We are all authors of our own stories. Throughout our lives, our personal experiences become our own personal stories that we tell about ourselves and our life journeys. The meanings we give to such narratives make up our identity and our understanding of ourselves. Within the narrative therapy approach, the power and influence of these stories we tell about ourselves are explored, with the client as the narrator or expert of their own life narrative.

Often, such stories have the potential to become "problem-saturated," or don't account for all other possibilities beyond the problematic one. For example, someone struggling with depression may take on the identity of a "depressed individual" and doesn't account for instances in their life narrative that provides evidence to the contrary. They live life according to this problem-saturated plot. Furthermore, the substantive role these problems take in the narrative can lead them to become internalized by the individual — that is, they are viewed as being an innate, inseparable part of the themselves.

Narrative therapy seeks to separate such problems from the individual, tasking them with exploring and re-writing their life stories. Additionally, narrative therapy views the client as the expert, capable of utilizing their own skills to minimize the problems that they are facing in their lives. As a proponent of narrative therapy, Your therapist would work as a non-directive collaborator, refraining from imposing their own judgments and remaining curious towards clients as they deconstruct problem stories, challenge negative perceptions of self, and re-author preferred stories with agency.

At Mantra Psychotherapy, narrative therapy is integrated into a broader, client-centred approach to care. All sessions are conducted virtually through Jane App, a secure PHIPA-compliant telehealth platform, making narrative therapy accessible to individuals across Toronto, the GTA, and all of Ontario. Getting started begins with a free 15-minute consultation — and if you're not sure which therapist or approach best suits your needs, our Therapist Matching Form can help point you in the right direction. If you're looking for a narrative therapist in Toronto or anywhere across Ontario, we'd love to connect. You can view all of our therapists by visiting our team page.