What is Narrative Therapy?

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Narrative Therapy utilizes storytelling to engage people in therapy. People’s lives are a collection of stories. When you stop to examine these stories, you can pay closer attention to key characters, themes, symbols, and, ultimately, make meaning of your life experiences.

Narrative Therapy’s goal is to empower people by identifying how your experiences, or your stories, shape who you are as a person.

Counselors use Narrative Therapy for individual, couples, children’s, or group counseling. It can benefit individuals with various mental health concerns, including depressive disorders and anxiety. Counselors also use it to help children develop empathy and social skills.

Your therapist will use various techniques during counseling. They might ask you to begin by telling your story. Your story includes your life experiences and your perspective on how these experiences shaped you. By examining your life story, you and your counselor might work to identify important characters, symbols, and themes present within your narrative.

Narrative Therapy also uses externalization to help people, which is when you view your life as an outsider. This approach can help you develop a different perspective on your life’s story and experiences.

Your therapist might also use alternate narratives, or deconstruction, to help you identify ways you want to change your story. Imagining different outcomes can be a helpful way to think about the future and highlight ways you want to change.

Therapists Who Specialize in Using Narrative Therapy

Anne Rosenfeld

Are you feeling completely overwhelmed? Do you feel anxious or depressed (maybe entirely too stressed)? Are there things in your past that are too much to handle? Is something happening right now that is highly distressing? Maybe you need someone to help sort through everything? Are you ready to begin a new journey? I provide a safe, comfortable space for people to discover and develop tools, s...

Julia Madrid

I am passionate about helping individuals gain skills to manage anxiety, navigate divorce adjustment, develop stress management strategies, and pursue wellness. As an experienced couples therapist, I aim to help improve relationship skills and enhance a couple's emotional bond. In my work with families, I enjoy helping parents navigate their responses to tricky behavioral issues in ways that of...

Shalonda Elizabeth Cohea

Does life seem overwhelming at times? Sometimes we struggle with trying to find the right balance. I want to help you build on skills that you have in order to help you live a happy, balanced life. My focus is working with adolescents and young adults. However, all age groups are welcomed. I help with ADHD, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and difficult transitions. I offer a nice relaxed...

Suzanne McHugh

Are you struggling with day to day activities? I am here to help. Drawing from my experiences with families, individuals, couples and adolescents while working at a Family and Youth Center, an alternative school for teenagers with mental health issues; I have counseled individuals and families from diverse walks of life. Each client is a unique individual needing their own structured support,...

Christopher Glenn Chiverton

Portland

Maine

**Now accepting new clients: children & adults** Therapy should be tailored to each person's unique story and strengths. I use a combination of psychodynamic therapy, strength based therapy, client-centered therapy, relational, narrative therapy, and motivational interviewing. Together we can figure out what may work best for you in order to establish and meet your goals. I love working with an...

Robin Droege

I value the strength of relationship and connection and the impact they can have when working through thoughts, emotions and behaviors. While honoring the uniqueness of each person's journey towards change, I consider my role to be a facilitator of self-discovery, a change agent for helping to detach from old patterns, and a supportive guide towards one's authentic well-being. Working together ...

Caryn Crotty

Many times in life we stray from the path we thought we were on and unexpected difficulties arise. We may struggle to get through our day to day lives and to feel connected to our loved ones. I hope to be a support to you through the challenges you face in your daily life and when new difficulties arise. My goal in therapy is to create a safe space where you feel comfortable to process differen...

Glyn Deputy – Telehealth Now Family Psychology

Glyn Deputy, M.Ed, LMHC, brings a keen awareness of both the necessities and subtleties of surviving our human condition and reaching one’s full potential to his clients at the Poulsbo office. Glyn has worked with generational family issues in rural and frontier communities, has assisted students with all types of disability in pursuing higher education, and has gained exceptional skills in men...

Rhonda L Watson-DeJesus

People come to therapy for a variety of issues, including struggles with transitions, substance abuse, PTSD, anxiety, depression, marriage conflict and challenges at work or school. The first step is to work together to establish what your goals are for therapy. My own life experiences have provided me with a greater ability and understanding of demonstrating unconditional positive regard...

Jessica Leigh Ontko

With everyone that I meet, I start from a place of strength, possibility, and openness, to make space to learn. I believe that everyone is the expert in their own care. My goal is to empower you to reach your fullest potential and live a more fulfilled life. I offer an empathetic, non-judgmental and relaxing environment. I have experience working with children, preteens, adolescents, and adult...

Brittany Cephas

Have you noticed a change in your child's mood or behavior? Is your child isolating themselves from others, including you? Have you witnessed them crying at times, and it seem to have come out of nowhere? NO WORRIES! I am here to help! I have lots of experience helping children and adolescents develop solid coping skills that will address what they are going through. I also offer family counsel...

Dr. Shelly Middleton

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” – F. D. Roosevelt. I know how much courage it takes for some to come to therapy. I admire you for taking this brave step and deciding that despite the fear of the unknown, it is more important that something needs to change. I am here to help you take this next step and help you in...

Claude Joshua Nave

If you are someone seeking immediate relief from trauma, anxiety, panic disorders, and many other situations that deteriorate the quality of life, then you're in the right place. I specialize in EMDR therapy, which has been shown to reduce the impact of these stressors in remarkable time. In addition, if you are someone who has felt marginalized throughout their life, I create a safe place to h...

Sonia Liliana Liggins

NOT ACCEPTING CLIENTS AT THIS TIME----I believe therapy is a place for healing reflection and active transformation. Everyone experiences hardships and challenges in life. This can lead individuals and families to feel stuck, stressed, anxious and depressed. Traumatic experiences can alter the way you view the world and attempt to hijack your life, but you don’t have to stay this way. I believe...

Moronard Lee

Cultivate kindness & compassion for yourself and others! I believe all individuals are doing the best that they can, in whatever situations in their life and with what they have. I work with a variety of intelligent and motivated individuals who have been disrupted by life transitions or mental health difficulties, including children (6+) to adults, couples, and families. I am trained in system...