Narrative therapy: the essence of this approach, its basic concepts and ideas, exercises

Narrative psychotherapy attempts to correct a rather complex part of the human personality - the interpretation of events. It is no secret that it is human nature to perceive current events in a certain way, positive or negative. In the latter case, the work of psychotherapists begins, who try to adjust a person’s thinking in a positive way, allowing him to see the bright side of life, and not just its shadow.

The founders of the method were Michael White and David Epston, who combined the general ideas of a huge number of psychologists, biologists and ethnographers into a system that they called “narrative practice.” In 1999, an international conference took place in Australia. The method is still very young, but this does not reduce its effectiveness in practice.

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According to narrative therapists, objective reality is unattainable and any knowledge a person possesses is a reflection of a certain position. It is very important to know from which historical, social and cultural position it comes.

What problems does the narrative approach work with?

Problems happen in different aspects of life and at any age.
Therefore, such psychology can be applied in a wide variety of difficult situations. A family approach is often used when there is a problem between relatives. All participants are invited to recreate the story from different angles and discuss it. If children come, you can work with them using toys and drawings.

This paradigm also addresses the problems of people from minorities or prisons. Traditional therapy is often not suitable for such individuals.

Indications for use

It is applied to people with problems from different areas of life: family, work, study, relationships with other people, setting their own goals and guidelines.

Therapists also work with the following cases:

• anxiety;
• depression;
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD);
• anorexia;
• bulimia;
• other mental illnesses.

They are also used in forensic psychological examinations. In particular, for analyzing video and audio files of suspects.

What are the differences between the narrative approach and others?

Each approach in psychological therapy differs from each other: in its ideas, visions of human essence, theory, and practice.

Narrative views the unconscious as something concrete. This could be experience or knowledge gained. While classical therapy (psychoanalysis, for example) assumes an abstract area in the human mind.

There are few areas that can help a person in such a short period of time. There is no need to delve into the distant past to find the reason. They solve only the problem that is relevant to the client at the moment.

The current state of the narrative approach

This direction is relatively new, so it is not so widespread. But it is rapidly gaining momentum and occupying its niche. In Moscow, for example, various conferences, seminars, and lectures are held; books are issued; training groups and programs are created; grants are awarded. All this contributes to the spread of information and popularity.

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Professional education:

• “Narrative approach in psychological counseling” - narrative community KRAY (2018);
• International Academy of Coaching (2014). “Professional coaching skills.” Course teachers: Svetlana Chumakova, Marsha Reynolds;
• "Lead-Art" (B-Coach Systems, USA) (2007). Course “Business coaching”, course teacher: Oleg Samolyanov;
• “Personality Astrology” – School of Astrology of Konstantin Daragan (2006);
• “Astrology of the Northern Tradition” – Oleg Borovik (2009 – present);
• Numerous seminars and trainings for coaches and psychologists , including:
• Course “General Psychology” MSU, prof. V.V. Petukhov (1998);
• “Relationships with the client in existential psychotherapy” prof. Ernesto Spinelli;
• “Result-oriented short-term therapy” V. Bogomolov;
• Dance movement therapy: Authentic Movement, Contact Improvisation;
• Supervision, intervision groups, etc.

Services

:

• Astropsychology
• Psychological consultation / Narrative practice
• Life coaching
• Online consultation with a psychologist

Notes

:

• Know yourself
• Purpose and meaning in life
• About self-esteem
• How to let changes into your life?
• Self-determination is Leo's choice

Narratives in history

Narrative history does not use an impartial approach to study events that took place, but evaluates their significance on the basis of subjective beliefs, life rules and values ​​of individuals.

Historical narrative sources include:

1. chronicles;
2. treatises;
3. chronicles;
4. folklore (what is it?);
5. liturgical texts.

That is, sources in which the narrative is told through the prism of personal views on current events.

Historical events become inextricably linked with their interpretation. For example, the baptism of Rus' and the reforms of Peter I are good, the Mongol-Tatar yoke and revolution are bad. The historical accuracy of the event is secondary here.

How does the narrative approach work in psychology?

Most problems, even “incurable” ones, can be solved using a narrative approach:

— Family: relationship in a couple, between spouses and their children, relatives.

— Intrapersonal: violation of self-esteem, low efficiency, shame, resentment, lack of meaning in life.

— Organizational: creating good relationships in communities and organizations, learning to avoid conflicts.

— Social: work with non-observance and oppression of human rights, with violence, with victims of car accidents and natural disasters, support for relatives and friends of victims. Narrative therapy is also provided to people with terminal illnesses. And the results are amazing! People gain inner freedom, even if the disease itself does not disappear. They learn not to survive with it, but to live!

