Seattle Narrative Therapy
The stories we tell about ourselves shape how we experience the world. Narrative therapy helps you uncover and reframe the stories limiting your personal growth, relationships, and well-being. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, or feeling stuck in unhelpful patterns, narrative therapy offers a compassionate and collaborative approach to help you rewrite your story and regain control of your own life. Our skilled therapists are here to guide you on this journey, offering support and tools to separate your identity from the problems you’re facing.
If you’re ready to explore how narrative therapy can help you, contact us today to schedule a complimentary consultation and take the first step toward rewriting your story.
We offer in-person and online Narrative Therapy for Washington State residents
Accessibility and comfort are key when it comes to therapy. That’s why we offer in-person and online narrative therapy options so clients can schedule sessions according to the needs of their own lives. Whether you prefer the personal connection of face-to-face sessions in our welcoming Seattle office or the convenience of meeting from the comfort of your own home through secure video sessions, we are here to support you.
Our online narrative therapy sessions are just as effective as in-person meetings. They provide the same level of care and attention while offering the flexibility to fit therapy into your busy life. Regardless of your choice, our therapists work with you to create a safe, supportive space to explore your narrative and begin rewriting your story.
Our Seattle narrative therapists
What is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative therapy is a collaborative, non-judgmental approach to counseling that focuses on the stories we create about our lives and the meaning we attach to them. Rather than viewing problems as a reflection of who you are, narrative therapy helps you externalize those problems, seeing them as separate from your identity, empowering you with a fresh perspective, identifying limiting beliefs, and exploring alternative stories that better align with your values, goals, and true self.
The narrative therapist guides you, asking questions that help you uncover new insights and perspectives about your experiences. Together, you explore how social, cultural, and personal factors may have influenced the stories you’ve lived by. This narrative practice allows you to challenge and replace those narratives with more empowering ones.
How Narrative Therapy seeks to improve your personal story
Narrative therapy focuses on several key strategies, each aimed at giving you the tools to reframe your problems, reclaim control, and build a stronger, more resilient sense of self. Narrative therapy helps you break free from unhelpful patterns and take charge of your mental health in a meaningful, lasting way using the following strategies.
Externalization of problems
Instead of viewing problems as inherent to who you are, narrative therapy helps you see them as external forces that can be addressed and managed. For instance, rather than thinking, “I am anxious,” you might say, “I’m allowing anxiety to control my life.” This shift in perspective allows you to take a step back, recognize the problem for what it is, and feel empowered to tackle it. By externalizing your issues, you’ll experience a sense of relief, realizing that you are not the problem and can make positive changes whenever you please.
Re-authoring life stories
We all carry internal narratives about ourselves, some of which can be limiting or damaging. In narrative therapy, we explore these problematic stories and look for moments of strength, resilience, and success that contradict those negative beliefs. For example, if you have internal narratives like, “I always mess things up” or “I’m not good enough,” we might highlight your past accomplishments or times when you overcame difficulties, helping you reframe your story to reflect a more empowering and capable version of yourself.
Identifying unique outcomes
There are moments in your life when you have successfully managed a challenge, even if you didn’t realize it at the time. Narrative therapy helps you uncover times when you stepped outside the problem’s influence and handled a situation with strength or resilience. By focusing on these unique outcomes, no matter how small, we build evidence of your ability to overcome difficulties, boosting your confidence and reminding you that you already possess the skills and resources needed for growth. In doing so, your new, empowering story gains richness and credibility until it becomes your new reality.
Deconstructing dominant narratives
Society imposes rigid standards that can feel overwhelming and impossible to live up to. In narrative therapy, we’ll examine these dominant societal or cultural narratives and challenge their hold on you. This process allows you to question harmful beliefs, like “I have to be perfect to be valued,” and begin to define success and happiness by writing a new dominant story. Freeing yourself from these external pressures can be incredibly liberating and help you create a life that feels authentic and fulfilling.
