Narrative Therapy was developed in the 1970s by two family therapists, Michael White and David Epston. Unlike traditional psychotherapy, which claims that problems arise in people’s unconscious, Epston and White recognized that problems arise in a social context and language and societal mores shape how we perceive them. 

White and Epston were inspired by the work of postmodern philosopher Michel Foucault, who looked critically at social constructions of power and the roles that race, class, and gender inequities play in society. 

Based on Foucault, White and Epston’s approach situates people in context and focuses on how we tell and share their own stories. Self-narratives directly impact our sense of agency, efficacy and identity in the world. By changing our story we can change how we experience our lives. The therapist’s role is not to identify problems, but to be curious about the conditions in which problems arise. This encourages people to actively work toward change and counter the powerlessness often felt when confronting serious life challenges.