The new approach has no contraindications or limitations. People of different age categories and religions, with different professions and outlooks on life can turn to specialists. From teenager to elderly. Everyone will find a solution to their problems. Each of them will see the light at the end of the tunnel. And problems with choosing a profession, first love, academic failure, relationships with parents and friends, fear of life or death will not be problems.

Narrative approach. Practical part

The practice of narrative therapy is sometimes funny, humorous, comical, sometimes very cheerful and light, which is why the client’s problems dissolve and soap bubbles burst.

So how do you resolve difficult life situations? How are events rewritten? And where does the new story begin? Here is an example from the practice of the narrative approach.

A mother and a six-year-old boy came for a consultation with a narrative therapist. The mother complained that the child did not want to stay home alone. She perceived it as a whim, a manifestation of her ego. According to her, the baby requires too much attention to himself. Due to the fear of being left without mom and dad, the child did not communicate not only with other adults, but even with peers.

The mother had previously turned to psychologists, but everyone unanimously argued that the child had a lack of attention and an inability to restrain his emotions. The specialists could not help with their diagnoses.

Hoping for even the slightest help, my mother turned to a narrative practitioner.

The specialist began a conversation with the baby. He asked simple questions, separating the child and his emotions: “It seems like Impatience and Hysteria are getting the better of you. It's hard for you to cope with Them. Especially when things don’t go the way you want.” The therapist understands that the boy's emotions are causing him discomfort because his parents are unhappy with him. He does not give his assessment and, in particular, does not make a diagnosis, but puts people at ease. Next, the therapist asks whether the baby wants to cope with this situation. And the boy said yes. The baby understands that if he learns to play alone without mom and dad, he will be able to play with other children. The boy even remembered that there were times when he was left alone in the room after his mother read him a bedtime story, and he felt very scared, but he was brave, convincing himself that everything was fine. And he managed to fall asleep.

How are stories rewritten? What questions help you look at situations differently?

The narrative practitioner clarifies what is happening now and what the person will choose to do next. The very first action is considered. Then intentions, goals, values ​​and gets to the important principles from which life itself is built. Questions are asked regarding new beliefs: what the client hopes for, what he is going to do in the future, what beliefs were there before and what has changed.

Questions asked by a narrative practitioner:

— the person’s ATTITUDE to the problem becomes clear: How do you like it?

- there is a JUSTIFICATION for dissatisfaction: Why do you feel this way about it?

- the person himself finds a SOLUTION to the problem: How would you like to react?

- supports the client, instills confidence that his SKILLS AND ABILITIES are sufficient to cope with the problem: What skills and abilities of yours can help you with this?

Description of the approach

The main form of working with a person is conversation. He talks about what is happening and has happened in his life exactly as he perceived it all at the time when these events happened. The therapist may ask questions to clarify details in order to create a more precise plan for solving the problem.

Therapists who use narrative psychotherapy in their practice, unlike specialists in other areas of psychotherapy and psychology, separate a person and his personal qualities and consider them separately. If a person considers himself cowardly and envious, then this forces the person himself to live with these qualities and not eradicate them, since overcoming negative character traits requires great strength and aspirations. It's much easier to leave everything as is. The narrative approach separates cowardice and envy from a person and helps to feel safe. The specialist makes it clear that everything is fine, that the person is really good and that there is no problem that cannot be solved.

In narrative practice, the psychotherapist listens carefully to the client and asks clarifying questions as the conversation progresses. His task is not to solve the patient's problem, but to provide the patient with the opportunity to find a solution. After all, no one else knows what is better for this particular person than he himself. No one should decide for him, which is what specialists in other areas of psychotherapy quite often do.

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Working methods in the narrative approach

If the session is conducted individually, then, as a rule, in the format of a regular narrative. Naturally, the above principles must be observed.

But when conducting group therapy, there are a number of effective techniques. They are represented by various exercises. Some of them:

1. Three people participate and must act out someone's story. One represents the problem itself; the other - the person she touched; the third is a correspondent who is trying to find out what happened between them. Then they switch roles and play out the same situation to cover all positions. Next is the plot that worries the other participant.
2. You need to choose some area of ​​life. Take several pieces of paper and write a stereotypical opinion or position on them (other participants help do this). Place in a pile. The central individual recalls a small situation from his life from the previously selected sphere. Then he pulls out a piece of paper, reads it, and tries to look at his chosen plot in the prism of a stereotype or someone else’s position. It is worth assessing how typical this point of view is for you, whether you like it.
3. One person talks about his situation, in which he is not sure - he does not know what motivated him, what underlies his actions. Other participants should express their opinion about what it could be, based on what life experiences.
4. The central individual tells the beginning of a small exciting situation. The remaining participants must come up with possible endings using solely their position in relation to the plot. Thus, the narrator will look at alternative courses of action.

