Comparison of Narrative Therapy from Postmodern Counseling Theories with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychoanalytic Therapy

Recently, various counseling theories and approaches, which are described as postmodern, have begun to emerge in the field of psychological counseling. One of these postmodern approaches is the Narrative Therapy approach. Narrative Therapy is a counseling approach created in 1990 by researchers named White and Epston, influenced by social constructivist and postmodernism theories. In this study, it is aimed to reveal the main differences between modernits and post-modernist theories by comparing the Narrative Therapy approach, which is one of the post-modern approaches briefly mentioned above, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychoanalytic Therapy, which are the most popular modernist counseling theories. Counseling theories were compared in terms of philosophy and theoretical foundations, perspectives on human nature, ways of formulating the sick, therapeutic purposes in the counseling process, client-counselor relations, counseling stages and techniques used. According to the results of the comparison, the Narrative Therapy approach is an approach that is far from being problem-focused according to the other two theories, and the therapist is an approach in which the therapist helps individuals create functional stories about their lives. In addition, it can be said that Narrative Therapy is a counseling approach that is more humane and culturally sensitive than the other two approaches, and gives importance to the socio-psychological development of the clients.