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

1. 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?"
2. Trace it forward: "If this quality continues to grow, where do you imagine it taking you?"
3. Invite a witness: "Who in your life would be least surprised to hear about this?"
4. Document the alternative story in concrete terms — a letter, a list, a timeline.
5. 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. (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)

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.