How does narrative psychotherapy work?

The technique dates back to the 80s of the last century. Its creators are considered to be Australian specialists Michael White and David Epston.

The treatment process occurs through a conversation during which the patient tells his story

An adult has his own established stereotypes, and during the story he pays special attention to those dominant episodes that reflect their idea of ​​the world. Other cases and situations are not taken into account or are completely ignored

During a conversation, the psychotherapist, by asking certain questions, helps to give details that seem insignificant to the client a new meaning and coloring.

During such a conversation, the consultant helps to identify the main thought patterns. Such techniques teach the client to analyze their influence on his life, and to separate his own beliefs from those that were imposed on him from the outside.

What is a narrative?

Definition 2

Narrative is a linguistic act during which a person tells interconnected stories about himself and the events that happened in his life.

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Based on what he hears, the psychotherapist analyzes his patient’s condition, helps him solve his problems and develop a plan to improve his life. A competent specialist asks a person leading questions that will help the person open up and tell everything that worries him.

Summary

Narrative text analysis:

• Explores how people create and use stories to interpret the world.
• Does not consider stories as a source of information about the real world and human experience.
• It implies that narrative is an interpretation, a version of life through which people form an identity, self-present themselves, and understand the world and other people.

Characteristics of data collection:

• qualitative approach (e.g. semi-structured and unstructured interviews);
• the analyst speaks little, his main role is to listen;
• there is no preference between imaginary and real stories.

Narrative analysis is based on the principles of structural analysis, so any schemes that allow you to highlight significant elements in it can be used to work with text. The Labov method is one of the most popular among researchers.

Narrative analysis is a promising research method that allows you to reveal the text and get closer to the real motives and desires of the narrator. Criticism of the narrative approach is related to the complexities of the interpretation process.

The importance of narrative analysis for people cannot be overestimated. It is thanks to narrative analysts that a person can take an honest look at his motives and goals, understand how he slows himself down, what kind of self-image he has

Honesty and understanding your limitations are the basis for a happy and fulfilling life.

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The essence of the approach

Narrative practice began with the enthusiastic joint work of Australian psychologist Michael White and New Zealander David Epston. Why was the new direction named this way? The fact is that from Latin “narrative” (narratio, narratus) is translated as story, narration. And the basis of this approach is precisely the story with the help of which a person comprehends his life experience. Have you noticed that when you talk to someone, you tell some story about what happened to you, some incident, an experience you had. For example, how you met your future husband/wife, how you graduated from school or entered university, how children or grandchildren appeared... and there are a lot of such stories - everyone has their own and even always different, depending on who you are telling it to speak for a moment. But it is through storytelling that a person always talks about himself.

Let's define the terminology. In narrative practice, history is understood as a sequence of events in time connected by a single theme and plot. In this regard, the new approach in psychology is closely related to literature, art, culture and, in fact, takes its roots from there. The very concept of history was taken from literature by the great American psychologist and educator Jerome Bruner. He wrote: “We organize our experience and memory primarily in the form of narratives—stories, myths... (1991). Narrative does not simply reflect and imitate life, it constructs it” (Live as Narrative, 1987). His own words: “Life is probably the greatest work of art we create.” It was from his ideas that Michael White took the idea that we figuratively comprehend, organize, convey to other people and voice in the form of stories. Bruner himself borrowed this from literary theory, from literary ideas about stories. And narrative practitioners now quite successfully and effectively use such experience in their practice.

Any events in your life (both small and large) develop in a certain sequence. All sequences have a theme that relates to you. There are stories where you are brave and where you are cautious, where you are smart and where you feel like fools or not knowledgeable enough... There are a lot of them! And at the same time you perceive yourself in one certain way.

When a patient comes to a narrative practitioner, he usually tells some kind of problematic story. On the one hand, our psychologist listens to the person’s story, and on the other, he tries to find in him something that does not fit into this problematic story at all, something positive. The narrative practitioner begins to work out and develop this “something,” but into a new story.

The essence of the new approach can be described in just three points:

1. Separating a person's life from his problems.
2. Challenging those “problematic” life stories that people perceive as dominant, subjugating.
3. Rewriting history to accommodate alternative, preferred ways of living.

