Posted: September 7th, 2024

Experiential and Narrative Family Therapy

Walden University
NRNP-6650

Experiential and Narrative Family Therapy
Introduction
Therapists can use a range of approaches to address multiple issues. Experiential and narrative family therapy is effective in resolving various problems. Experiential therapy examines experiences of “here and now,” while narrative therapy involves telling a story to understand the behavior of a client (Denborough & Nylund, 2019). The two have similarities and differences that therapists should understand in their attempt to attend to clients. The paper aims to examine the concepts of narrative and experiential family therapy, their differences, strengths and weaknesses, and a family genogram.
Summaries
Narrative family therapy involves retelling someone’s story to understand the reasons for their behavior. The tenets of the therapy indicate that telling a story is a step towards change. One of the objectives of the therapy is to separate an individual from their problems. Externalization is one of the therapy concepts that trigger self-compassion (Suddeath et al., 2017). Self-compassion is effective in helping individuals to develop the desire to change their situations. Some of the theory’s principles indicate that narrative can help maintain and organize reality (Suddeath et al., 2017). It also demonstrates that reality is influenced and communicated through language.
Experiential family therapy is another concept that examines experiences of “here and now.” It involves role-playing activities, which provide an opportunity for the clients to reenact their experiences (Jørring & Jensen, 2018). Reenacting the events unfolds hidden information about the relationship among individuals or attitudes of individual clients. The purpose is to stimulate change, as well as growth. The objective of experiential family therapy is to encourage individual autonomy and create a sense of interconnection among all the family members (Jørring & Jensen, 2018). The category comprises drama therapy, wilderness, music therapy, and equine therapy (Jørring & Jensen, 2018). For instance, people use music therapy to motivate themselves to reach various goals. Wilderness therapy is part of a multidisciplinary program that involves participating in outdoor activities such as excursions and zip lining.
Comparison
Experiential therapy and narrative family therapy have some similarities and differences. One of the differences is that narrative involves talking sharing experiences while experiential involves role-playing. The two therapies use different methods in addressing a client’s needs (Kaynan & Wade, 2018). For instance, experiential therapy can involve outdoor activities, while the narrative only focuses on talking. Experiential therapy is a kind of a category that involves various approaches, including wilderness and music therapy, whereas narrative therapy is a standalone technique of addressing clients’ issues (Kaynan & Wade, 2018). Narrative therapy focuses on narrating past events while experiential therapy focuses on here and now.
The two therapies have significant similarities since they can address major family and individual issues. Some of the problems include substance and drug abuse, depression, and relationship issues (Kaynan & Wade, 2018). Another similarity is that they both apply practical approaches to resolving issues. Therapists need to understand the similarities to determine the best approaches for their clients.
Experiential family therapy has various strengths, including focusing on ‘here and now.’ It does not relate the current behavior with the present happenings. Clients can also freely express their emotions and attitudes that control their behavior (Russell & Gillis, 2017). A therapist thus finds n opportunity to uncover hidden information critical for resolving the issue. However, experiential family therapy has some weaknesses since it focuses on the client’s experiences to derive meaning. It also encourages clients to confront their issues without offering specific help.
Narrative family therapy can make some clients uncomfortable they do not want to be the experts in the recovery process. Research also shows that some clients may lack the capacity or skills to express themselves due to a lack of communication capacity. Another weakness is that there is no specific formula or scope (Russell & Gillis, 2017). The approach is also ineffective among clients with communication challenges. The limitations undermine the effectiveness of the therapy.
Experiential Family Therapy
A mother, father and daughter present to the therapist’s office. The mother, 49, complains that the daughter, 18 years old, has some eating problems. Her father, 57, believes that she is trying to cut weight to impress people at the school beauty pageant. However, the daughter acknowledges that her eating habits changed since she broke up with her boyfriend. Experiential therapy can be used to demonstrate that eating problems are not only related to weight loss, but depression, loneliness, and insecurities (Kaynan & Wade, 2018).
Family Genogram
The genogram represents the family in the case study and extends back to third generation.

Conclusion
Experiential therapy focuses on activities and role playing to uncover the behavior of clients while narrative therapy involves talking about past experiences. The article covers the concepts of the two approaches, the similarities, differences, and family genogram. It shows that therapists have a responsibility to select the best approach that will favor their clients and skill set.

References
Denborough, D., & Nylund, D. (2019). Moments to treasure: Narrative family therapy with trans children and cisgender parents. International Journal of Narrative Therapy & Community Work, (2), 16.
Jørring, N. T., & Jensen, K. G. (2018). Treatment efficacy of narrative family therapy for children and adolescents with diverse psychiatric symptomatology. Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, 6(2), 107-114.
Kaynan, B., & Wade, C. (2018). Therapeutic theatre as family therapy: Integrating drama therapy and experiential family therapy. Drama Therapy Review, 4(1), 9-23.
Russell, K. C., & Gillis, H. L. (2017). Experiential therapy in the mental health treatment of adolescents. Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, 4(1), 1695.
Suddeath, E. G., Kerwin, A. K., & Dugger, S. M. (2017). Narrative family therapy: Practical techniques for more effective work with couples and families. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 39(2), 116-131.

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