Narrative Systems in Psychotherapy

Narrative Systems in Psychotherapy: An Integrative Approach to Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy provides students with innovative research and insight to support their counseling practice with individuals, couples, and families. The book employs a narrative systems approach, encouraging readers to view psychotherapeutic theories as a collection of useful stories about human nature, human difficulties, and possible means of treatment.



The book begins with an introduction to narrative systems theory, emphasizing the idea that an individual's experiences and the personal narratives they construct from those experiences inform their perceptions, beliefs, thoughts, and emotional imprinting. Readers learn how to leverage this information to develop a shared therapeutic narrative with their clients and, as a result, create meaningful and effective treatment plans. Dedicated chapters explore the principle tasks of therapy, the nature of conflict in relationships, the skills required for successful communication between couples, family dynamics, stressors, and systems, and more. Prominent literature within the discipline is reviewed and referenced, and real-world examples are presented throughout to bridge theory with practice.



Narrative Systems in Psychotherapy is designed to support graduate-level courses in theories and methods of marriage and family therapy.

Geoffrey Buckley, Ph.D. has been a licensed marriage and family therapist for more than 30 years and has extensive experience treating individuals, couples, children, adolescents, and families. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, a M.S. in marriage and family therapy from California Lutheran University, and a M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. Buckley has served as an adjunct professor in psychology and counseling at Pepperdine and California State University, Northridge, since 2001, and has also taught in the graduate psychology department of California Lutheran University.