People are people. Problems are problems. The main idea of ​​narrative practice is that all people are okay

It’s just that from time to time some problem comes to a person from the outside and violates something very important to him: values, goals, hopes

Narrative practitioners believe that problems are NOT inherent qualities of a person

This is where the most important difference between our approach and others adopted in counseling and psychotherapy lies (for example, from those described in the article 10 popular trends in psychology). It assumes that a person has certain personal qualities that predetermine him

For example, an individual sees himself as lazy, disorganized, living some kind of meaningless life. Narrative practitioners think this is not very useful. When a person is asked to work with the fact that he is lazy, he has to look inside himself. This is very inconvenient, because it’s difficult to do anything with yourself like that, it’s easier to come to terms with - well, this is how I am and there’s nothing you can do about it. It is very uncomfortable to fight with your beloved self; to do this you need to admit that you are bad.

The narrative approach offers a different way of looking at the problem. This is called externalization - a way of perceiving a person as separate from his problems. The narrative practitioner makes the interlocutor feel that everything is in order, that everything is fine with him, that this problem exists separately and, when it comes, it can be influenced.

A narrative practitioner is a person who does not tell stories, but listens to them and asks questions. He is not an expert in the life of another, he is an expert in asking questions. Because a person himself has the right solution to his problems, and not a narrative or any other practitioner.

Narrative approach

It was then, in the years 1970-1990, that a transformation took place in psychology, psychotherapy and psychiatry. A narrative approach was developed. This approach was and is considered a “magic pill”. Until now, psychologists and psychiatrists are surprised by the results of the narrative method. Narrators, by asking simple questions, heal clients and help them overcome very difficult life situations. Suddenly children find freedom from their fears, husband and wife find inspiration in each other again, and the elderly find strength and joy for a new day. The question arises: what is the secret of this “magic remedy”? And where does this name come from?

Narrates is translated from Latin as story, narration. The essence of this method is the emphasis on the client's story, his story and how exactly it is told. This speaks about a person’s perception of the life experience gained. All people constantly tell some stories, be it school, graduation, a new acquaintance, university, wedding, birth of a child... Different people and different stories... These stories add up to a sequence of events. And in each of these events a theme is revealed. And actually this theme is the essence of man.

Often people, when telling stories, give themselves certain traits and characteristics. Courage, cowardice, stupidity, arrogance, pride...

At an appointment with a practitioner, clients tell their story. And the therapist identifies in this situation not only the problem field, but also finds a positive that the client does not notice. This story is being worked through and the therapist writes a new positive story into it.

The essence of the approach

1. separation of a person and his problem. The need for the client to realize that a person is a person, and an action is an action. The therapist helps you understand that a person is good, but an action can be bad. And this action, this situation can change self-perception. A person may stop seeing his true values ​​and goals for some time.

2. considering the problem field from a different angle;

3. identifying an alternative situation and new behavior.

Narrative therapists, unlike specialists in other areas of psychology and psychotherapy, consider a person and his personal qualities separately from each other. If an individual considers himself lazy, then this dooms the person himself to live with these qualities and not fight. Because overcoming negative traits requires incredible strength. It’s easier to leave everything as it is, well, that’s how bad I am.

Narrative in historiography

Actually, the historical narrative is what laid the foundation for the formation and study of narratives in other areas of the humanities. The term “narrative” itself was borrowed from historiography, where the concept of “narrative history” existed. Its meaning was to consider historical events not in their logical sequence, but through the prism of context and interpretation. Interpretation is key to the very essence of narrative and narration.

Historical narrative - what is it? This is a narrative from the original source, not a critical presentation, but an objective one. Narrative sources primarily include historical texts: treatises, chronicles, some folklore and liturgical texts. Narrative sources are those texts and messages that contain narrative narratives. However, according to J. Brockmeyer and R. Harre, not all texts are narratives and correspond to the “concept of storytelling.”

There are several misconceptions about historical narrative, due to the fact that some “stories,” such as autobiographical texts, are based only on facts, while others have either already been retold or modified. Thus, their veracity decreases, but reality does not change, only the attitude of each individual narrator to it changes. The context remains the same, but each narrator in his own way connects it with the events described, extracting situations that are important, in his opinion, weaving them into the fabric of the narrative.

As for autobiographical texts specifically, there is another problem here: the author’s desire to draw attention to his person and activities, which means the possibility of providing deliberately false information or distorting the truth in his own favor. To summarize, we can say that narrative techniques, one way or another, have found application in most of the humanities that study the nature of the human person and his environment.

Narratives are inseparable from subjective human assessments, just as a person is inseparable from society, in which his individual life experience is formed, and therefore his own opinion and subjective view of the world around him

To summarize, we can say that narrative techniques, one way or another, have found application in most of the humanities that study the nature of the human person and his environment. Narratives are inseparable from subjective human assessments, just as a person is inseparable from society, in which his individual life experience is formed, and therefore his own opinion and subjective view of the world around him.

