How we story our lives has a significant impact in how we live our lives. Constructing our Dominant Narrative involves choice in meaning-making in life events, how we view ourselves, and our relationships. Too often Community teaches us to take a narrow view on how we make meaning of events, which problematizes how we view ourselves and can limit our opportunities. For example, if someone is in an accident and they become confined to a wheelchair, the Dominant Norm will Catastrophize the situation and message that life for that individual is severely compromised. However, counter narratives can offer a more positive and hopeful outlook.
Collaborative Counsellors often rely on the unravelling of Unique Outcomes to begin the process to help individuals become more narratively resourced. By “Thickening” the counter-narratives, individuals start to see how they can construct a new Dominant Narrative for themselves. Narrative Therapists help individuals “to re-author or re-story conversations; enabling them to see new avenues for action and by improving their capacities to respond to such affordances.” By creating space during therapeutic conversations for individuals to socially construct their personal narrative, people become the expert in their own lives and grow a stronger sense of autonomy.
For the individual above who is now confined to a wheelchair counselling would entail supporting competing narratives that catastrophize their situation. Counsellors would work to understand what is important to that person, what the individual’s values, needs, and desires are. The work is for the individual, not the Dominant Norm, to social construct his own personal narrative to forge his identity and purpose in life going forward. Far too often the messaging for individuals is prescriptive, rather than to encourage personal exploration, leaning towards possibility. In the re-authoring process the therapist is often involved in the co-construction of a new storyline. This is to acknowledge that all therapy is not completely un-biased and does have some influence in outcome.
Exercise
Using the identification of the Unique Outcomes that were revealed in that last exercise, and after thicking their stories, re-write a more preferred personal narrative that you believe will result in living a life more preferred.
Identify Unique Outcomes: Look for exceptions—specific moments or events when the problem was less present, or when you acted in ways that contradicted the dominant story. These “unique outcomes” are evidence of alternative possibilities.
Reflect on Values and Strengths: Explore what your exceptions say about your underlying values and what is important to you. Questions to ask include:
“What does this action say about what’s important to me?”
“What strengths was I using in this moment?”
“When else have I done anything that reflects similar values, even further back in my life?”
Envision Future Chapters: Imagine a desired future where the new narrative is dominant. Write a “possible story” detailing how you would feel, act, and think in this future.
Reference
Countering the Norm, (Re)authoring Our Lives: The Promise Counterstorytelling Holds as a Research Methodology With LGBTQ Youth and Beyond By M. Alex Wagaman1 , Rae Caballero Obejero1 , and James S. Gregory International Journal of Qualitative Methods Volume 17: 1–11 ª The Author(s) 2018 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/160940691880064
