Re-Authoring the Alternative Story
Build a preferred story of identity by thickening the exceptions into a narrative with a plot.
Why it works
A single unique outcome is a data point; a story is what connects data points across time and gives them meaning. Re-authoring asks the person to trace the alternative story backward (when did this quality first show up?) and forward (where might it lead?). This narrative scaffolding is the mechanism: a new identity story needs temporal thickness — a plot with a past, present, and future — to be psychologically stable enough to compete with the old, dominant story.
How to do it
- After naming the preferred quality (e.g., courage, persistence), trace it back: "When did you first show this? As far back as you can remember?"
- Trace it forward: "If this quality continues to grow, where do you imagine it taking you?"
- Invite a witness: "Who in your life would be least surprised to hear about this?"
- Document the alternative story in concrete terms — a letter, a list, a timeline.
- Return to it regularly to add new unique outcomes as they occur.
Evidence
Re-authoring draws on narrative psychology research (McAdams) showing that story coherence predicts wellbeing and identity stability. Narrative therapy outcome trials show promise for depression and trauma, though sample sizes are typically small. A prospective study of narrative therapy for adults with major depressive disorder found improved depressive symptoms and interpersonal outcomes, offering direct outcome evidence for the re-authoring approach. (observational)
Evidence for re-authoring specifically is embedded in broader narrative therapy outcome research, which lacks the methodological uniformity of CBT trials.
Sources
- Narrative therapy systematic review: Carr (1998), "Michael White’s narrative therapy", Contemporary Family Therapy (qualitative review)
- Vromans, L. P., & Schweitzer, R. D. (2011). Narrative therapy for adults with major depressive disorder: Improved symptom and interpersonal outcomes. Psychotherapy Research, 21(1), 4–15.
Common mistake
Treating re-authoring as a single conversation rather than an ongoing project — the new story needs to be revisited, added to, and reinforced across multiple sessions.
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More practices for Narrative Therapy: Rewriting the Stories That Define You
- Externalizing the Problem
Separate the person from the problem by talking about it as if it exists outside them.
- Finding Unique Outcomes (Exceptions to the Problem Story)
Surface moments when the problem did NOT dominate — these are the seeds of an alternative story.
- Definitional Ceremonies and Outsider Witnesses
Invite meaningful others to witness and retell the new story — being known differently by others consolidates the new identity.
- Therapeutic Letters
A therapist’s written letter to a client between sessions — documenting alternative-story gains before they fade.
- Landscape of Identity and Action Questions
Use two question types to map both what the person DID (action) and what that reveals about who they ARE (identity).
- The Absent But Implicit: What Problems Reveal About What We Value
Every problem story implies a violated value — surfacing that value reveals the person’s strengths, not just their struggles.
Related concepts
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Made Practical
The core techniques, the mechanisms, and where the evidence is strongest
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Made Practical
The core ACT processes, the mechanisms behind them, and an honest read on the evidence
- Internal Family Systems (IFS), Made Practical
The parts model, the mechanisms behind it, and an honest read on an emerging evidence base