verbal narrative
an oral recounting of an event, as when a person describes a recent date to a friend over the telephone. Such spoken-word narratives help provide an individual with a sense of self and of history and often include descriptions of mood, conflicts, stressors, and concerns. They contrast with visual narratives, which describe events through images, and textual narratives, which describe events in writing. Research has revealed that the ability to narrate life experiences is significant in understanding and treating certain disorders, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder. The use of such narratives as a specific therapeutic technique is known as narrative therapy.