Integrating Buddhist-Informed Interventions Into Narrative Family Therapy

Culturally responsive couples and family therapy requires incorporating spirituality into clinical practice at the clients’ request. Researchers led a focus group with Buddhist practitioners who work in clinical care settings to better understand the degree of fit between Buddhist practices and narrative family therapy interventions. Compatible practices included mindfulness, externalization, and self of therapist work. While narrative family therapy's model of change has points of divergence from Buddhism, there are ways to incorporate Buddhist beliefs into narrative practices.

Epistemological Intersections of Buddhism and Narrative Family Therapy

Researchers conducted a focus group to explore the epistemological intersections between Buddhism and narrative family therapy (NFT). The data's themes indicate areas of overlap as well as potential disconnect regarding NFT's systemic understanding, evolving stories, and empowering epistemologies. These areas of convergence and divergence point to possibilities for the meaningful incorporation of Buddhist teachings and principles within the context of spiritually integrated NFT practice.

Doctor, Snitch, and Weasel: Narrative Family Therapy With a Child Suffering From Encopresis and Enuresis

Children who experience enuresis and encopresis can face many difficulties, including social isolation, shame, embarrassment, anxiety, and depression. Due to the prevalence of enuresis and encopresis, it is essential for mental health professionals to understand the common symptoms and available treatment options for enuresis and encopresis, particularly to assist parents struggling to help their children overcome these challenges. Despite this need, there is very little clinical literature that incorporates a systemic approach for families who have a child diagnosed with enuresis and encopresis. Furthermore, common treatment approaches may unwittingly reinforce children’s perception that these problems are rooted in their identity. In an effort to address these concerns, the present case study aims to illustrate how a narrative therapy approach was utilized to effectively treat a child with enuresis and encopresis. Narrative therapy can uniquely assist children and their parents by helping them externalize the problem, overcome the problem-saturated view of their lives, and create new experiences where the problem is nonexistent.

Narrative Family Therapy: Practical Techniques for More Effective Work with Couples and Families

This article provides counselors with an introduction to the knowledge and skills involved in providing narrative family therapy (NFT). Following an overview of the theoretical foundations undergirding this therapeutic approach, a case study is used to illustrate the use of numerous NFT techniques. These techniques include eliciting stories to meet families apart from their problems, recognizing cultural discourse and its impact on family narratives, externalizing the problem from the family, and re-authoring the story through the identification and understanding of exceptions and unique outcomes and the identification and enactment of preferred narratives. The article concludes with recommendations for further development of competence in this area.