Summarizing the above information, we can formulate the following definition of narrative: narrative is a structured logical story that reflects an individual perception of reality, and it is also a way of organizing subjective experience, an attempt at self-identification and self-presentation of an individual.

Reviews and comments

If you have any questions, share them in the comments to this article. We will also be happy to accept your arguments in favor or against the narrative approach.

Author: Ekaterina Panikova

We also recommend reading:

• Storytelling
• How studying history helps self-development
• "Triple Helix" by Milton Erickson
• Narrative therapy
• How to solve a problem in 6 simple steps
• Narrative approach in psychology. Part 2
• Storytelling: how to prepare a great speech
• 7 Key Storytelling Techniques
• 10 Storytelling Tips: How to Write a Breathtaking Story
• The Foundation for Creating a Mindful Life
• Life story reframe

Key words:1Psychoregulation

How to use reverse psychology

If you decide to use this technique, remember: it can indeed be quite effective, but only if you use it correctly.

When to use

First of all, it is important that the use of reverse psychology goes unnoticed. Perhaps this is the most important principle

If your manipulation fails but is not detected, you can always try something else. If you are “discovered,” it will be much more difficult to act further, and there is a chance that trust in you and your words, in principle, will significantly decrease. Therefore, experiment very carefully at first.

It is also important not to overdo it with this technique. Otherwise, it will simply stop working for those to whom you use it too often (but there are exceptions to this)

Who to use it on

Determine in advance on whom from your environment reverse psychology is most likely to work, and on whom you should not even try

. Consider in what situations this technique would be appropriate and how often such situations arise. For example, a good candidate would be a teenager with whom you somehow need to interact, but with whom you often argue (that is, in your relationship, situations are frequent when he is overwhelmed by emotions, and therefore, critical perception fades into the background).

Or maybe your significant other reacts very strongly to certain topics? Then, when the opportunity arises, you can tease him/her a little (to make emotions stir), and then try to use reverse psychology.

There are options when reverse psychology puts pressure on emotions, but not in the heat of a quarrel. For example, you can say: “Darling, I’m not at all offended that you still haven’t hung up the picture. Don’t worry, I’ll hang it myself later.” The main condition is that your words should not contain even a hint of sarcasm or causticity (and this phrase should be used appropriately). Just indicate your intention: you remove this task from your husband and take it upon yourself. There is a good chance that in this way you will both remind you of the picture and offer a solution on how to act.

Of course, some will be happy to be able to cross a painting off their to-do list. For others, the advice will begin to gnaw, and they will “decide” that it’s really time to take up and tell this picture themselves. If your spouse belongs to the second category, then it makes sense for you to use reverse psychology. If we are talking about a person of the first type, then after such words you will definitely have to do the painting yourself.

How to use

The first attempts to use reverse psychology in everyday life should show you how well you can do it, whether you have correctly identified the people and situations where it can work.

hone your skills

It is known that manipulators (in this case we are talking about those who manipulate on a conscious level) represent a certain type of personality. If you think that you have too few traits of this type, this also means that you will not be able to use manipulative techniques. Perhaps you just need to work on yourself, including learning to better calculate other people's reactions to your words and read their emotions. Our tips on developing emotional and social intelligence can help with this. These skills will be useful not only for using reverse psychology techniques and will definitely not be superfluous.

The essence

Description

Each person, when communicating, presents to the interlocutor the experience gained through a story about it. Have you noticed that participants in the same situation describe it differently, sometimes weaving the most contradictory experiences and thoughts into the story? Not because one of them is lying, but because he perceives it based on the prism of different views on life, ideas about himself and the experience he has lived and received.

Have you noticed that you tell different people completely differently about the same incident? This happens because you take into account the personality of the other person and the way he reacts, as well as the need that you want to satisfy. And for everyone the same situation will sound different. After all, someone wants to receive support from someone, recognition from someone, and for someone it is important to demonstrate their superiority.

This approach helps you see a problem from completely new angles, which allows you to cope with it and improve your life. After all, we perceive everything that happens to us too subjectively, focusing only on significant and familiar nuances.

Example

When a child is born, he has no idea about himself, and at first he generally considers himself an integral organism with his mother. And only then, growing up, does he find out what gender he is, what his name is, what characteristics he is endowed with, and the name of each state that he has to live through.

If the parents, whom he unconditionally trusts, claim, of course, with the best intentions, wanting to motivate him to prove the opposite, that he is evil and disobedient, then it is on this information that he will rely in the future. That is, there will be an incident where he really shows aggression, after which he will weave it into his image. By forming a story with evidence of this character trait. And then the remaining episodes, where he will experience compassion and a desire to help, will be ignored.

