If you have dealt with trauma in the past, you are likely looking for a way to better understand and regulate your emotions. Read our blog “How to Regulate Your Emotions” for more information. Trauma has a way of taking over all aspects of your life, even years after the traumatic incident occurred. Narrative therapy is a successful treatment approach for people struggling with trauma or trauma disorders, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Check out our blog “5 Healthy Ways to Cope with PTSD.”
Sometimes, trauma can be so complex and feel too intense when you try to think about it deeply. However, narrative counseling is a form of psychotherapy where you can get more clarity on past events so your memories become less overwhelming. You may find some events easier to understand and cope with once you create a clearer narrative or picture of the trauma you have experienced.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
What is narrative therapy?
Narrative therapy is a form of psychotherapy that centers around the idea that people understand and give meaning to their lives through stories. Developed in the 1980s by Michael White and David Epston, narrative therapy assumes that the way people interpret and talk about their experiences significantly shapes their identity and behavior.
It views problems as separate from the person and sees individuals as the experts of their own lives. Rather than focusing solely on psychological diagnoses or internal flaws, narrative therapy explores the stories you tell about yourself and works to uncover alternative narratives that are more empowering and aligned with your values.
A central concept in narrative therapy is externalization, which involves separating you from the problem you are experiencing. For example, instead of labeling someone as a "depressed person," a narrative therapist at Anchor Therapy might help the client speak of "the depression" as something that visits or affects them, but does not define them. This distinction allows you to gain perspective and agency, enabling you to take action against the problem rather than feeling overwhelmed or controlled by it. Externalization reduces shame and blame while fostering a more compassionate self-talk. If this is something you struggle with, read our blog “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Negative Self-Talk.”
Another key practice is re-authoring where you are encouraged to identify moments in your life that contradict the dominant negative narrative- these are known as "unique outcomes." A person who believes they are always anxious or weak, for instance, might be guided to recall a time when they acted with courage or confidence. View our blog “The Ultimate Guide to Building Self-Confidence.”
By exploring and expanding on these exceptions, you can begin to construct alternative stories that reflect your strengths, intentions, and hopes. These new narratives can be more empowering and can help reshape how clients see themselves and their futures.
Narrative therapy also emphasizes the social and cultural context in which stories are formed. It critically examines how societal messages, family expectations, and power dynamics influence the stories people internalize about themselves. For example, someone might believe they are "a failure" because they do not meet conventional standards of success. A narrative therapist would help this client explore where this story comes from and whether it serves their values. This approach promotes a deeper understanding of how external influences shape personal identities and allows individuals to resist oppressive narratives.
Overall, narrative therapy is a collaborative therapeutic approach that focuses on meaning-making and personal agency. It is used in a wide range of settings, including individual, couple, and family therapy, and is especially helpful for people who feel stuck in negative self-perceptions.
What are the benefits of narrative therapy?
Empowerment and agency
Reduction of shame and self-blame
Increased self-awareness and meaning
Improved relationships
Cultural and social awareness
By helping clients re-author their lives in line with their values, narrative therapy fosters growth, resilience, and a renewed sense of identity!
What is a trauma narrative in therapy?
A trauma narrative in therapy is a detailed, structured account of your traumatic experience, created as part of the healing process in trauma-focused therapy. It is most commonly used in approaches like Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), but it also fits well within narrative therapy where clients tell and reshape stories about their lives, including painful ones. For more information, check out our blog “Everything You Need to Know About CBT for PTSD.”
The purpose of a trauma narrative is to…
Help individuals process their trauma
Reduce the emotional intensity of the trauma
Integrate your traumatic experience into your broader life story in a way that supports recovery
Creating a trauma narrative allows the person to gradually confront and express thoughts and feelings about what happened. Trauma can often fragment memory and cause emotional avoidance or dissociation. By putting the experience into words, you can begin to make sense of it, reduce the fear and shame associated with it, and gain emotional distance from the distressing details. This process often involves working with a therapist in a safe, supportive environment and progresses at a pace that respects the client's readiness and emotional capacity.
In TF-CBT, the trauma narrative is often written or told aloud and can include not only the facts of what occurred but also your thoughts, feelings, sensory experiences, and reactions during and after the trauma. The trauma therapist helps you identify distorted or self-blaming beliefs and challenges them gently. For example, a child who believes “It was my fault” might be guided to see how those thoughts developed and reframe the story with a more compassionate and accurate understanding.
In narrative therapy, the trauma narrative is part of a broader effort to explore the meaning of the trauma within the client’s overall life story. Therapists help clients “externalize” the effects of the trauma (e.g., seeing “the fear” as a problem they face, not who they are) and look for moments of strength, resistance, or hope- what are sometimes called “unique outcomes.” This allows clients to reposition themselves not just as victims of trauma, but as survivors with resilience and agency.
Ultimately, the trauma narrative serves as both a tool for emotional processing and a way to re-author their story. By telling the story in a therapeutic context, the trauma loses some of its power, and the client gains greater control over how it fits into their identity and future. When handled sensitively and skillfully, this process can be a powerful step toward healing.
How is narrative therapy different from CBT?
