Narrative therapy is based on a simple but powerful observation: the way we make sense of our lives is through stories. We tell ourselves — and others — stories about who we are, what we're capable of, and why things have gone the way they have. Sometimes those stories are helpful. But sometimes they become limiting, or they stop reflecting who we actually are, and yet we keep living by them without realising it.

How narrative therapy works

In narrative therapy, you and your therapist explore the stories you've been carrying — not to analyse them clinically, but to look at them more carefully and question whether they're the full picture. Often, the dominant story we tell about ourselves focuses heavily on our struggles or failures, while the moments that don't fit that story — the times we coped, succeeded, or acted in line with our values — get quietly overlooked.

One of the distinctive features of narrative therapy is the way it approaches problems. Rather than treating a difficulty as something that is part of who you are — "I am an anxious person", "I am someone who always gets it wrong" — narrative therapy encourages you to see the problem as something separate from you. This is sometimes called externalisation, and while it might sound like a small shift in language, it can make a significant difference to how manageable a problem feels. You are not the problem; the problem is the problem.

From there, the work involves looking for what therapists call alternative stories — the evidence from your own life that tells a different, more complete story about who you are. A narrative therapist might ask questions like: can you think of a time when you handled something like this differently? What does that tell us about what matters to you? Who in your life would not be surprised to hear that about you? These questions aren't designed to push you towards positivity — they're designed to help you build a more accurate and rounded picture of yourself.

Narrative therapy is conversational by nature and tends to feel less structured than approaches like CBT. There's no fixed agenda or set of techniques being worked through — the direction of the work follows what emerges in the conversation.

What narrative therapy can help with

Narrative therapy is used for a wide range of difficulties, including depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and problems with identity or self-worth. It can be particularly useful for people who feel defined by a difficult experience or diagnosis, or who feel stuck in a story about themselves that no longer serves them — or perhaps never did.

What to expect from narrative therapy sessions

Sessions tend to be thoughtful and exploratory. Your therapist will listen carefully and ask questions that help you examine your experiences from different angles. Some people find this style of therapy quite different from what they expected — it's less about being given tools or strategies, and more about shifting the lens through which you see your own life. That shift, for many people, is what makes the difference.