Postmodern Approaches

Founders include:
Insoo Kim Berg

Steve de Shazer

Michael White

David Epston

Postmodernists believe that an individual's reality is based upon one's use of language.

• Social constructionism-Once a definition of self is adopted, it is hard for one to recognize behaviors counter to that definition.

Example: It is hard for an individual that suffers from chronic depression to imagine a mindset of happiness or a good mood.

Solution-focused brief therapy- Introduced by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg

• Focuses on future possibilities and solutions
• Avoids discovering how the problem starts
• Clients choose goals they want to achieve
• Incorporate optimistic thinking
• Establish effective patterns of behavior
• Discovering client's desires through basic conversation

The Therapeutic Process

Step 1: Clients are given an opportunity to describe their problems
Step 2: The therapist works to establish goals with client as soon as possible
Step 3: Clients explore their exceptions to their problems
Step 4: Therapist offers feedback, provides encouragement and suggestions to further solve their problem
Step 5: Progress is evaluated and solution to problem is determined

SFBT Goals

• Therapist provides an encouraging and changing environment
• Clients establish their own goals for therapy
• Small, realistic goals for change are developed
• To increase client's hope and willingness to change
• Encourage clients to engage in solution talk instead of problem talk

Techniques

• Pretherapy change- Scheduling an appointment and discussing changes prior to
• Exception questions- Clients are asked when the current problem did not occur or when it would have been expected to occur
• The Miracle question- Clients are asked "What if the problem is solved?" and their reaction
• Scaling questions- Rating the client's feeling or moods during the problem compared to if the problem was solved
• Formula first session task- Homework assignment between sessions
• Therapist feedback- Consists of compliments and suggestions
• Terminating- Once solution is determined, the therapeutic relationship can be terminated

Narrative Therapy- Introduced by Michael White and David Epston

• Constructing the meaning of life in interpretive stories.

Key Concepts

• Listening to client's stories ( what we see, feel, and do)
• Changing one's hopeless story to an encouraging story
• Listen to clients without judgement

The Therapeutic Process

• Collaborate with client to personify the problem
• Explore the effect of the problem
• Offer different viewpoints of meanings to the problem
• Discover when the problem was not effective and begin to rewrite one's story
• Client is required to envision future possibilities
• Client needs to act and live out their new story

Narrative Therapy Goals

• Being able to express new language
• Develop new meanings for problematic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
• Increase awareness of impact of various aspects of dominant culture on human life

Techniques

• Questions- Therapist's way of generating experience
• Externalization and Deconstruction- The problem is the problem; diminishing assumptions and opening up different possibilities
• Search for unique outcomes- Discusses with the client about moments of choice or success regarding the problem
• Alternative stories and Reauthoring- Encouraging clients to be the author of different stories
• Documenting the evidence- Clients are encouraged to develop an audience to express their stories to; Living and acting out their new story

My View: Postmodern Therapy reminds me of Cognitive Behavior Therapy as far as claiming that our thoughts effect our behavior in which effects our emotions and Postmodernists focus on the effect of one's speech on behavior. I think this approach can be effective for individuals who feel as if they are trapped by their emotions and have lost all hope for change.