Narrative Exposure Therapy

Narrative therapy is a form of counselling that views people as separate from their problems and destructive behaviours. This allows clients to get some distance from the difficulty they face; this helps them to see how it might actually be helping or protecting them, more than it is hurting them. With this perspective, individuals feel more empowered to make changes in their thought patterns and behaviour and “rewrite” their life story for a future that reflects who they really are, what they are capable of, and what their purpose is, separate from their problems.

There are core aspects of narrative therapy:

• The deconstruction of problematic and dominant storylines or narratives
• Breaking the narrative into smaller and more manageable chunks
• Rewriting the script of the problematic and dominant storylines
• Broadening your view and moving toward healthier storylines (this is also called the unique outcomes technique, which may help us better understand our experiences and emotions)
• What is true for one person may not be true for another person
• Externalizing the problem because you are not your problem
• A healthy narrative will also help us make meaning and see purpose