Narrative therapy and CBT are both evidence-based approaches used in psychotherapy, but they differ greatly in terms of their focus and techniques. CBT is a structured, problem-focused treatment that aims to identify and change distorted thinking patterns, emotional responses, and behaviors. It operates on the belief that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and by changing negative thought patterns- like “I am a failure”- individuals can improve their emotional well-being. In CBT, the therapist often takes a directive role, helping clients recognize cognitive distortions and develop healthier, more realistic thinking patterns.
In contrast, narrative therapy is a non-pathologizing, collaborative approach that focuses on the stories people tell about their lives and identities. It views problems as separate from the person (the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem) and helps individuals examine how cultural, social, and personal narratives shape their experiences. Rather than correcting faulty thinking, narrative therapy invites clients to reflect on the meanings they have assigned to events and explore alternative narratives that reflect their values and strengths. The therapist acts more as a curious partner than a guide, emphasizing client agency and expertise.
Another key difference lies in how each therapy addresses identity and context. CBT often works within the individual’s current internal experience, focusing on logic, patterns, and symptom relief. Narrative therapy, on the other hand, places greater emphasis on context, power dynamics, and societal influences, such as race, gender, or cultural norms, that may contribute to a client’s problems. It encourages clients to critically examine how external forces have shaped their self-perception and to create new, empowering stories that reflect who they truly are and who they want to become. While both therapies can be highly effective, they offer distinct pathways to healing- CBT through cognitive restructuring and behavioral change and narrative therapy through meaning-making and identity transformation.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Healing Trauma through Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy offers a powerful, compassionate framework for helping clients heal from trauma by focusing on the stories they tell about their experiences. Trauma often leaves people feeling powerless, disconnected, and defined by their pain.
Narrative therapy helps to change that by honoring a person’s lived experience while also guiding them to re-author their story in ways that promote resilience, hope, and meaning. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, this therapeutic approach invites clients to explore how trauma has shaped their identity and how they can begin to reclaim that identity on their own terms.
The following five steps outline how narrative therapy can support trauma recovery.
1. Externalizing the Problem
The first step in narrative therapy is to separate yourself from the problem. This is especially important in trauma work, where you may often internalize guilt, shame, or negative self-beliefs. Instead of saying “I am broken” or “I am a victim,” you are encouraged to view trauma-related responses (like fear, flashbacks, or isolation) as external influences you contend with. A trauma therapist might reframe statements like “I am anxious all the time” into “Anxiety has been dominating your life lately.” This shift reduces self-blame and helps you begin to see yourself as more than what happened to you.
2. Mapping the Influence of Trauma
In this step, the therapist and client explore how the trauma has affected different areas of the person’s life- relationships, work, emotions, self-image, and worldview. This is called “mapping the influence” and helps the client see the full impact of the trauma which is often scattered and confusing. It also sets the stage for change by identifying specific areas that you would like to reclaim. Importantly, the client remains the expert of their experience and the therapist acts as a curious collaborator, not the dictator of therapy sessions.
3. Pinpointing Unique Outcomes
Trauma can create a dominant, problem-saturated narrative where you feel powerless or permanently damaged. Narrative therapy helps you discover “unique outcomes”- moments when you resisted the trauma’s effects, showed strength, or acted in ways that reflected your core values. These may be small and easily overlooked, like a time you reached out for help or stood up for yourself. Highlighting these moments helps counter the trauma narrative and supports the development of a more balanced, empowered self-story.
4. Re-authoring the Narrative
Once unique outcomes are identified, the process of re-authoring begins. You are supported in constructing a new narrative that integrates your trauma into your life story without letting it define you. This means reshaping how you view yourself- not just as someone who suffered, but as someone who endured, resisted, or grew. You begin to answer questions like, “What does this say about who I am?” and “What do I want my life to stand for moving forward?” Re-authoring allows the trauma to become part of a richer, more hopeful identity.
5. Reinforcing the New Narrative
The final step involves strengthening and anchoring the new narrative through ongoing reflection, therapeutic conversation, and, when appropriate, sharing it with trusted others. This step might include writing, artwork, rituals, or community involvement. Your narrative therapist at Anchor Therapy helps you revisit and affirm your new story, celebrate progress, and anticipate challenges. This ongoing reinforcement supports lasting healing and helps you feel more grounded in their sense of self.
Narrative therapy offers a respectful and transformative approach to trauma recovery by giving people the space to tell their stories, reframe their experiences, and rediscover their strengths. Its five steps- externalizing the problem, mapping the trauma’s influence, identifying unique outcomes, re-authoring the narrative, and reinforcing the new story- help individuals move from being defined by their trauma to being the author of their own lives. Through this process, healing is not just about managing symptoms but, instead, it is all about reclaiming identity, meaning, and possibility.
Narrative therapy offers a compassionate and empowering path for those healing from trauma. By helping you separate yourself from your pain and rewrite the stories that have shaped your lives, this approach creates space for resilience, self-discovery, and growth.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager, Intake Coordinator, and Community Engagement Director at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark and is currently studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the graduate level. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media/community presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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