This is called selective attention, when a person seeks confirmation of some of his judgments. So, unconsciously feeling the need for all episodes in life to be consistent and complementary, he did not volunteer to go to African countries to take care of starving children. Although, if you think carefully, such thoughts and desires arise periodically, only to be instantly suppressed. A cruel and aggressive person cannot contradict his own image.

Likewise, nice and good-natured people have their own skeletons in the closet, situations where they were insensitive and violent, immediately repressing such experiences so as not to disrupt the storyline.

Narrative psychology, by making a thorough analysis of the information provided, allows you to get a more realistic picture. Helping to find events that contradict the client’s beliefs. Can you imagine how often we limit ourselves, and how many false ideas about our own personality we have just because we decided to rely on the opinions of other people?

Basic concepts and ideas of the narrative approach

The metaphor of narrative, which is a sequence of events in time united by theme and plot, is key to understanding life events and people's experiences in the narrative approach. The narrative practitioner sets the goal of creating conditions for a rich description of the preferred story of the person seeking advice.

According to narrative therapists, “objective reality” is difficult to comprehend. Any knowledge that a person has, according to narrative therapists, is knowledge from a certain position

What is important is that it must take into account the social, cultural and historical context in which it is generated.

In the logic of the narrative approach, it is generally accepted that the life of each person is polyhistorical. In it, different stories compete for the right to be in a privileged position, one of them dominates. If the dominant story is an obstacle to development, we can say there is a problem.

Narrative therapists also point out that there are experiences that are not included in the story. From it you can collect alternative stories to the dominant one and find out which one is preferred. “Exceptions” from such a problematic story in the narrative approach are called “unique episodes” [ unauthorized source?

].

In addition, proponents of the narrative approach believe that any manifestation of experience is based on the difference between this experience and its other, from what can be called “absent but implied” in this experience. Thus, a person speaks of despair because he can compare “despair” with something known to him, which is not despair. For example, with “joy” or “confidence in the future.”

Since there are no right stories that suit everyone, the therapist cannot know what the “correct” development is in general and for a given person in particular. One of the most important principles is: the therapist does not take an expert position in a person’s life, the client himself is the expert.

The therapist (or “practitioner,” as many of them prefer to call themselves) does not impose on the person who asked for help (the word “client” is also not used) any methods that he himself considers correct. The therapist’s task is for the person to choose from several alternative directions for developing the conversation the one that the client likes best. Due to this, contacts are strengthened with those values ​​and principles that are most important to him in the preferred stories of his life. The therapist, acting as a co-author, is an expert not on the content of the person being worked with, but on asking questions.

The therapist's position is decentred and powerful. This means that the central figure will always be the client, his values, knowledge, experience and skills. Through his questions, the consultant creates space for differences to be explored. He is clearly aware of the relationship of a position of power and resists its abuse.

Taking a “non-expert” position, the therapist places special emphasis on respectful curiosity, which sets the non-hierarchical nature of the narrative community. This is a rather unusual approach. In the community of narrative practitioners, you will not find a “ladder” that you must climb in order to achieve certain successes and have your opinion considered worthy of attention

Also among narrative practitioners, an ethic of care for colleagues is adopted rather than an ethic of control; It is customary to pay great attention to ensuring that no colleague feels ignored. Narrative practitioners say that even when they work with a person individually, it is still working with the community to which he belongs.

Narrative psychotherapy: basic techniques

Narrative psychotherapy is aimed at separating a person from his problem, helping him find values ​​and goals for the sake of which he should continue his life. The main focus is usually on the individual's sense of purpose and personal skills.

Some narrative psychotherapy techniques are used by people unconsciously and quite rarely, but this is a fact.

Narrative psychotherapy can be used independently as there are several easy-to-learn techniques:

1. Storytelling. Through this, a person can have meaning and purpose in his actions. Often the problem is that the experience is interpreted as the worst possible meaning. Such an approach may well lead to depression, apathy, and stress. A person may become lethargic and begin to look for the cause in diet or sleep patterns, although in reality it is necessary to change the approach to interpreting the experience gained. The essence of the method is to take a piece of paper and write down all the key moments of life on it. Then you should simply ask yourself, “Can I interpret these events differently?” After this, you need to give a detailed answer.
2. Externalization technique. The essence of this technique is to consider problems as an external manifestation, and not as part of the personality. For example, if a person has frequent outbursts of anger, he does not need to change his personality, it is too difficult. It is much easier to change your attitude towards the situations in which these outbreaks occur, making them cause a different, positive or neutral reaction.
3. Deconstruction technique. A problem can always be divided into its component parts. This is how therapists act, but so can ordinary people. It is enough to simply write down the main components of the problem on a piece of paper in order to divide it. This will make it easier to find a solution.

