Narrative and Solution-Focused Therapies: A Twenty-Year Retrospective

Abstract

The Therapeutic Conversations (TC 1) Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1991 was a historic event in the advancement of postmodern therapies. We (David, a narrative therapist, and Jeff, a solution-focused therapist) were profoundly affected by this summit of the pioneering voices in narrative, solution-focused, strategic, and systemic therapy. This article highlights the evolution of both narrative and solution-focused therapy since TC 1 from our distinct, but overlapping vantage points. We have noted the increased differentiation of these approaches therapies since they were first compared (Chang & Phillips, 1993). While this differentiation is significant, we note that a hybrid of narrative and solution-focused therapy is being practiced among new practitioners, a development that may not have been predicted or hoped for by first and second-generation narrative and solution-focused therapists. This development is situated within the current climate of evidence-based practice, the recovery model of mental health, positive psychology, strength-based approaches, and the recent emphasis on resilience. Finally, we comment on the perils and possibilities of current developments and speculate as to what this might mean for the future of both approaches.