Deconstructing narrative therapy in practice : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Abstract

Narrative therapists have made claims as to how a narrative interview or series of interviews should be best structured. This thesis shows, through the analysis of a narrative interview, that these claims represent the practice of narrative therapy. However, several processes that narrative therapists have not explicitly noted as being critical for the successful attainment of the goals of this approach, have emerged as being of fundamental importance. These are the use of positioning, metaphor, indirectness and scaffolding. Their importance lies in that they facilitate an alliance between therapist and client and also minimise the possibility of opposition to the therapeutic process. In addition, they maximise the potential for the development and acceptance of alternative conceptualisations of the self and reality. Furthermore, they actively engage the person in the co-construction of meaning. This increases the likelihood that the newly constructed narrative will be conceptualised as reflecting reality, and as a consequence of this, that it will be acted on as such.