It makes sense to turn to specialists only when you are unable to independently perform these techniques at a good level.

How to Avoid Falling for Reverse Psychology Tricks

The main advice on how to resist reverse psychology yourself is simple and complex at the same time.

It is very important to control emotions and be able to stop if you feel that based on them you are making decisions that should have been made based on a logical assessment of the situation, a critical approach, etc. Developing social and emotional intelligence can also help you with this.

So, if you feel like you're being taken for a show, if your decisions are too obviously aimed at acting contrary to someone else's words, etc., stop for a moment. Do not make a final decision or take action while under the influence of strong emotions. First, cool down, and then weigh and calculate everything again.

The most important thing here (and the most difficult thing) is to understand when to take a time out

and come to your senses, distance yourself from other people’s opinions. This can be prevented by all the same seething feelings that drown out logic and the voice of reason and force us

And one more note: if you decide that this method is being used on you, do not rush to immediately accuse the person of manipulation. As we said, sometimes such processes occur completely unconsciously, and on both sides. But you shouldn’t completely lose sight of such cases either - it’s better to be careful with both conscious and unconscious manipulators

, before they burden you with their problems and shift their tasks too much. If this does happen, you may find our tips on how to refuse people useful.

Narrative therapy

In the life of every person there are many events that he interprets in one way or another. A positive person looks for advantages and opportunities in everything, encourages himself, while a negative person sees only the dark sides. If you belong to the second type of person, can this be changed? Proponents of modern narrative therapy say yes. The only thing is how a person interprets the events that happen to him.

Michael White and David Epston combined the ideas of many psychologists, ethnographers and biologists - and gave the name to their brainchild “narrative practice”. The first International Conference on Narrative Therapy and Community Work was held in 1999 in Adelaide, Australia. As you can see, this technique is still very young, therefore it is in the development stage and can give the world many more new practices and techniques.

Narrative therapy is a form of psychotherapy that aims to separate the person from problems, allowing the individual to externalize rather than internalize them, and to help identify the values, skills and knowledge with which he must live. Relying on a sense of purpose and your own personality skills is important.

The concept of identity is important in narrative therapy. The method aims to decouple the problems people face or the mistakes they make from the personality of the person themselves. This approach, rather, seeks to avoid modern concepts of man that lead us to believe that there is a certain “true self” or “true nature.” For which he is subjected to some criticism.

In fact, we already have some techniques of narrative therapy or certain parts of it, the only problem is that it is more intuitive than conscious practice. Below you will read about the five most common techniques that you can learn to use on your own.

1

Tell your story

Storytelling is how we find meaning and purpose in our actions (personal experiences).

The problem is that we often tend to interpret our experiences with the worst possible meaning. This leads to stress, apathy and depression. A person becomes lethargic, looking for the cause in diet and insufficient sleep.

But where there is a problem, there is also salvation: we can interpret the events of our lives the way we want. You just need to do this consciously, make some effort, and not let everything take its course.

You can take a pen and a piece of paper and write down all the key moments of your life. Then ask yourself, “How am I likely to interpret these events?” and give as detailed an answer as possible. Now ask yourself, “How can I look at this differently?”

If you feel that you cannot effectively perform this technique on your own, it may be worth contacting a professional.

2

Externalization technique

Externalizing technique involves viewing your problems or behavior as external manifestations rather than as part of your personality. As we have already said, it is for this technique that narrative therapy tends to be criticized. However, there are considerable benefits from this technique.

Externalizing problems can have a huge impact on a person's self-identity and self-confidence. The general idea behind this method is that it is much easier to change a behavior than to change a characteristic that is part of you.

For example, if you lose your temper easily and are prone to frequent expressions of anger, you must make drastic changes to solve this problem (this is quite difficult to do). However, if you believe that aggression and anger are not part of your nature and only appear under the influence of certain circumstances, you just need to change your attitude towards the situation (which, of course, is much easier).

It may seem like a small thing, but there is a profound difference between the mindset of a person who calls himself "problematic" and someone who admits that he sometimes behaves inappropriately.

The therapist's task is to convince the client not to attach great importance to diagnoses or self-fulfilling prophecies.

3

Deconstruction technique

Deconstruction allows you to divide a problem into its component parts, which makes it more understandable and accessible to solution. You need to convince yourself that any problem, no matter how serious, complex and confusing it may be, is always solvable.

Deconstructing a problem makes it more specific and avoids over-generalization, as well as clarifying what the main difficulty in overcoming it is.

