How changing the plot you live by can change what’s possible without the hype
In This Guide:
Externalize the problem
Find “unique outcomes”
Re-author with thick description
Remembering & definitional ceremonies
What narrative therapy is (and isn’t)
Through narrative therapy (NT), a therapeutic strategy created by Michael White and David Epston in the 1980s, people can “re-author” preferred identities, recognize exceptions to problem-saturated stories, and establish distance from their challenges.
Fundamentally, NT is about separating individuals from issues and revealing the qualities, abilities, and values that are frequently hidden beneath those issues.
Some of the core practices include:
Externalizing language: A client may use the phrase “Anxiety is pushing me around today” in place of “I am anxious.”
This change transforms the challenge from something that defines the individual to something to analyze and work with.
Unique outcomes: Those brief but impactful instances in which the issue did not take centre stage, occasions in which someone deviated from the “usual script.”
By giving these moments names, you can create the foundation of a new, preferred narrative.
Recalling: It’s like reuniting with a long-forgotten team when clients are asked to reintroduce principles, helpful individuals, or even cultural and spiritual figures into their narrative.
Definitional rituals: Occasionally, an “outsider witness” hears the client’s tale and relays the qualities, values, and abilities they heard.
This outside validation strengthens the client’s preferred identity.
A 2022 synthesis of NT practice states that creating a new identity is not the goal of the procedure. Instead, the emphasis should be shifted from “the problem” to preexisting skills, beliefs, and convictions that have been overshadowed by adversity.
People can write new chapters in their lives where their strengths and meaning are highlighted, and the therapy helps them realize that their identity is more complex than a single story filled with problems.
Sounds Similar but Different: Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a trauma protocol used mainly for PTSD. Helpful, yes, but not the same as narrative therapy used in general practice.
Does it work? Evidence, briefly
Depression (general adult care): Adults with serious depression who participated in an 8-session manualized NT program reported significant improvements in interpersonal functioning and symptom gains (d≈1.36) that were equivalent to benchmark trials.
Medical populations: Although study quality varies, a 2024 meta-analysis indicates that NT lessens depressive symptoms in people with persistent somatic diseases (such as cancer, pain).
Temper expectations: Narrating your life does not automatically change your personality features. Instead of focusing on complete trait transformation, NT seeks to improve behaviour, meaning, and coping.
Research shows people often feel mentally healthier when they tell their life story as a connected whole, and when tough moments are framed as leading to growth or meaning. These are patterns we see in stories, not promises or quick fixes.
Research suggests that re-authoring our life story can create tangible changes in our nervous system and improve how we cope with challenges.
Conclusion: There is increasing, but still limited, evidence in favour of NT, with the strongest evidence being seen for meaning-making and suffering connected to depression. When necessary, combine it with other evidence-based treatments.
Goal → Separate you from the problem so choices open up.
Switch the grammar: “Perfectionism is bossing me around before client calls.”
Map its moves: When is it loud/quiet? What does it cost you? What feeds it?
Name your values: Why is resisting this problem worth it? (That’s your “preferred story” seed.)
Peer-reviewed guides from the NT field outline how externalizing helps people see choices where “traits” once felt fixed.
Model thoughts:
“Worry is running my life, I want steadiness to run it instead.”
“Shutdown shows up after criticism. I value staying present for five more minutes.”
“People pleasing wants the quick yes. Integrity wants me to ask for time.”
Try this (1 Minute):
Write: “When [Problem] shows up, it does [Moves]. I care about [Value], so today I will try [Small step]
For example → “When anxiety shows up, it speeds my breath and makes me scroll. I care about steadiness, so today I will try ten breaths, exhale longer than inhale.”
Writing is a core tool in narrative therapy, helping to externalize problems and give concrete form to a new, preferred story.
2. Find “unique outcomes” (exceptions)
Goal → Spot moments the problem didn’t win, even a little
Ask: When did the problem not get the last word? What was different?
Celebrate micro-wins: “I sent one email despite the perfectionism, proof I can act before I feel ready.”
Model Thoughts
“I asked one clarifying question instead of apologizing. That shows I can hold my ground kindly.”
