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Outsider-witness practices: some answers to
commonly asked questions
compiled by
Maggie Carey & Shona Russell
The use of outsider witnesses is a therapeutic practice commonly engaged with by those
interested in narrative therapy. This accessible paper offers an introduction to, and
clarification of, some of the intricacies of this practice. This paper was created through a
collaborative process involving well-respected therapists from Australia, the USA, Mexico,
South Africa and the UK.
This paper was originally published in the 2003 No.1 issue of The International Journal of
Narrative Therapy and Community Work. DCP. Adelaide
1. What is meant by the term outsider witness?
Within narrative practice, an outsider witness is an invited audience to a therapy conversation
– a third party who is invited to listen to and acknowledge the preferred stories and identity
claims of the person consulting the therapist. Outsider witnesses may be part of a person’s
existing community – family, friends etc; or they may be invited from outside these networks,
in which case they may be professionals (and may constitute what many people know as a
reflecting team). Alternatively, they may be invited from lists or registers of people who have
previously sought consultation for similar difficulties and who have agreed to help out
therapeutically with others whenever this may be relevant. Outsider witnesses may be
recruited for a particular one-off meeting or, if they are a group of professionals who work
together, may be regularly present at therapeutic sessions.
When there is more than one outsider witness, particularly when there is a team
working together, members of the team help each other in making their reflections. For
instance, after one outsider witness has spoken, another might ask some questions about what
s/he just said, in order to make the whole process more meaningful. While the outsider
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witnesses are speaking amongst themselves, the person who is consulting the therapist is
listening.
Having someone witness therapy conversations can be very significant, especially if
the outsider witness listens and responds in certain ways. For example, Georgie, who was
thirteen, had been in a car accident some time ago and was still having a lot of trouble
sleeping when she was brought by her mother, Ann, to therapy. In the second session, the
therapist decided to interview Georgie while inviting Ann to act as an outsider witness.
Gradually, Georgie was able to talk about some of the memories of the crash that were still
haunting her, as well as describing the various ways she had tried, with the help of others, to
leave this trauma behind. When asked to name what it meant that she had been taking all
these steps, Georgie said that it meant that she was ‘determined’. Georgie also spoke about
why she wanted the bad memories to leave her. This included not wanting to fall behind in
her school work, not wanting to be a burden on her family (some of whom were also in the
accident) and because she wanted to ‘live her life again’.
The therapist then stopped asking Georgie questions, and turned to Ann instead and
asked her what were the things that stood out to her in Georgie’s statements. Ann replied that
she was just so touched by her daughter’s determination and her commitment to ‘live her life
again’. When asked further questions about this, Ann traced a history of determination
throughout Georgie’s life. Ann could think of many times when Georgie had demonstrated
determination from some of her earliest days, and how she would not let things stop her from
living life to the full. When asked why this ‘determination’ was significant to her, Ann then
told a story from her own childhood. When she had been a small child, Ann’s closest friend
had been very ill with rheumatic fever for many months. Something about Georgie’s
determination had reminded Ann of her friend and the ways she had reclaimed her life from
the effects of serious illness. Ann had always admired her friend and they remained friends to
this day. When asked what it meant to Ann to hear her daughter talk in these ways, and what
it meant to be reminded of her friend, Ann replied that it put her in touch with some of the
things she valued most in life. It also brought a sense of pride in Georgie. Ann said that she
knew that these times were hard for Georgie, but in listening to her speak she also knew that
together they would find a way through this.
When the therapist then turned back to Georgie, Georgie seemed intrigued by the
story of her mother’s friend and how she had reclaimed her life from the illness. So much so
that when Ann suggested they ask her friend to come to their next therapy session to talk
more about this and to listen to all the things that Georgie was doing to recover from the car
accident, Georgie thought this was a great idea. In this way, not only did Ann become an
outsider witness to Georgie’s preferred story of determination to live life fully, so too did
Ann’s friend. In time, the bad memories left Georgie alone and she began to ‘live her life
again’.
Having Ann and Ann’s friend act as witnesses to the positive steps that Georgie was
taking in her life and having them acknowledge the determined ways in which she was
acting, made a difference to Georgie. It enabled her to feel connected to others, it reduced her
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isolation and sense of worry, and the story of determination and commitment to ‘living life’
grew richer.
Enabling a person who is coming to therapy to invite friends or family members into
their sessions as witnesses means it is much more likely that steps that a person makes in the
therapy room can be translated into action in their daily lives. Outsider-witness practices
enable a link to be made between what happens in the therapy room and the rest of a person’s
life.
It’s relevant to note that outsider witnesses need to take care in what they listen for
and what they say. In examples like this one, where the outsider witness does not have prior
experience in these sorts of conversations, the therapist takes a special responsibility (through
asking certain questions) to keep the reflections from the outsider witness on track. These
sorts of questions are explored in more detail later in this paper.
2. Why is it important for there to be witnesses to preferred stories?
In a sense, what is being ‘defined’ in narrative therapy sessions is a person’s preferred
identity. For instance, Georgie stated that it was her determination that was helping get rid of
the ‘bad memories’, and the therapeutic conversations involved thickening this story of
‘determination’. If our preferred story of who we are remains only a conversation in our own
head, it will not have the sense of being ‘real’. This sense of ‘realness’ or ‘authenticity’ only
comes when our preferred stories are witnessed and responded to by a significant audience
(in this instance, the therapist, Ann, and Ann’s friend).
For many people, the predicaments and concerns they have about their lives
contribute to a sense of isolation and disconnection from other people who may otherwise
hold special significance in their lives. Outsider-witness practices challenge the isolating and
individualising effects of problems, as Hugh Fox describes:
Narrative practice is founded on the idea that the stories that we tell about ourselves are not
private and individual but are a social achievement. We probably all know that it is difficult
to maintain an identity claim in isolation – we look for someone who will reflect back to us
what it is we wish to claim for ourselves. An important part of our identity claims will be the
values that we wish to live our lives by. In maintaining our connection with our values we
probably have all experienced the power of sharing those values with like-minded people.
Outsider witnesses help to meet these two purposes – acknowledging our identity claims as
valid, and sharing stories about what is important to us in life. In this way the people we work
with come to experience themselves and their preferred identity claims as part of a
community of acknowledgement.
Fiona had suffered significant abuse by her step-father throughout her childhood.
When the effects of this abuse caught up with her in her twenties in the form of nightmares
and fears, she sought counselling. After a number of sessions, the therapist asked if it would
Outsider Witness: Commonly asked questions Maggie Carey& Shona Russell
