Living stories, telling stories, changing stories: Experiential use of the relationship in narrative therapy.

Charitable organizations' storytelling influence on donors' emotions and intentions

“…Stories help consumers make sense of reality (Weick, 1995) through the interaction between symbols and the person's sense of living in that moment (Richert, 2003). Stories also help convey ideas more effectively than the use of mere facts (Goodman, 2006).…”

Violence Survivors With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Treatment by Integrating Existential and Narrative Therapies

“…This approach encourages clients to illustrate their dominant stories that are assumed to be influenced by cultural, societal, familial, political, and historical contexts (Monk, 1997;White & Epston, 1990a). An open and nonjudgmental consideration of the client's cultural context is an essential component in establishing the collaborative therapeutic relationship because it allows the client to be heard on his or her own terms (McGill, 1992;Richert, 2003).…”

“…During the process of joining, the narrative therapist extends much effort in listening empathetically as a means of validating the client's experience, seeking immersed meaning and themes, and examining external factors that affect the client's ability to move toward his or her goals (Petersen, Bull, Propst, Dettinger, & Detwiler, 2005;Richert, 2003). Using this collaboration and emphasis on themes, the therapist can externalize and deconstruct the problem as a means of cocreating a new story that is saturated with the client's strengths, assets, and preferred outcomes (K. C. Herman, 1998;Richert, 2003;White & Epston, 1990b). By focusing on these factors, the therapist is able to incorporate an optimal worldview, empowering the client to live in ways outside his or her typical narrative, thus positively reinforcing newly established meanings and goals (Kirven, 2000;Richert, 2003).…”

“…Using this collaboration and emphasis on themes, the therapist can externalize and deconstruct the problem as a means of cocreating a new story that is saturated with the client's strengths, assets, and preferred outcomes (K. C. Herman, 1998;Richert, 2003;White & Epston, 1990b). By focusing on these factors, the therapist is able to incorporate an optimal worldview, empowering the client to live in ways outside his or her typical narrative, thus positively reinforcing newly established meanings and goals (Kirven, 2000;Richert, 2003).…”

“…I believe that this interweaving adds existential-narrative components to current evidence-supported treatment modalities, which could enhance successful outcomes when treating survivors of interpersonal violence experiencing PTSD symptoms. Grendlin (as cited in Richert, 2003) has argued that the process of creating meaning is the interaction between symbols and living in the moment; thus, this collaboration could holistically assist a survivor of interpersonal violence restory and restore his or her lost sense of meaning. Both approaches share a phenomenological perspective that values the internal and external forces that help shape a client's subjective worldview (Richert, 2003;Roysircar, 2004).…”