ABSTRACT
Source: White, M, Epston D. Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. New York (NY): WW Norton & Co., Inc, 1990.
‘Externalizing’ is an approach to therapy that encourages persons to objectify and, at times, to personify the problems that they experience as oppressive. In this process, the problem becomes a separate entity and thus external to the person or relationship that was ascribed as the problem. Those problems that are considered to be inherent, as well as those relatively fixed qualities that are attributed to persons and to relationships, are rendered less fixed and less restricting.
