Narrative Therapy in Couple and Family Counseling
Narrative therapy serves different functions in marriage and family counseling. Counselor uses stories to relate past events concerning the prevailing situations. In most cases, couples view problems to be part of their daily lives. Using narrative therapy makes the couple feel isolated from their problems. They are able to view the problems as external factors to their relationship (Good Therapy.org, 2009). Isolating the problems from an individual leads to positive thinking where couples or family members become open-minded. Therapists employ this technique to increase or coordinate communication between the couples or family members (Good Therapy.org, 2009).
Story telling helps the affected parties learn from the experiences narrated in the stories (Good Therapy.org, 2009). Compared to the movies or navel stories, narrated stories seem personal hence they can be taken with seriousness. The couple can also contribute to the story thereby engaging in the counseling process. Through actively engaging the couple in the counseling session, the problem is easily identified and solved. Positive aspects of culture are passed orally, and storytelling in families helps pass cultural traits to family members.
Story telling fits well into marriage and family counseling as the counselor can narrate stories of other couples who had a similar problem. Thus, people will understand that other families also undergo the same troubles. This will help them view their problem as a normal circumstance that can be solved (Good Therapy.org, 2009).
The most useful approach that fits narrative therapy into counseling is regarding the problems as problems (Evolution counseling, 2013). Narrative therapy removes the dominant behaviors in individuals and brings spouses to the same level. This helps re-unite the couple as they become equal.
Therefore, narrative therapy fits well into marriage and family counselling as it helps solve problems and bring unity to the family.
| People Neglect listening | Slave Narrative |