Postmodern Approaches:

Solution-Focused Brief
Therapy & Narrative
Therapy
Dr. Nicole M. Randick, ATR-BC, LPC, NCC
Adler Graduate School
 Social Constructionism
4 Key Assumptions
1. Challenge conventional knowledge
2. Language and concepts we use to generally understand the
world are historically and culturally specific.
3. Knowledge is constructed through social processes.
4. Negotiated understandings (social constructions) are
considered to be practices that affect social life.
 Social Constructionism
Therapist / Client relationship
Collaborative or consultative
Client is viewed as the expert about their life
No assessment or technique

Focus
Narratives and language processes (linguistics) are the focus
for understanding individuals
Socially storied lives replaces creation of self
Change begins by deconstructing the power of cultural
narratives then proceed to the co-construction of a new life
of meaning.
 Solution-Focused Brief
Therapy
Insoo Kim Berg
Co-developer of solution-focused brief
therapy

Steve De Shazer
Pioneer of solution-focused brief
therapy
Problem talk creates problems. Solution
talk creates solutions. - Steve de Shazer
(1940-2005)
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
(SFBT)
Focus
Shift from problem solving to a focus on solutions
Present and future oriented
What is possible rather than understanding the problem
Client chooses the goals they wish to accomplish
Little attention to diagnosis, history, or exploration of
problem
 Key Concepts
Positive Orientation
People have the ability to construct solutions that can
enhance their lives
Non-pathological approach
Emphasizes strengths rather than weaknesses and
competencies rather than deficits
Example: clients story is rooted in a deterministic view that
what happened in the past will shape their future.
 What to look for
What to Look For
What is working in the clients life right now? And
Exceptions to the problem patterns
De Shazer may say Tell me about times when you felt a little
better and when things were going your way.
 Therapeutic Process
Therapists asks How can I be useful to you?

Therapist helps to set goals What will be different in

your life when your problems are solved?

Therapist explores times when problems were not

present or when they were less severe.

Therapist offers a summary feedback, provides

encouragement, homework.

Therapist uses rating scales to evaluate progress

Customer Complainant Visitor

 Application
Establish a Collaborative Relationship
Pre-therapy Change
What have you done since you called for the appointment that has
made a difference in your problem?

Exception Questions
Past experiences in a clients life when it would be reasonable to
have expected the problem to occur, but somehow did not.
Change-talk

The Miracle Question

If a miracle happened and the problem you have was solved
overnight, how would you know it was solved, and what would be
different?

The doing and viewing of the perceived problem changes the

problem.
 Application cont.
Scaling Questions On a scale of 0 10 rate your
anxiety.

Formula First Session Task Observe what you like

about your ____ that you want to continue to
happen.

Therapist Feedback to Clients

compliment Bridge Task

Narrative Therapy
Michael White
Individuals construct the meaning of life in
interpretive stories, which are then treated as
truth.

David Epston
 Therapeutic Process
Externalize and name the problem
Personify the problem
Investigate how the problem has been disrupting or dominating
the person
Look for a different perspective with alternate meanings
Search for exceptions to the problem
Begin to rewrite story with historical evidence
Ask clients to speculate about what kind of future they could
expect from the competent person that is emerging
With the absence of the problem-saturated story
Find or create an audience to help support new story
 Move toward
externalization

Mapping of
Build new
effects of
story
problem

Listen for
signs of
strength
 Techniques and Procedures
Key therapists attitudes or perspectives / no set agenda

Questions lots of them!

Questions are used as a way to generate experience rather than to
gather information
Asking questions can lead to separating person from problem,
identifying preferred directions, and creating alternative stories to
support these directions.

Externalizing and deconstruction

Externalization is a process of separating the person from identifying
with the problem
Externalizing conversations can lead clients in recognizing times
when they have dealt successfully with the problem
Problem-saturated stories are deconstructed (taken apart) before new
stories are co-created
 Externalizing &
Deconstruction Questions
When did this problem first appear in your life?
If the problem were to continue for a month (or any
time period), what would this mean to you?
To what extent has this problem influenced your life?
How deeply has this problem affected you?
What is this problems mission?
How does this problem trick you in letting it get so
powerful?
 Therapeutic Techniques
Searching for unique outcomes
Successful stories from the past regarding the
problem

Alternative Stories and Re-authoring

The assumption is that people can continually and
actively re-author their lives

Documenting the evidence

Therapists write and send a letter to clients between
sessions.
 Unique Outcomes and
Reauthoring Questions
Have you ever been able to escape the influence of the problem?

Was there ever a time in which this problem wanted to take you over, and you
resisted? What was that like for you?

What do you think this tells me about what you have wanted for our life and
about what you have been trying for in your life?

How do you think knowing this has affected my view of you as a person?

Of all those people who have known you, who would be least surprised that you
have been able to take this step in addressing your problems influence in your
life?

Now that you have reached this point in life, who else should know about it?

Given what you have learned about yourself, what is the next step you might
take?
 Multicultural Perspective
Contributions
Fit with diverse worldview
Clients provide their own interpretations of life events

Limitations
Diverse clients may expect therapist as a expert instead
of the client being the expert.
 References
American Psychological Association. (2010). Narrative Therapy Over Time with Stephen
Madigan [DVD]. Available from www.apa.org/videos/series8.html

Beaudoin, M., Zimmerman, J., (2011). Narrative Therapy and Interpersonal Neurobiology:
Revisiting Classic Practices, Developing New Emphases. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 30(1),
1-13

Day, S. X. (2004). Theory and design in counseling and psychotherapy. Boston: Lahaska
Press/Houghton Mifflin Company.

Corey, G. (2005). Theory and practice of counseling & psychotherapy (7th ed). Belmont, CA:
Thompson Brooks/Cole.

Madigan, S. (2011). Narrative Therapy. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological

Association.

Phipps, D., Vorster, C. (2009). Narrative therapy: a return to the intrapsychic perspective?.
South African Journal of Psychology, 39(1), 32-45.

Tuval-Mashiach, R., Freedman, S., Bargai, N., Boker, R., Hadar, H., Shalev, A. Y., (2004).
Coping with Trauma: Narrative and Cognitive Perspectives. Psychiatry, 67(3) 280-293.