Principles of Narrative Therapy as a Treatment Method for Mental Health Complaints
How stories influence your mental well-being
The stories we tell ourselves about who we are and how the world works are often more powerful than we realise. They shape not only how we view events but also how we feel and behave. Some stories provide us with direction and stability, while others can limit us and cause psychological distress. Narrative therapy uses the power of stories to ease mental health difficulties. In this article, as part of informed consent, I will explain the key principles of this approach.
By Rob Wilders, Psychosocial Therapist
Stories and Mental Frameworks
The way we think is strongly influenced by mental frameworks: beliefs, assumptions, cultural values, expectations and prejudices that we develop over the course of our lives. These frameworks are based on memories and experiences, which we store in our brain as stories. Stories give meaning to our experiences and shape the lens through which we view ourselves, others and the world around us.
The benefits of listening to your story
Exploring and telling your own story offers three key benefits:
1. Structure and clarity
First of all, it helps you to organise and tidy up your stories. You can compare this to a cluttered desk: when papers and objects are scattered everywhere, it’s difficult to find what you’re looking for. By sorting through what is important and what is not, clarity and order are restored. The same applies to stories. By organising your experiences, connections become clearer and certain matters gain meaning.
2. Seeing the bigger picture
Secondly, narrative therapy offers space to tell your whole story without judgement. This is important because we tend to approach the world – and ourselves – in fragments: me and you, work and private life, thinking and feeling, us and them, right and wrong. We do this out of habit, because it feels manageable. But in reality, that fragmentation is an illusion.
All of our stories are interconnected. Together, they form a dynamic, living process in which each story relates to the others. When we continue to think in fragments, we lose sight of the bigger picture. This can lead to internal misunderstandings, conflicts, division and, ultimately, mental or social problems. By looking at your story as a whole, there is room for nuance, which can reduce psychological discomfort.
“Your story does not only define who you are, but also how free you feel. By looking differently at your story, your view of yourself and the world changes.”
3. Insight into your mental frameworks
The third benefit of narrative therapy is that it provides insight into the context of your own mental frameworks. By listening carefully to your story, you will discover how your beliefs and assumptions were formed and from which perspective you view yourself and the world.
When mental frameworks have a negative impact on your daily life, we speak of dominant, limiting stories. These stories colour your thoughts, feelings and behaviour in a negative way and cause psychological distress. In narrative therapy, we will map out these stories and explore them together – without judgement. We approach them from different perspectives, creating space for new meanings. The aim is to transform dominant, limiting stories into empowering narratives that offer more possibilities and resilience.
Opportunities and limitations of narrative therapy
Narrative therapy offers people the opportunity to look at themselves and their experiences differently, but like any approach, it also has its limitations. One important point to consider is that narrative therapy strongly relies on language and the ability to reflect. For people who find it difficult to express their feelings or who are less verbally inclined, this form of therapy may feel abstract or demanding. Furthermore, narrative work takes time; rewriting dominant stories is not a quick process and requires commitment, a willingness to self-reflect and, at times, a revisiting of painful experiences. In case of doubt, we will consult your GP to determine whether narrative therapy is suitable. Lastly, for some people, narrative therapy may not provide enough structure if they need more practical exercises or behaviour-oriented methods. In such cases, a combination with approaches like cognitive behavioural therapy or schema therapy may be appropriate.
In conclusion
Narrative therapy invites you to look differently at yourself and your experiences. By telling your own story, organising it, and placing it in a broader context, space is created for recovery, insight and personal growth. The story you tell yourself is never set in stone. You can rewrite it – with more nuance, kindness and perspective.
Free introductory meeting
Curious to find out how narrative therapy might help you? Feel free to get in touch for an introductory session. Together, we will explore how to examine your stories and create space for new perspectives.
ABOUT ROB WILDERS
Rob Wilders is the founder and psychosocial therapist at NLT-Lab, specialising in recovery care for work-related mental health complaints. With a background in narrative research spanning more than twenty years, he works with stories as a tool for insight and change. In his practice, he helps people identify the thoughts and feelings that limit them and guides them in transforming these into empowering perspectives that foster recovery, growth and resilience.
NARRATIVE THERAPY WITHIN PSYCHOSOCIAL THERAPY
Narrative therapy is one of the methods that falls under the broader umbrella of psychosocial therapy. Psychosocial therapy focuses on restoring the balance between thinking, feeling and behaviour, and on promoting psychological and social well-being. Within this framework, narrative therapy offers a specific approach in which personal stories take centre stage.
As a psychosocial therapist, I work from the perspective that mental health complaints are often linked to the meaning people attach to their experiences in relation to their social environment. Narrative therapy aligns closely with this view, as it focuses on the stories people tell about themselves, their surroundings and their past. These stories are influenced by personal beliefs, cultural values and social circumstances – in short, by the psychosocial context.
By exploring these stories together in therapy, you gain insight into how certain thought patterns, feelings and behaviours have developed. This makes it possible to break through ingrained or limiting narratives and create space for new, empowering perspectives.
Narrative therapy is therefore not a standalone treatment, but within psychosocial therapy, it forms a powerful method for addressing mental, social and emotional processes in an integrated way.
Connection with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Schema Therapy
Narrative therapy is conceptually aligned with cognitive behavioural therapy and schema therapy. All three approaches focus on recognising and transforming persistent patterns of thinking and belief. Whereas cognitive behavioural therapy and schema therapy concentrate on behaviour, thinking styles and underlying schemas, narrative therapy looks at the broader story in which these patterns have emerged.
