Narrative therapy derived from a desire to find ethical and effective ways of working in these situations. Many workers are continually refining ways of working in such contexts. Narrative therapy always involves conveying meaning and the telling of stories but the ways in which this occurs differ enormously depending upon the people involved. Much of the work that is now referred to as narrative therapy originated in and continues to involve work with very young children. There is a great diversity of ways in which stories can be told and conveyed that do not require what is generally considered to be eloquence or literacy, or for that matter any formal education.
People try to make themselves understood in a great variety of ways.
It is the therapist s role to engage with the experience and meaning of the person who is consulting them in whichever way or shape the expressions of this meaning occurs. This question can really only be answered by people from non-dominant cultures. Over many years the therapy community has been consistently challenged to recognise that due to the significant distinctions and differences between cultures, any form of therapy cannot be simply transferred from one community to another. Just as with any way of thinking or working, there will be many aspects of narrative therapy that cannot simply be applied from one culture to another. Ideally, workers would be of the same cultural background as the people consulting them.