Therapeutic approach
Narrative Therapy in Victoria, BC
An approach that separates you from your problems, helping you rewrite the story of your life.
Written and clinically reviewed by Dawn Cox, Registered Clinical Counsellor, BCACC #3555 · Reviewed July 2026
Understanding the approach
What Narrative Therapy means in practice
Narrative Therapy is a respectful, non-blaming approach to counselling that centres people as the experts in their own lives. It is based on the idea that we make sense of our experiences by organizing them into stories.
Sometimes, when we face ongoing difficulties, the story we tell about ourselves becomes dominated by the problem, leading us to believe that we are broken or flawed. For someone new to this concept, Narrative Therapy is about separating you from the problem.
The core philosophy is that the person is not the problem; the problem is the problem. We work together to identify the negative stories that are holding you back and help you uncover the alternative, more empowering stories of your life that have been overlooked.
Read the full explanation of Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy is recognized as a powerful, evidence-based approach that promotes resilience and agency. By helping clients externalize their issues, it reduces feelings of shame and guilt, making it easier to take action against the challenges they face.
It is widely used to address a variety of concerns, from anxiety and depression to relationship conflicts and life transitions.
Inside the therapy room
How this work may look in sessions
In a Narrative Therapy session, our conversations are highly collaborative. We spend time exploring the problem and how it affects your life, but we talk about the problem as if it is an external entity, rather than a part of your identity.
For example, instead of saying you are an anxious person, we might explore how anxiety tries to dictate your choices. We then look for unique outcomes: times when the problem tried to take over, but you successfully resisted or handled it differently.
By focusing on these moments, we begin to thicken a new narrative, one that highlights your skills, values, and resilience.
A common misconception is that this means ignoring the reality of the problem; instead, it means viewing the problem from a perspective that gives you the power to change your relationship with it.
See more about the session process
A crucial part of Narrative Therapy involves deconstructing the cultural and societal narratives that contribute to your distress.
Often, the stories we tell about ourselves are heavily influenced by external expectations regarding success, relationships, gender roles, or what it means to be a 'good' person.
When our lived experience does not match these dominant cultural scripts, it is easy to internalize a sense of failure or inadequacy. In our sessions, we actively examine these broader narratives.
By questioning where these expectations came from and whether they actually align with your personal values, you can begin to free yourself from the pressure of trying to live up to someone else's story.
This process of deconstruction is incredibly liberating, allowing you to redefine success and happiness on your own terms.
We also utilize a technique called 're-authoring. ' Once we have separated you from the problem and identified the unique outcomes where you successfully navigated a challenge, we work together to weave those moments into a new, more empowering storyline.
This is not about making up a fictional version of your life; it is about shining a light on the real, lived experiences of resilience, courage, and capability that have been overshadowed by the dominant problem narrative.
As this new story thickens and becomes more prominent, it begins to shape how you view your future possibilities. You start to see yourself not as a victim of your circumstances, but as the active author of your own life, capable of making choices that align with your preferred narrative.
Fit and flexibility
Who may benefit from this approach
Furthermore, Narrative Therapy often involves the concept of 're-membering. ' This involves exploring the significant relationships in your life, both past and present, and how they have contributed to your preferred story.
We might discuss the people who have recognized your strengths, supported your values, or seen you in the way you wish to be seen. By actively bringing these supportive voices into the therapeutic conversation, we strengthen the foundation of your new narrative.
This practice helps to counteract the isolation that often accompanies anxiety and depression, reminding you that your identity is shaped not just by the problems you face, but by the meaningful connections you have cultivated throughout your life.
Read more about fit, evidence, and timing
Another key component of this approach is the use of therapeutic documents. In Narrative Therapy, we often create tangible records of your progress and the new stories you are developing.
This might take the form of a letter summarizing the insights from a session, a certificate acknowledging your victory over a specific problem, or a written declaration of the values you intend to live by moving forward.
These documents serve as powerful counter-evidence to the negative narratives that have previously dominated your life.
They provide a physical reminder of your strength and agency that you can refer back to whenever you feel the old, problem-saturated story trying to reassert its influence.
This practice helps to solidify the changes you are making and ensures that the hard work you do in the therapy room translates into lasting shifts in your daily life.
This approach is particularly beneficial for individuals who feel overwhelmed by guilt, shame, or a sense of failure.
It is highly effective for those dealing with life transitions, identity issues, and chronic concerns like depression or anxiety where the problem has begun to define how they see themselves.
Because Narrative Therapy focuses on shifting perspectives and uncovering existing strengths, clients often begin to feel a renewed sense of agency relatively quickly.
The duration of therapy varies, but the collaborative nature of the work often leads to meaningful shifts in self-perception within a moderate number of sessions.
Where it may be used
Connected to the concerns you bring, not applied in isolation.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Externalizing means talking about the issue as something separate from who you are. For instance, instead of viewing yourself as a depressed person, we look at how the depression impacts your life, which makes it easier to challenge and manage.
Not at all. Narrative Therapy deeply respects your experiences and the real impact of the problems you face. The goal is to ensure that those difficult experiences do not become the only story that defines your life and your future.
No writing is required. The term narrative refers to the spoken stories we tell about our lives during our sessions. While some clients find journaling helpful, the core work is done through our collaborative conversations. Dawn will discuss how this approach fits your goals, preferences, and current capacity.
Yes. It is very effective for couples or families who feel stuck in a cycle of blame. By externalizing the conflict, partners can unite against the problem rather than fighting against each other, making space for new, healthier interactions. Dawn will discuss how this approach fits your goals, preferences, and current capacity.
A supportive first step
Would you like to ask about Narrative Therapy?
A free 15-minute consultation gives you space to ask questions, share what you are looking for, and decide whether our practice feels like the right fit.
Dawn is often in session, so calls usually go to voicemail. Leave a message or send a text and she will get back to you as soon as possible.