Introduction

The Basics

What is Narrative Therapy?

If your life story became a book or movie, what might the title be? And if you were the director, what scenes would make the “cut” (and why)? Narrative Therapy centers on the power of personal stories to shape your identity and how you experience life.

In Narrative Therapy, you may learn to identify common narratives, gaining insight and a sense of agency over certain problems. This approach is often appealing to people willing to explore their past and present as an “author”, empowering them with tools to:

• Externalize and manage challenges
• Liberate themselves from blame
• Create a more positive future

Goal

What is the goal of Narrative Therapy?

In addition to addressing specific symptoms, a goal of Narrative Therapy may be to encourage you to better understand how key problems, actions, and perspectives are impacting your life.

It facilitates a non-judgmental process of reflection, strengthens identity, contextualizes themes and responses, and identifies core “schemas” that emerged during development. Instead of feeling stuck in old patterns or limiting beliefs, in Narrative Therapy, you can learn to re-author a story in a more enriching way, focusing on strengths, skills, and resilience through life’s ups and downs.

Uses

What does Narrative Therapy treat?

People with all types of experiences seek Narrative Therapy for a wide variety of problems, including:

• ADHD
• Anxiety symptoms
• Attachment injuries
• Bullying
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Grief
• PTSD
• Relationship issues

Narrative Therapy is versatile and can be used with people across cultures, socio-economic classes, abilities, ages, and may help people with certain injuries and developmental challenges.

Subtypes

Are there any subtypes of Narrative Therapy?

There are several subtypes of Narrative Therapy. For example:

Narrative Therapy with an Emotional Approach (NTEA)

• Designed to help individuals, particularly those with depression, "re-author" their life stories by focusing on positive instead of negative stories

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and Adaptations

• A short-term, trauma-focused therapy primarily used to treat PTSD and trauma-related disorders. It helps clients construct a chronological life narrative, making sense of traumatic events and restoring a sense of self-worth.
• Key techniques include: Lifeline mapping with symbols (e.g., stones for traumatic events, flowers for positive moments) to visually organize memories.

Tree of Life Therapy (Narrative Metaphor Approach)

• Uses the tree metaphor: roots represent past, trunk present, and branches future. Clients visualize their strengths, values, and aspirations, building resilience through storytelling.

Narrative Therapy can also be used with children, teens, groups, veterans, and survivors of natural disasters. It can be used in school settings, in marriage and family therapy settings, and in specific post-trauma support settings, among others.

Effectiveness

Origins

Who developed Narrative Therapy and when?

Amid the 1980s postmodern and constructivist movement, Narrative Therapy was developed by Australian therapist Michael White and New Zealand therapist David Epston.

In 1983, they co-founded the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide, which became the hub for training and publishing in this approach, most notably through their 1990 book Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. Some of the ideas were inspired by the French theorist Michel Foucault, whose work on the relationship between knowledge, power, and discourse influenced their belief that people’s lives are shaped by the stories they and others tell about them.

An initial goal was to create a therapeutic model that challenged social constructs, using a non-blaming and non-pathological approach. This perspective positions clients as the experts of their own lives and focuses on separating the person from the problem. Over time, it has grown into a globally practiced method applied in individual, couple, family, and community contexts.

Evidence Base

Is Narrative Therapy evidence-based?

Narrative Therapy is considered an evidence-based therapy. In many cases, clients rate Narrative Therapy positively and report positive outcomes. At least one study found it helpful for children in building more positive social skills, while many studies highlight the positive impact of Narrative Therapy among adults with depression.

Other studies continue to explore the efficacy of Narrative Therapy in treating concerns like bullying, chronic pain, PTSD, relationship issues, marital satisfaction, and peak performance goals.

How It Works

Techniques Used

How does Narrative Therapy work?

Narrative Therapy taps into an innate human tendency toward storytelling and metaphor. Narrative therapists believe a primary mechanism for healing is through personal meaning-making. There is less of a focus on the feedback loop between the client and therapist, and more of a focus on your willingness to explore your internal world.

Narrative Therapy involves a number of key principles:

• Stories shape our realities.
• We have different realities (there is no “objective reality”).
• Reality is socially constructed and influenced by communication.
• A narrative can help us understand our reality.
• People are separate from problems.
• We have the power to “re-author” many aspects of our lives.
• We can learn to catch innovative or “sparkling moments”.
• Through this process, we can illuminate key values, beliefs, and themes like autonomy, connection, resilience, and joy.

Narrative Therapy works by affirming and empowering your ability to tell your story in a way that helps you reach your therapeutic goals.

What to Expect in a Session

What can I expect from a Narrative Therapy session?

Narrative Therapy often includes:

• Building rapport and identifying key issues through open-ended questions
• Exploring personal stories: You may be encouraged to write or draw out a narrative timeline or a specific story from your life
• Focusing beyond diagnosis: While mental health issues may be explored, a narrative therapist won’t try to fit all of your problems into a single diagnosis
• Honoring autonomy: Therapists typically avoid referring to you as a “patient,” instead using terms like client, author, or, in group settings, community member

Throughout the process of Narrative Therapy:

• The therapist’s role is not to lead your story but to help you explore and shape it.
• You are viewed as the expert in your own life
• The therapist facilitates a process of discovery to support your unique goals

Treatment Length & Structure

How long does Narrative Therapy take?

While each Narrative Therapy treatment plan is unique, recent research has found that many clients see benefits within 15-20 sessions on average, reporting significant moments of recovery and change.

In many cases, acute issues (such as a trauma response to a car accident or other event) may resolve more quickly, while chronic problems and complex traumas may take longer to resolve. Some people find benefit with just a few sessions, focusing on a specific problem or goal.

The overarching structure of Narrative Therapy is to:

1. Identify key stories
2. Externalize a problem and map its effects
3. Explore the view you have of yourself and others
4. Create space to notice preferred actions and intentions.

Getting Care

Finding a Therapist

How do I find a therapist trained in Narrative Therapy?

Alma’s directory has many therapists who are trained in Narrative Therapy, including: