Narrative therapy and minimalism

Narrative therapy belongs to the psychotherapies of the third wave, which, unlike the first (focused on the patient's pathologies) and second wave (focused on the problem), focus on the person. But not in the sense only of rescuing humanity snatched after two world wars; but in firmly believing that the solutions to people's problems reside in themselves and in their environment.

So, we ask ourselves: how do you convince your patient that he or she already has the tools to overcome your discomforts and solve your problems without being considered unprofessional and unethical? The answer is offered by Narrative Therapy: Outsourcing.

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Narrative Therapy and Outsourcing

Externalization allows the patient to see her problem as something that accompanies and torments him, not as part of him or her. This changes the person's vision of her problem and allows her to choose and make decisions about "the" problem.

The maximum credo of the narrative approach is: "The person is never the problem, the problem is the problem."

In order to achieve the objectives, it is necessary to notice the language we use. Because, the narrative therapist focuses on the stories or narratives of the patient, considering them as sequential and temporal events coupled in the same theme.

Thus, it frees people from guilt and makes them the central point of therapy: the most expert in their lives; recognizing their convictions and values, encouraging the exploitation of their abilities and strengthening their commitments to reduce the influence of the problem in their lives.

Achieving this, Narrative therapy also brings out thoughts and feelings of respect and self-esteem in the person that invade the consultation, positively affecting the therapist-patient bond. The simple work focused on the perspective that the person has on the problem that afflicts him, allows the achievement of the therapeutic objectives and a dual benefit.

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The narrative approach

To externalize the problem, narrative therapy invites build conversations by incorporating alternative stories that reduce the influence of the problem on people's lives, opening the vision towards new possibilities of life.

These alternative stories are chosen as those that direct the life that people want, inviting a rich and detailed description of it and directing it towards the same goal.

Now uOnce the problem has been externalized, it is necessary to treat it as a different entity from the person who brought it for consultation. But how to do it without underestimating the discomfort that it has produced in the person during the time of coexistence? How can we get the patient to objectively visualize the problem and find a truly effective solution without feeling trapped in the problem again? The answer is accompanied by an approach akin to narrative therapy: minimalism.

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Understanding minimalism

You have surely heard the term "microlearning", or microlearning. Well, minimalist therapy, like the "micro" or "mini", focuses on achieve small great advances in people to achieve crystallization of their alternative stories. With microlearning, people learn a new topic step by step and insert it into our cognitive baggage.

With minimalist therapy, the patient performs actions that can be perceived as insignificant, but which, projecting her achievement within the desired goal reach as part of the "new" life that they choose to live without the problem, they take on such an impressive and motivating relevance in the people they strengthen their decision to promote their alternative history and open their vision to incorporate various tools from their own capacities and singularities.

It may sound simple and easy to do, but it is important to be clear about the problem, how to externalize it, the appropriate language in relation to your patient and, of course, the alternative life history that your patient wishes to start walking unaccompanied by the problem.

If you take these premises into account and apply them appropriately with your patient, then minimalist therapy will help you. will open multiple options that you can share with your patient and encourage him to move slowly, but in a effective. Remember that all change begins with a decision, only one, but decisive.

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Do you want to learn more about narrative therapy and minimalism?

If so, you are in luck; You can enroll in the "Narrative Therapy and Minimalism" Course offered by the PRENLU Digital School of Psychology, where we will learn strategies and guidelines for approaching these postmodern therapies.

By accessing the Prenlu website and selecting the course you can take advantage of a discount with this promotional code: CSEN9UYH.