A. Richert, Integrating existential and narrative therapy

Mary McDonald

pp. 471-476

in: Ronnie Lippens, James Hardie-Bick (eds), Transcendence and transgression, Human Studies 35 (3), 2012.

Abstract

“Human change implies more than an absence of problems… life is more than an absence of suffering” (p. 367). In a climate that increasingly defines psychological distress in terms of a variety of biological symptoms to be identified and then promptly alleviated primarily through pharmaceutical intervention, Alphons Richert offers a rich psychotherapeutic alternative. Drawing from the main tenets of narrative and existential theories of therapy, Richert advocates for a method that focuses on helping the client find and embrace stories that are empowering in the face of life events that seem to prove the opposite. Rather than simply seeking a reduction of symptoms, Richert’s existential/narrative approach aims to provide clients with a better way of living. Interspersing his theoretical discussion with brief case studies to illustrate the effectiveness of a theory that integrates the somewhat disparate methods of existential and narrative therapy, Richert’s book serves as both a...