The Power of Your Story

At the heart of Narrative Therapy is the belief that we make sense of our lives through stories. The stories we tell about ourselves—about our past, our relationships, and our abilities—shape how we feel, what we believe is possible, and what actions we take.

Sometimes, people become dominated by "problem-saturated" narratives. This narrative can make the person feel powerless and invisible. Narrative Therapy works to gently uncover and challenge these dominant, limiting narratives.

How Narrative Therapy Works

Narrative therapists, like Penny, act as curious co-authors, not as experts or problem-solvers. The process involves several key steps:

1. Externalising the Problem

This is a signature technique of Narrative Therapy. The therapist helps the client separate themselves from the problem by giving the problem a name and treating it as a distinct entity that lives outside of them.

• Goal: By externalising the problem, the client can now see it clearly, examine how it operates, and unite with the therapist to fight it, rather than fighting themselves. This is profoundly non-blaming.

2. Deconstructing the Dominant Story

The therapist asks questions to unpack the history and influence of the problem-saturated story. This involves identifying the moments when the story took hold and how it has tried to limit the client's life.

3. Finding Unique Outcomes

This is the most empowering phase. The therapist looks for "unique outcomes"—moments, no matter how small, when the client resisted the problem's influence.

• Goal: These unique outcomes serve as evidence that the client has the competence and strength to author a different, more preferred story.

4. Co-Authoring a New Story

Finally, the client and therapist work together to weave the unique outcomes into a comprehensive new narrative—a story that highlights the client's preferred identity, strengths, and hopeful future. This new, empowering story is then "witnessed" and reinforced in the client's community.

What is Narrative Therapy Used For?

Narrative Therapy is highly versatile and effective across a wide range of issues, particularly those related to identity, trauma, and systemic marginalisation.

• Identity Issues: It is highly effective for clients exploring their LGBTQIA+ identity or navigating Neurodivergence, as it helps dismantle societal labels and assumptions to build an authentic sense of self.

• Trauma Recovery: By externalising the traumatic event and focusing on the client's resistance and survival (the unique outcomes), Narrative Therapy helps clients shift their story from being a victim to being a survivor.

• Relationship and Family Conflict: It helps families and couples challenge the blame assigned to individuals and instead unite to fight a shared problem that has infiltrated their relationships.

• Anxiety, Depression, and Shame: It works well for emotional issues linked to internalized stigma, helping clients separate the illness from their inherent self-worth.

By choosing Narrative Therapy, clients actively participate in creating a life story that is rich with meaning, strength, and possibility.