Mapping the Application of Narrative Counseling in Addressing Psychosocial Problems: A Systematic Literature Review
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Keywords:
Narrative counseling, narrative therapy, psychosocial problems, psychosocial interventionAbstract
Narrative counseling is a counseling approach that views individuals’ experiences through the stories or narratives they construct about themselves, their environment, and the problems they encounter. This approach views individuals not as problems themselves but as people experiencing problems. Therefore, the counseling process is directed toward helping clients understand dominant stories that influence their lives, externalize problems, and identify experiences that can be developed into alternative stories. This study aims to map the application of narrative counseling in addressing various psychosocial problems based on scientific literature published between 2019 and 2025. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted by adapting the PRISMA 2020 framework. Literature was selected based on its relevance to narrative counseling or narrative therapy, its relationship with psychosocial problems, publication between 2019 and 2025, and the availability of sufficient research information. The mapping of 22 verified studies indicates that narrative counseling has been applied to various psychosocial problems, including anxiety, depression, trauma, self-identity, self-esteem, self-concept, meaning in life, self-disclosure, interpersonal communication, family problems, career decision-making, self-acceptance, well-being, and problematic behaviors. The applications involved students, college students, families, parents, and groups experiencing specific psychosocial conditions. Overall, narrative counseling demonstrates potential in helping clients develop new meanings of their experiences through problem externalization, exploration of experiences, and development of alternative stories. Nevertheless, variations in research designs, sample characteristics, and outcome measures indicate that these findings should be interpreted contextually and require further investigation using stronger research designs.
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