Working with narrative in psychotherapy: A relational constructivist approach

The appeal of narrative as a root metaphor for human psychological functioning seems to be particularly noticeable among constructivists and social constructionists. The aim of this work is to make a contribution to this ongoing development, one that rests on our own understanding of narrative and psychotherapy from a relational constructivist approach (Botella, 2001; Botella & Herrero, 2000). Thus, the chapter is divided in three main sections: (a) a brief outline of our understanding of relational constructivism and its main guiding assumptions; (b) a series of guidelines for the practice of working with narrative in therapy, informed by a relational constructivist approach to both clinical practice and research; and (c) some closing thoughts about what we consider the main challenges of narrative therapy in the near future.