Narrative Therapy Interventions for Depressive Symptomatology

Problems with depression are among the most common and most debilitating psychological issues for which professional help is sought. Narrative therapy offers practices that have been found useful in assisting individuals with depressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This article aims to contribute to the relatively limited literature by presenting a descriptive illustration of narrative therapy in the case of a client experiencing depressive symptoms. In particular, this article aims to demonstrate how the narrative therapeutic practices of externalization and documentation can be helpful for clients whose depressive symptoms have arisen as a result of the implicit acceptance and internalization of problematic norms, standards, and expectations. The article concludes that narrative therapy deserves serious consideration as an intervention for individuals who experience symptoms associated with depression.