Helping the couple tell the story of their relationship anew — including the crisis and the way through it. The new narrative integrates difficulties as part of the path toward closeness.
Step-by-step guide
- At the consolidation stage: "Tell me the story of your relationship — from the beginning to today"
- Help to include the crisis: "What happened when you lost the connection? What was that like?"
- Help to include the overcoming: "And then you came here. What changed? What did you find?"
- Ask: "What do you now know about yourselves and each other that you did not know before?"
- Help to formulate: "We went through. and it made us."
- Suggest writing it down — as a story for yourselves, for the children, for the future
When to use
- At the consolidation stage (steps 8–9)
- At the end of therapy
Key phrases
Tell me the story of your relationship — from the beginning to today.
Follow-up questions
What happened when you lost the connection? What was that like?
And then you came here. What changed? What did you find?
What do you now know about yourselves and each other that you did not know before?
We went through. and it made us.
Warnings
- ⚠️ The new narrative must not deny the pain. It includes it as part of the path — does not silence it
Source: Johnson, S. (2004)
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.