As an example of the deconstruction technique, imagine two people in a long-term relationship with each other who are experiencing some kind of problem. One partner often gets upset because the other partner never shares their feelings, thoughts, or ideas with them. How much did you understand about this situation? Probably not, because there is no clear idea of ​​what the problem is, let alone what the solution might be. If you are a therapist, the main task will be to break the problem down into its component parts and try to find a solution for each of them.

You can do the same yourself if you want to solve your own problem. Break it down into key parts and try to identify common threads.

4

Technology of unique results

The unique results method involves changing your own storyline. In narrative therapy, a person seeks to construct a storyline for their experiences that provides meaning and a positive, functional identity.

We are not limited to one plot of the same events. Today we can interpret last weekend positively, but six months later we can see and find exclusively unpleasant moments in it.

The technology of unique results helps a person change his view of the situation and begin to perceive reality from a different angle, more positively.

Like a book that switches points of view from one character to another, our lives have multiple narrative threads running through it with different perspectives, areas of focus, and points of interest. Using the unique results technique is an opportunity to decide which storyline you want to focus on, forgetting about the one that was the source of your problems.

You might think that the unique results technique is just a way to escape from harsh reality, but in fact it is a redefinition of it. What seems like a nuisance from one point of view has many positive aspects from another. Probably, you too have had situations in which you unknowingly applied the technology of unique results, and successfully. Nothing prevents you from specifically setting aside time and purposefully writing down those events in your life whose interpretation you want to change and make more positive.

5

Existentialism

Existentialism is not a dark and hopeless view of the world without meaning, as is commonly believed. Its main idea is that the world does not have one inherent meaning, since each person can give reality his own meaning.

Thus, existentialism and narrative therapy go hand in hand. The latter encourages people to find their purpose and meaning, rather than being guided by some existing, absolute truth.

If you are an avid reader and at the same time able to adequately interpret philosophical reflections, we recommend reading some of the existentialist works of Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus or Martin Heidegger.

Books on narrative psychology

Of course, this topic is too complex to be mastered by studying just one article. Therefore, we offer you a list of literature with which you can begin your acquaintance with narrative therapy.

• “Narrative psychology. The Self, Trauma and the Construction of Meaning by Michelle Crossley.
• “Narrative therapy. Maps of Narrative Practice" Michael White.
• “Existential psychology of adulthood” Elena Sapogova.
• “Features of the narrative approach as a method for studying identity” Yulia Turusheva.
• “Construction of other realities. Stories and narratives as therapy" Jean Combs, Jill Friedman.

We wish you good luck!

We also recommend reading:

• Storytelling
• How to find the source of the problem
• Hakomi Therapy
• The Foundation for Creating a Mindful Life
• Narrative approach in psychology. Part 2
• Psychological intervention
• Narrative approach in psychology. Part 1
• Positive therapy for children
• Play therapy when working with children
• Pezeshkian positive psychotherapy
• Cognitive therapy

Key words:1Psychoregulation

What is reverse psychology

Vivid examples of reverse psychology have been before our eyes since childhood: in one fairy tale, Brother Rabbit really “didn’t want” Brother Fox to throw him into a thorn bush, and spent a long time trying to persuade him not to do this; in another, a naughty boy was forced to help with housework, forbidding him to do what needed to be done. And we can remember quite a lot of similar stories. So, reverse psychology, or psychology from the opposite, or reverse psychology, -

Sometimes it happens unconsciously

: you advise, ask or order something, but your interlocutor perceives everything in his own way and acts differently. But neither you nor he planned to resort to reverse psychology for their own purposes - it happened spontaneously. However, sometimes it is used deliberately to force someone to act in a certain way.

For example, this technique is used in psychology, psychotherapy or psychiatry

.
For example, in films and books there are examples when a person is dissuaded from committing suicide by persistently asking him to jump off the roof or stick his head in the oven. At the same time, however, it is believed that in life such a technique is not used as often as works of art say. Also, reverse psychology is used in everyday life, in everyday life - as a manipulative technique
, the task of which is to push the interlocutor to make the “right” decision. We propose to examine this aspect in more detail.

How does a positive result manifest itself?

A positive result of the work of a specialist in narrative psychology is the client’s coming to the belief that he has achieved a certain goal after treatment. Based on this, it is not the doctor, but the person himself who decides whether he needs the next meeting and when it is best to hold it.

Usually this takes place from 3 to 10 sessions, lasting 1-2 hours. In exceptional cases, a positive result occurs immediately after the first meeting.

Some patients consider the frequency of sessions once a month sufficient, others talk about weekly visits.

An experienced specialist feels the changes occurring quite quickly, but some people need some time to revise their worldview.

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