Chapter 9/10: Narrative Theory & Solution Based Theory
scaling question
asking clients on a 10-point scale (where 1 represents the problem is fully present and 10 represents the problem is fully gone) to rate their current view of the problem *This helps the client identify change *clarify what is needed to attain resolution *measure progress *motivate future success
miracle question
asking the client to consider a future when the problem no longer exists
Principle 2 of SFBT: The therapy should focus on solutions
instead of focusing on the identified problems, focus is on resolving them
deconstruction
involves challenging these internalized assumptions and replacing them with messages that foster growth and opportunity
Principle 6 of SFBT: Intensity, frequency, duration, and severity of the problem should be considered
measure can be used to describe the problem, past and present; identification of each of these in context can assist in resolution
dominant narrative
messages constructed by society (for many groups, messages relayed in the media, through education, and in politics can be oppressive)
externalization of the problem
normalizes the client and puts the problem outside the person as something that is to be fought (depathologizing)
relative influencing
questions can help clients to recognize how externalized problems affect their lives
social constructivism
reality is created through social interactions with others
Principle 4 of SFBT: Exceptions to the problem likely exist
social workers help the client to identify exceptions when the problem was absent or less disturbing
joining
starting where the client is and being a partner in change
post-modern
subjective worldview; reality is subjective (each person is unique)
appraisal
the activity of attaching meaning or interpretation to an experience, often occurring through storytelling
multistoried
the concept of multiple interpretations of life experiences
narratives
are accounts that people share through written words, artwork, and other pictorial representations, and ceremonies, as well as verbally
solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)
*short-term treatment model (popular in managed care) *social worker remains focused not on problems but on solutions
Narrative theory
*suggests that people talk about their lives through the process of sharing stories *provides some explanation regarding how storytelling can help us both understand and intervene with clients within social work practice *storytelling is essential to the human experience *narrative theorists are concerned with how society changes our interpretation of experiences *narrative therapy
Theoretical Principles of Narrative Theory
1. People communicate about their lives through the process of storytelling in verbal and written accounts through artwork 2. The process of sharing a story allows the storytellers to attach meaning to their experiences which can in itself be therapeutic 3. Because storytelling involves appraising events, helping clients alter the meaning they attach to the experiences can be helpful 4. dominant narratives can hinder potential; therefore, externalization helps clients understand their experiences in more liberating ways
Narrative Therapy Interventions
1. Storytelling 2. Externalization 3. Reauthoring 4. Relative Influencing 5. Letter writing campaigns
reauthoring
if stories represent varied interpretations of experiences, clients can be empowered to reinterpret their stories and develop more helpful interpretations
strengths
include internal and external resources that can be used to assist someone in enhancing well-being and ameliorating the current distress
Principle 8 of SFBT: Asking who, what, when, and where can help to identify the nature of the distress
identification helps to put the problem and solution into context, both past and future
narrative therapy
a therapeutic practice grounded in the theoretical assumptions of narrative theory; suggests that people experience the events of their lives through the metaphor of a story (White and Epston 1980)
storytelling
constructing and sharing life stories can be a helpful process; this is essential to assessment because it describes people's interpretations of what is happening in their lives
Principle 3 of SFBT: The client arrives in therapy with strengths
each person possesses particular strengths that can be identified and used to empower the client to develop and reach solutions
future-oriented
focus is not on the history of the problem but toward the future when the problem is resolved
solutions
focus is on things that fix the problem, solutions, instead of the problem
Principle 5 of SFBT: The client's problem is likely systemic rather than localized
focus on the client in context means that the problem can be external to the client; this depathologizes the client
first-formula task
helps the client discover what is going well and identifies skills and resources to be maximized, as well as focusing on the positive
social construction
how societies develop ideas that can become internalized by groups and individuals (this belief is then fostered through community discourse)
meaning
the process of how we understand the experiences our lives
externalization
the process of situating a problem outside of the person; involves locating problems within the context of society rather than within the individual
Principle 7 of SFBT: Process remains future-oriented
there is lessened concentration on the past and emphasis on the future and resolution
exceptions
times when the problem did not exist or when people coped well
letter writing campaigns
unhelpful messages can be deconstructed by having family and friends write letters that offer new, more helpful interpretations
Principle 1 of SFBT: Uniqueness of the client must be considered
with the postmodern perspective, the social worker must strive to understand the client in context