Externalizing the Problem: Turn Anger, Worry or a Habit into a Monster and Shrink It

About the technique

Externalizing the problem is a core practice of narrative therapy, developed by Michael White and David Epston: the problem is talked about as something separate from the person, with its own name, habits and tricks, rather than as a trait of the child (White & Epston, 1990). In child anxiety work, Tamar Chansky popularized a similar move, casting worry as a separate character a child can learn to recognize and talk back to (Chansky, 2014).

Separating the child from the problem reduces blame and shame, and invites the child and family to team up against the problem rather than against each other (White & Epston, 1990). Questions about the problem’s influence, and about times the child stood up to it, bring strengths and exceptions into view. Drawing and naming the problem makes the idea concrete for young children. The evidence is limited: externalizing is widely used but rarely tested on its own, and a scoping review of narrative therapy for ADHD found 24 records and called for research on its empirical impact (Ophir et al., 2025). It is best described as practice-based.

It suits children from preschool through the preteen years and their families, often early in treatment for worry, temper or habits. Not every problem should be externalized: when a child hurts others, keep responsibility for the behavior with the child while externalizing the anger or the urge. Keep the monster friendly for younger or easily frightened children, and with worry, celebrate approaching feared situations rather than avoiding them.