidden” stories behind the story, for all the stories behind the story. All these stories shape the person’s identity and make them who they are in the present moment, with an outlook of hope towards the future.
The narrative theory helps me broaden the scope of the perspectives during a session and shed light on present stories that are not told and are an intrinsic part of the client at that moment.
Leah
March 22, 2023To me the narrative metaphor really allows the client to be the expert in their own life. Weaving and sharing their stories and their truth with their own words. Perspective is everything when it comes to our own personal stories and whens someone doesn’t share a piece of their story, human nature has us filling in those blanks for them. Which leads to misinterpretation, misunderstanding and a thin conclusion of who that person is and what going on for them.
Understanding that stories are a multifaceted, multileveled approach that allows the client to lead the practitioner on the path of their truth will take some of the pressure off as the practitioner. That concept of “taking a shot in the dark” when you feel lost doesn’t exist here. There is no lost, just another story.
Simon
April 2, 2023Hi Leah,
Simon here from NSW Australia. Very interesting outlook, you have there. I had to think about it, but I agree. I’m just learning about narrative therapy now as my social worker put me onto it as I’ve been through a bit of medical trauma and I’m putting my hand up for help. This is all part of my journey and my transformation. Gee I sound like my psychologist now – lol
Are you a medical practitioner?
Regards,
Simon
s_tanya
March 20, 2023Hello everyone! My name is Tanya and I am writing from Vilnius, Lithuania.
I see the narrative metaphor as a useful and simple way of thinking about complexity and multidimensionality of our lives. It provides a ‘framework’ that can be offered to a client to look at their life with a more detailed and un-biased approach.
And, as a consequence, this helps to stop focusing on a ‘problem’ and focus more on a person and their experince. Also, it opens a way to talk about meaning of life since telling a stroy involves thinking about where everything is going and why.
jo_zimmerman
March 13, 2023Hi, I’m Josie and I live on Turrbal and Yuggera country -Brisbane, in Australia. I’m currently doing my final placement at a community mental health clinic (studying Master of Social Work). I really enjoy this placement and since I came across Narrative Practice during my studies I have been keen to learn more so I am very grateful for this course. The narrative metaphor has taught me to be conscious and aware when listening to peoples stories, aware of the fact that what the person might be telling me is possibly only a single story and by asking curious questions, the story might thicken or other stories most likely will present themselves which can have a positive impact in terms of bringing hope and transformation.
I am sure that when practicing the narrative approach, I will be better at letting the person be the expert in their lives, I tend to want to “problem solve” but I know that is not the way to go, it is not empowering for others when I take on the role as a “know it all”, instead it can have the opposite affect and disempower the person. In my personal life I at times feel stressed and overwhelmed and this life of mine as a working single mum who is also working on my masters gets the better of me. I tend to catch out the unpleasant thoughts much earlier now after learning about the narrative approach and remind myself of all the other stories I have lived and the challenges I have conquered leading up to where I am now and the woman I have become.
susan fagerland
March 10, 2023Hi, I am Sue and I live in a small timber town in outer east Melbourne, part of the Yarra Valley, Australia.
I have nearly completed my Bachelor of counselling, throughout my journey, I have been inspired by Narrative therapy’s gentle but firm approach to assist people in expanding their thoughts about what is their story. Regularly, especially when something bad happens or we feel depressed or anxious, these thoughts take control, there are no other thoughts, however, allowing people to find alternate stories of when things are going well integrating the good times, so the hard times can be acknowledged, but there are alternative stories to guide the person out of the depression.
Thinking of thickening thin storylines not only improves my life when I begin to feel overwhelmed by certain prospects, but has also improved my skills as a parent to my adult children, and currently, I am doing placement in a Secondary College, assisting adolescents find alternate stories that support who they want to be and who they can be, often inspiring hope in their lives.
Olena
March 7, 2023Hello everyone!
I write from Dubai, UAE.
I can describe the narrative metaphor as an approach to the story which has the essential elements. They are the events which are sequenced in time and are connected by the plot. The narrative metaphor is a key to understanding the life events and feelings of people who tell their stories.
When I think about stories now, after completing the chapter 1 of this course, I see that I have broader and deeper understanding of how much it can reveal and how important it is to view the story from different angles. It’s quite an adventure to explore and to show people, how thin stories become rich and can really change people’s lives for better
Davina Weastell
March 7, 2023Kia ora everyone,
My name is Davina, and I am a counselor-in-training. I am taking the long journey of getting my degree in counseling (there are multiple stories behind this!) but am glad to be in my last year. I studied Narrative Therapy a couple of years ago and loved it, but am just doing this course as a refresher and to help me develop more in this approach.
How would you describe the Narrative Metaphor?
The Narrative Metaphor is an approach that looks at people’s lives curiously through a broad and non-judgemental lens. In reflection of Chimamanda Adichie’s talk, it really spoke to me of the power of language and interpretation. It showed that the power of the “single-story” can create assumptions and dominate the perceptions of individuals and cultures, but she also spoke of the power that can come to people when multiple stories are heard. The Narrative Metaphor looks for the hidden stories that can thicken one’s identity story to one of hope and change.
What might thinking about stories in this way make possible for you?
Thinking in the Narrative Metaphor would help me as a counsellor-in-training to put any expert positioning aside and sit with clients where they are at, with the curiosity to “know more”. I think it would also help me to put aside the dominant cultural assumptions that may exist within society and that I may have developed over time and allow room for exploration through finding other alternative stories that might bring hope in the midst of challenges and sometimes hopelessness.
Whit
March 6, 2023Greetings from the lands and waters of the Yurok, Wiyot, and Karuk nations of Northern California. Thank you to the Dulwich Centre and all of those who shape this community. I have been involved in Narrative practice informally for about five years, and in more direct study and practice for the last four. I love how Narrative practice opens itself up to working within community contexts so beautifully. Here, weaving baskets and regalia are important spiritual and cultural practices. Returning to those practices and skills as allies in explaining narrative therapy and practice has been revelatory to me as a practitioner and as a community member. Thank you all!