Abstract
Although the humanistic/existential and the narrative approaches to psychotherapy are clearly distinct perspectives with some marked differences at the level of metatheory, they also show very important similarities in their conceptualization of the human condition and the processes involved in living adaptively (Richert, 1999). These similarities make these two approaches reasonable candidates for integration. The present paper examines five specific points of integration at the level of strategy and techniques (Neimeyer, 1993b): Interplay of experiential meanings and narrative structure in developing client meaning, use of existential themes in client narratives, deconstruction as a means of dealing with existential guilt, contextualization of wishes as a means of mobilizing will, and reflexivity as a way of developing the “I–Thou” relationship. A brief theoretical rationale is offered for each of these points of integration, and each is illustrated with clinical examples.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Barlow, D. H. (1988). Anxiety and its disorders. New York: Guilford Press.
Bruner, J. (1986). Actual minds possible worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Bugental, J. F. T. (1987). The art of the psychotherapist. New York: W. W. Norton.
Bugental, J. F. T., & McBeath, B. (1995). Existential therapy: Evolution since World War II. In B. Bongar & L. E. Beutler. (Eds.), Comprehensive textbook of psychotherapy: Theory and practice (pp. 111–122) New York: Oxford University Press.
Drewery, W., & Winslade, J. (1997). The theoretical story of narrative therapy. In: G. Monk, J. Winslade, K. Crocket, & D. Epston (Eds.), Narrative therapy in practice: The archaeology of hope (pp. 32–52). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Elliott, R., & Greenberg, L. S. (1997). Multiple voices in process-experiential therapy: Dialogues between aspects of the self. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 7, 225–240.
Epston, D. (1993). Internalized other questioning with couples: The New Zealand version. In S. Gilligan & R. Price (Eds.), Therapeutic Conversations (pp. 183–189). New York: W. W. Norton.
Epston, D., & White, M. (1995). Termination as a rite of passage: Questioning strategies for a therapy of inclusion. In R. A. Neimeyer & M. J. Mahoney (Eds.), Constructivism in psychotherapy (pp. 339–354). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Freedman, J., & Combs, G. (1996). Narrative therapy: The social construction of preferred realities. New York: W. W. Norton.
Freeman, J., Epston, D., & Lobovits, D. (1997). Playful approaches to serious problems: Narrative therapy with children and their families. New York: W. W. Norton.
Gendlin, E. T. (1962). Experiencing and the Creation of Meaning: A philosophical and psychological approach to the subjective. New York: Free Press of Glencoe.
Gendlin, E. T. (1968). The experiential response. In E. F. Hammer (Ed.). Use of interpretation in treatment: Technique and art (pp. 208–227). New York: Grune & Stratton.
Gendlin, E. T. (1981). Focusing (ev. ed.). New York: Bantam Books.
Gendlin, E. T. (1996). Focusing-oriented psychotherapy: A manual of the experiential method. New York: The Guilford Press.
Gold, J. R. (1996). Key concepts in psychotherapy integration. New York: Plenum.
Greenberg, L. S., Rice, L. N., & Elliot, R. (1993). Facilitating emotional change: The moment-by-moment process. New York: Guilford Press.
Guidano, V. F. (1995). Constructivist psychotherapy: A theoretical framework. In R. A. Neimeyer, & M. J. Mahoney (Eds.), Constructivism in psychotherapy. (pp. 93–110). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Harré, R., & Gillett, G. (1994). The discursive mind. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and time. (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). New York: Harper & Row.
Mahoney, M. J. (1991). Human change processes: The scientific foundations of psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
Mahrer, A. R. (1989). The integration of psychotherapies: A guide for practicing therapists. New York: Human Sciences Press.
May, R. (1983). The discovery of being: Writings in existential psychology. New York: W. W. Norton.
May, R., & Yalom, I. D. (1989). Existential psychotherapy. In R. J. Corsini & D. Wedding (Eds.), Current psychotherapies (4th ed.); (pp. 363–404). Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock.
Monk, G. (1997). How narrative therapy works. In G. Monk, J. Winslade, K. Crocket, & D. Epston (Eds.), Narrative therapy in practice: The archaeology of hope (pp. 3–31). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Neimeyer, R. A. (1993a). An appraisal of constructivist psychotherapies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 61, 221–234.
Neimeyer, R. A. (1993b). Constructivism and the problem of psychotherapy integration. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 3, 133–157.
Omer, H. (1993a). The integrative focus: Coordinating symptom-and person-oriented perspectives in therapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 47, 283–295.
Omer, H. (1993b). Short-term psychotherapy and the rise of the life-sketch. Psychotherapy, 30, 668–673.
Omer, H., & Strenger, C. (1992). The pluralist revolution: From the one true meaning to an infinity of constructed ones. Psychotherapy, 29, 253–261.
Polanyi, M. (1958). Personal knowledge: Towards a post-critical philosophy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Richert, A. J. (1999). Some thoughts on the integration of narrative and humanistic/existential approaches to psychotherapy. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 9, 161–184.
Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client centered therapy. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
White, M. (1993). Deconstruction and therapy. In S. Gilligan & R. Price (Eds.). Therapeutic Conversations (pp. 22–61). New York: W. W. Norton.
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative means to therapeutic ends. New York: W. W. Norton.
Winslade, J., Crocket, K., & Monk, G. (1997). The therapeutic relationship. In G. Monk, J. Winslade, K. Crocket, & D. Epston (Eds.), Narrative therapy in practice: The archaeology of hope (pp. 53–81). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Richert, A.J. Some Practical Implications of Integrating Narrative and Humanistic/Existential Approaches to Psychotherapy. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration 9, 257–278 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023248122756
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023248122756