“I sent one email before perfecting it. That shows I can choose progress over polish.”
These exceptions become plot points for the new story.
Try This (2 Minutes)
“Yesterday, when [Trigger] happened, I [Small action]. This tells me I am [Quality] and can [Next step].”
Yesterday, when the urge to people-please hit, I asked for time before answering. This tells me I am boundaried and can offer a clear yes/no tomorrow
3. Re-author with thick description
Goal → Build a clear lived scene of your preferred story
Build scenes (who/what/when/where) that show your values in action.
Name skills: patience, humor, boundary-setting, spiritual practices.
Link them across time: show continuity, not a one-off.
Model Scene
It’s 11:30 p.m., in bed. Worrying wants me to check the clock. I care about rest. I turn the clock away and breathe in and out for two minutes. I read one page and turn off the light. This shows I can help my body settle.
Try this:
Write 6 sentences: setting, the problem’s entrance, your value, the small skill you use, the action you take, the line that proves who you are.
4. Remembering & definitional ceremonies
Goal → Re-gather people and voices that support your preferred identity.
Membership map: list two people, a mentor, a faith or community voice, and one inner quality that “join your team.”
Witness moment: ask a trusted person to reflect only the strengths they heard in your scene.
Model Prompts
“Who would say, ‘You’ve done hard things before, and you’ll get through it now’?”
“What would future-you notice and appreciate about today’s steps?”
Try this (2 Minutes)
Share a short win with a friend. For example, “I tried something new today. What qualities do you see in that?”
The goal of narrative therapy is to help people find chapters in their lives where their strengths and meaning are highlighted.
DIY micro-practices
Two-column externalizing jot: Left = “moves the problem makes”; Right = “counter-moves I made today.”
Unique-outcome log: 3 lines each night: What I did, what it cost me, what it proves about me.
Self-distanced writing (10 minutes): Describe an event from the third person, then end with: What would future-me thank me for trying next? (Self-distancing is a known regulator.)
Re-membering map: Draw your support cast; add one “micro-ask” you’ll make this week.
How can Thera Wellness help?
Alongside narrative therapy, Thera Wellness can bring the nervous system down a notch so thinking and speaking come easier.
A short, gentle biofield add-on can be used while working on guided breathing to support a calm and steady state.
Further Reading
Vromans, L. P., & Schweitzer, R. (2011). Narrative therapy for adults with major depressive disorder: Improved symptom and interpersonal outcomes. Psychotherapy Research, 21(1), 4–15.
Manualized 8-session NT trial → large reductions in depressive symptoms, stronger relationships.
Hu, G., Chen, Y., & Li, X. (2024). Effectiveness of narrative therapy for depressive symptoms in adults with somatic disorders: A meta-analysis. Clinical eHealth, 6, 100159.
NT shows consistent improvements in depression linked to chronic illness, though studies vary in quality.
Schaal, S., Elbert, T., & Neuner, F. (2009). Narrative therapy with traumatized children in Rwanda: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77(4), 599–610.
RCT: NT improved resilience and reduced distress in orphaned and abandoned youth.
Lock, J., & White, M. (2005). Narrative therapy in eating disorder treatment. International Journal of Narrative Therapy & Community Work, 1, 3–12
Illustrates externalizing and re-authoring practices tailored to eating disorders.
Park, J., Ayduk, O., & Kross, E. (2016). Stepping back to move forward: Expressive writing promotes self-distancing and improves emotion regulation. Emotion, 16(3), 349–364.
Writing in the third person reduced reactivity and promoted healthier reappraisal months later.
Weidmann, R., Schönbrodt, F. D., & Grob, A. (2024). Does narrating the life story predict changes in personality? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 109, 104462.
Narrative identity work influences meaning and mood, but not core traits over time.
Lely, J. C. G., Smid, G. E., Jongedijk, R. A., et al. (2019). The effectiveness of Narrative Exposure Therapy: A review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1558705.
For contrast: trauma-focused NET shows strong reductions in PTSD symptoms.
Disclaimer:
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before incorporating any new therapy into your practice.
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