Narrative Therapy Sydney
Learn to rewrite your life story for a future that reflects who you really are, what you are capable of, and what your purpose is, separate from your problems.
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How can it help?
Narrative therapy is a form of counselling that views people as separate from their problems and destructive behaviours. This allows us to get some distance from the difficulty you face; this helps you to see how it might actually be helping or protecting you, more than it is hurting you. With this perspective, you feel more empowered to make changes in your thought patterns and behaviour and “rewrite” your life story for a future that reflects who you really are, what you are capable of, and what your purpose is, separate from your problems.
There are 7 core aspects of narrative therapy:
The deconstruction of problematice and dominant stroylines or narrative.
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
Externalising the problem because you are not your problem.
A health narrative will also help us make meaning and see purpose.
What to expect?
In narrative therapy, the events that occur over time in a person’s life are viewed as stories, some of which stand out as more significant or more fateful than others. These significant stories, usually stemming from negative events, can ultimately shape one’s identity. Beyond this identity, the narrative therapist views your life as multi-layed and full of possibilities that are just waiting to be discovered. The therapist does not act as the expert, but rather helps you see how you are the expert regarding your own life and how you can uncover the dreams, values, goals, and skills that define who you are, separate from your problems. Your therapist will encourage you to direct the conversation by asking what you prefer to talk about and, on an ongoing schedule, checking to see if the topic, which is most likely a problem, is still something you are interested in discussing. After some time, your therapist will lead you to tell other, more positive stories from your life to help you discover inherent traits and skills that can be used to address your problems. The goal is for you to see how there are positive and productive ways to approach your life and your future when you stop identifying yourself by your problems.
EXERCISE Re-Authoring (30mins)
Find a quiet, safe space. Take time to ground self in the moment.
Choose a time, memory, experience from your past that you are struggling with, continues to bring up uncomfortable feelings, beliefs about self.
Once you have that time, momery, experince try re-writing it from a 3rd person perspective (she, he, they). See if you can include different views in the story. In concluding what has that person (in the story) done well, learnt?