Strengthening preferred identities
As you and your therapist work together, you will focus on developing and nurturing identities that align with your values, passions, and goals. For example, if you’ve always valued creativity but feel stifled by your current routine or job, you will explore ways to express that creativity in your daily life, whether through hobbies, career changes, or other activities. By strengthening these preferred identities, you’ll feel more authentic and aligned with who you truly are, leading to greater satisfaction and mental well-being.
Enhancing communication and understanding
Narrative therapy encourages you to better articulate your experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This might mean finding new ways to express complex emotions through metaphors, storytelling, or personal anecdotes. Improved communication helps you understand your own experiences more clearly and allows others to support you more effectively. As your ability to share your inner world strengthens, your relationships and overall well-being often improve as well.
Collaborative approach
In narrative therapy, you are the expert on your own life. The therapeutic process is collaborative, meaning you and your therapist work together as equals to explore your experiences and reshape your narrative. This sense of partnership is crucial to your growth. They may ask questions like, “What title would you give this chapter of your life?” or “How would you describe your journey so far?” By actively engaging in this process, you become empowered to take ownership of your story.
Personal empowerment
Ultimately, narrative therapy empowers you to take charge of your life, focusing on your strengths and resources, and helping you realize that you can create change. By reflecting on your achievements and the personal qualities that have carried you through challenges, you will build a stronger, more positive self-image. This empowerment leads to a renewed sense of agency, motivating you to take proactive steps toward the life you want.
What benefits does Narrative Therapy provide?
Narrative therapy offers a wide range of benefits that can positively impact a person’s life, mental health, and well-being, including:
-
Reduces self-blame and shame: By externalizing problems, you can approach challenges with greater clarity and self-compassion.
-
Builds resilience and confidence: Narrative therapy helps you see yourself as capable of overcoming obstacles, rather than being defined by them.
-
Enhances personal agency: You gain the tools to reshape unhelpful narratives and create new stories that align with your values and goals.
-
Improves emotional well-being: Through self-reflection and understanding, you can gain deeper insight into your emotions and experiences.
-
Strengthens communication skills: Learn to articulate your thoughts and feelings more effectively, improving relationships and gaining support from others.
-
Supports lasting positive change: Narrative therapy encourages long-term growth and transformation by helping you develop empowering narratives that promote healing and self-discovery.
Who can benefit from Narrative Therapy?
Narrative therapy is a versatile approach that can benefit individuals, couples, and families. It provides a supportive environment for exploring the stories that influence your life and relationships, empowering you to create new, healthier narratives.
Individuals
Individual therapy sessions offer a safe and nurturing space to explore your personal stories. Through guided conversations, you can uncover underlying themes, challenge unhelpful narratives, and develop fresh perspectives that enhance well-being and resilience. Whether you’re dealing with personal struggles like anxiety, depression, or trauma, narrative therapy helps you reframe your experiences and build a stronger, more empowered sense of self.
Couples
In couples therapy sessions, we focus on the shared narratives that shape your relationship. By examining these stories, you and your partner can identify and transform patterns that lead to conflict and disconnection. Together, you and your partner co-create narratives that encourage intimacy, trust, and mutual understanding.
Families
Family stories are intricate and powerful. Our family therapy supports families in exploring their collective narratives, appreciating unique viewpoints, and building a cohesive story that strengthens family bonds and promotes healthy dynamics. By addressing issues such as communication breakdowns, misunderstandings, or generational patterns, families can create new stories that nurture positive relationships and improve overall family functioning.
How much does Seattle Narrative Therapy cost?
Narrative Therapy creates a space for creating a healing and progressive story that can change your life. But of course, it’s also an investment of time and finances. When you’re ready to commit to healing and transformation, here is what you can expect.
Standard individual session
(50 minutes) $190
Insurance
We do not participate with any insurance panels. Anchor Light Therapy Collective is considered an out-of-network provider.
As a courtesy to any individual clients who wish to utilize their insurance benefits, We are happy to verify your out-of-network plan benefits to tell you what portion, if any, may be covered by your health insurance provider.