Narrative Therapy An Integrated Outcome?

Introduction

Systemic therapy was based on Minuchin’s Structural Therapy model (1968) followed by Bateson's cybernetic model (1972) The first order cybernetic model considerd that problems within a family system should be focused on by strategically solving problems, meeting family goals and help change a person's dysfunctional behaviour. D Shazer (1985). These concepts in Systemic therapy were known as the major paradigms and were taught by therapists such as Minuchin in Milan until the information-processing systems were introduced. They were characterized by the therapist's observation of the system from the external social world. Minuchin S & Fisherman,HC (1981)
Systemic Family
This becomes the external object separate from both the child and the family. The therapist, co-constructs with the family new beliefs and discourses about the child’s behavior. The family is then able to re-write a more functional and appropriate narrative pertaining to their child’s behavior.(Papadopoulos &Byng-Hall).

Therapist’s therapeutic questioning and conversations
Family’s will tell their stories about their background and history and may include a time line which can go back to their early child hood experiences. Like many people’s lives it will involve them telling stories about negative as well as positive aspects of their lives.
This is where Landscape questioning is useful i.e. ‘Landscape of action’ as it combines the sequence of events with facts of the story as well as the underlying theme as a way to gain an overall background picture of the family story.
The ‘Landscape of consciousness’, is where a therapist will ask a Client to’ inner’ reflect on their feelings as well as well as on the ‘outer’ events within the landscape of action i.e. “what those involved in the action know, think, or feel, or do not know, think, or feel” in terms of what is important to them and what does this suggest about each other. White & Epston (1990).
Central to this way of questioning is the client as significant events of life can be drawn together in a conversational style of narrative and the therapist and client are able to con construct into a