Abstract:
This article is a tribute to Michael White, co-founder of
narrative therapy, who passed away on 5 April 2008. Michael
White and David Epston founded a substantial and groundbreaking
psychological movement based on narrative therapy.
Michael touched with dignity and changed for the better the lives
of thousands. Michael White was an extraordinary person:
philosopher, scientist and psychologist, who has opened alternative
opportunities of hope to individuals through narrative therapy.
Michael will be mourned by many; his teachings will be celebrated
by many more. May the richness of his legacy flourish. A discussion
follows concerning the theory of narrative therapy. This is
illustrated by picture, depicting the main constructs of narrative
therapy (figure 1), representing a metaphor of narrative therapy.
This picture is in line with the therapeutic method of drawing
pictures of metaphors in the counselling process, as propagated
by White and Epston, and illustrated on DVD by David Epston:
Narrative therapy with a young boy (Epston, 2002). The aim
of the paper is not to give a linear representation of what narrative
therapy should be, but rather to illustrate the main facets of
narrative therapy.
