Narrative Therapy

Narrative Therapy believes that as people grow and develop throughout life, they accumulate life experiences that shape a narrative around their identity, worth, and value. There are helpful narratives we can embrace about ourselves and unhelpful narratives. Narrative Therapy believes that we construct meaning around these narratives and aims to empower people to explore alternative and more adaptive life narratives.

The stories we tell ourselves create our reality. Narrative therapy works by charting your unique story, understanding the context, influences, other characters, and key moments. This therapy is a collaborative process between therapist and client, who work together to find a new alternative storyline to support healing. Here we consider the problem as a character your story, separating the person from the problem, to empower your identity as more than just "depression" or "anorexia."

How we see ourselves and the world around us is contingent upon our experiences and narratives. Narrative Therapy is a good way to acknowledge why we are operating in the world as we do and it offers opportunities to make shifts, if so desired, by altering our narratives.

My graduate training is primarily in narrative therapy, and my approach is to engage in self-exploration by taking an outside, curious perspective of ourselves and our stories, gain greater insight into the events that have shaped us, enrich our stories by recognizing our resilience, and use that knowledge and perspective to better define what we would like our futures to be.

Narrative therapy suggests that we are constantly constructing stories about the things we experience, the world we live in, and who we are. However, sometimes, the stories we're telling become outdated, unhelpful, or actively harmful. I see therapy as a safe place to become conscious of the stories we're operating within, to try on new ideas, and maybe even rewrite the stories we've written or inherited about ourselves and the world.

Helps you to rewrite your story to fit who you are today and who you want to be in the future!

I believe that you are the expert when it comes to your lived experience. I see my role as a co-author, helping you develop an alternate—yet perhaps truer—personal history so that you may move forward with courage and confidence.

As we go through our life, we build a narrative of our experience that frames how we perceive our decisions and relationships. Sometimes, these narratives are overly negative, narrow, or biased. I look forward to revising your narrative to one that is more inclusive, positive, and optimistic.

This therapy approach helps clients identify their values and use them to confront present and future problems. I believe that clients are the experts in their own lives and the problem is the problem (not the person). For example, instead of someone being “a depressed person” I see it as someone who “lives with depression”. Narrative therapy is especially empowering for BIPOC communities and LGBTQIA+ because it navigates systems steeped in racism, homophobia, white supremacy, and patriarchy.

Before we even have words, we are telling ourselves a story. Our minds, emotions, and our body are always learning and assigning meaning to the experiences we have, and this meaning impacts how we receive future experiences. Narrative therapy is about bringing this process out of the unconscious, where we can realign the broken or misunderstood ways we define ourselves, and craft a chosen story going forward.

The foundation of Dr. Inez's psychotherapy worldview is narrative therapy. Some suppositions of the narrative worldview as defined by Michael White: Everyone has meaning-making skills. Everyone tells stories. The meanings we give these stories shape our lives. Life is multi-storied, not single-storied. Therapists listen for these storylines, and we support people to develop the preferred storylines richly.

Narrative therapy talks about the stories we tell ourselves. A key concept from this approach is that "the person is not the problem, the problem is the problem." If you replaced your broken, problem-saturated narrative with a strengths-focused one, what would be the result? This is not to say that you need to focus on the positives in your past and your problems will disappear. It just allows for a reframe and shows the inherent good in each narrative.

Our life is a story constantly written, with characters coming and going. In therapy, we will map your story, whether it is your individual story, relationship, or family story. We will work together to make “the problems” characters instead of part of your or a loved one's character so we can kick the “problem” out of your story.

I have been practicing Narrative Therapy since 2016 and have been engaging in continuing education for many years. I am trained in TRAUMA ART NARRATIVE THERAPY and Basic Principles of Narrative Therapy.

Narrative therapy is an open and creative perspective on healing and growth. 'People aren't problems, problems are problems' is a classic one-liner. I've been practicing narrative since I was first trained in it nine years ago, and I have five years experience training other clinicians in it as well.

I avoid thinking or speaking of those I consult with or their loved ones as the problem. Rather, the Problem is the Problem. I want to know you apart from your problems, so that I can stand with you against the problems that attempt to influence you. To highlight this separation I use a technique called "externalizing." For example, if you say, “I am depressed”, I might ask, “How did you notice Depression first influencing your life?”

I utilize Narrative Therapy while still embellishing the belief that you, the client are the expert in their own life. This core value is married with the belief that you are the author/ creator of your own story. When stories start to become more concrete and unchangeable, problems can start to appear. I will walk alongside you, the client, as your story is being un-authored, making space for a new one to be written.

Every client has their own story! Every story has it’s own meaning and power. Stories can give more purpose to one’s life. Together we will piece your story together, and help find your voice to be able to tell your true authentic story in your own words.

I embrace each of the stories we choose to lead. Sometimes, our stories can shift from ones that are enjoyable to ones of survival. I am here to help you get your life back on track and slay the monsters in your way.