What is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative Therapy is an exciting, growing body of work that offers generative ideas for effective clinical practice. It is a nonpathologizing, competency-based approach that takes into account the larger political and cultural contexts in which problems arise. At Evanston Family Therapy Center, we offer workshops and supervision that provide experience in these new ways of thinking and working. Participants consistently describe the atmosphere of our trainings as respectful, fun, and challenging.
Narrative therapy is based in the notion that we make meaning of our lives through the stories we live. These stories are constructed within the larger stories that make up our social, political, and interpersonal contexts. People often come to therapy when they experience themselves as living in stories where the narratives that dominate their local culture are restricting the possibilities in their own lives. Our work involves facilitating experience of new stories--narratives that are more empowering, more satisfying, and give hope for better futures.
Click here for a quick overview of the narrative worldview as it affects practice and ethics.