Alice Morgan > Quotes

“it is important to note that therapists are not trying to impose their ideas or thoughts on the person, to ‘change a person’s thinking’. Nor are they imposing an outside point of view into the conversation. They are asking questions that they do not know the answers to, and they are remaining curious. They are inquiring as to the ideas and context that may be supporting the existence of the problem; they are tracing the history of these ideas, how they came into the person’s life; they are asking questions that evaluate the effects of these beliefs, whether they are helpful or not. If these effects are judged not to be helpful, therapists are listening for unique outcomes – times when the person has acted in ways that indicate a breaking away from these dominant ideas. When these unique outcomes are identified, it is possible to explore them further as they are openings to alternative stories.”
― Alice Morgan, What is Narrative Therapy?: An easy-to-read introduction

“leave evaluating the significance of certain events as unique outcomes to the person whose life is being discussed.”
― Alice Morgan, What is Narrative Therapy?: An easy-to-read introduction

“the key question for narrative therapists becomes: how can we assist people to break from thin conclusions and to re-author new and preferred stories for their lives and relationships?”
― Alice Morgan, What is Narrative Therapy?: An easy-to-read introduction