Move Beyond Old Stories with Narrative Therapy in Calgary
At Flourish Psychological Services, we take a collaborative, non-judgemental approach to Narrative Therapy that empowers our clients to separate themselves from unhelpful stories. By externalizing the problem, our therapists are able to emphasize your expertise in their own life, while highlighting and exploring your strengths and skills, beliefs, values, commitments, and abilities.
Our experienced Narrative therapists – [Insert therapists] — offer a welcoming, supportive space for clients to explore life’s challenges, reshape their internal narratives, and move forward with clarity and confidence.
What is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative Therapy is a collaborative form of counselling that centers on the stories people tell about themselves and their lives. Developed in the 1980s, Narrative Therapy helps clients identify and challenge limiting beliefs, perceptions, and patterns by viewing problems and destructive behaviours as separate from the person.
Rather than labeling a client by a diagnosis or problem, therapists trained in Narrative Therapy encourage their clients to re-author their experiences, drawing on their skills, values, and hopes to create more empowering life stories and self confidence.
How Does Narrative Therapy Work?
Narrative Therapy is a collaborative, culturally sensitive approach to therapy based on the belief that our lives are shaped by stories that influence how we perceive ourselves and, consequently, what we believe to be possible. These stories are created from social, cultural, and personal experiences, and can sometimes become limiting or problem-focused, keeping us feeling stuck. With your therapist, you will focus on:
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Exploring the origins and impacts of dominant narratives in your life
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Externalizing the problem ("The problem is the problem, the person is not the problem")
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Identifying your strengths, resources, and alternative storylines
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Creating new descriptions of your identity, relationships, and future possibilities, allowing you to reclaim agency and foster meaningful change in your life.
What to Expect During a Narrative Therapy Session
Your first Narrative Therapy session begins with an open conversation where you can share your concerns, hopes, and the narratives you hold about yourself and the challenges you face. This initial dialogue is designed to establish a strong therapeutic alliance, ensuring that you feel safe, comfortable, seen, and supported. This environment aims to empower you to express your thoughts and feelings freely, setting the stage for meaningful exploration.
As you progress through the session, your therapist will guide you in discussing your present struggles within the context of your life. Together, you will map out the impacts of these problems, examining their origins and how they have shaped your experiences. This exploration will help identify patterns and themes in your narrative, providing insights into how these stories took shape and how they have influenced your identity and choices. By externalizing these challenges, you can begin to view them as separate from yourself, paving the way for new perspectives and possibilities. Through this collaborative process, you will work towards re-authoring your narrative in a way that aligns with your values and aspirations and empowers you to break patterns that formerly held you back.
Who Can Benefit from Narrative Therapy?
Narrative Therapy is suitable for individuals, couples, or families experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, grief, or those seeking to understand and change negative self-beliefs. It’s particularly effective for anyone feeling stuck in old patterns or limited by self-criticism, cultural expectations, or difficult life events.
How is Narrative Therapy different from traditional talk therapy?
Unlike traditional approaches that focus on diagnosing or “fixing” problems, Narrative Therapy externalizes issues — seeing them as separate from the individual — and honors your unique knowledge, skills, and meaning-making. This empowers clients to reconstruct more hopeful, empowering narratives about their lives.
Calgary-Based Narrative Therapy Specialists You Can Trust
Finding the right therapist is an important step in changing your story. At Flourish Psychological Services, our team of Narrative-informed therapists bring genuine care, warmth, cultural sensitivity, and expertise to every session, supporting your personal growth whether you’re joining us in person at our Calgary clinic or virtually from home.
Narrative Therapy vs. Other Therapies
Narrative Therapy shares elements with other collaborative modalities but differs in its emphasis on language, meaning, and the role of personal stories. Where Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets thought patterns, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on values-driven action, Narrative Therapy explores how stories shape our reality and identity. With Narrative Therapy, clients are empowered to explore, question, and change unhelpful narratives, leading to greater self-understanding, resilience, and freedom from limiting beliefs.
What Is The Difference?
1) Narrative Therapy vs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
While CBT focuses primarily on identifying and altering dysfunctional thought patterns that contribute to emotional distress, Narrative Therapy emphasizes the significance of the stories individuals tell about their lives. In CBT, clients learn to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with more constructive beliefs, often using structured techniques and exercises. In contrast, Narrative Therapy empowers clients to externalize their problems, viewing them as separate from themselves. This allows individuals to explore the meanings attached to their experiences and reframe their narratives, fostering a deeper sense of agency and personal transformation.
2) Narrative Therapy vs. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Why Choose Narrative Therapy for Mental Health Support?
At Flourish Psychological Services, we adopt a compassionate and strengths-focused approach through Narrative Therapy, which empowers you to gain distance from your problems and their negative effects. By helping you identify and reclaim your core values, abilities, and hopes, this therapeutic method facilitates healing from lifelong challenges, deep-rooted trauma, grief, and difficult transitions. Through the process of re-authoring your life story, you can build a preferred narrative grounded in resilience and possibility.
This evidence-based approach not only recognizes your agency but also supports you in moving forward on your own terms, fostering a sense of empowerment and clarity as you navigate your unique journey toward mental well-being.
Scheduling an Narrative Therapy Session in Calgary
Even if you’re new to Narrative Therapy, booking a session is quick and easy. Just follow these simple steps to get started.
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15-Minute Consultation
Start by filling out our user-friendly online contact form, which will set you up with a free 15-minute consultation with a therapist of your choice. That’s where you’ll briefly share your personal concerns and what you hope to achieve. It also gives us the opportunity to make sure we’re a good fit for you, too.
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Choose Your Therapist
After your free consultation, take the time to reflect on your experience and decide if you feel comfortable and connected with the therapist you spoke with. If so, you can book your first therapy session. If not, we can try someone else, or recommend a different clinic if we feel we cannot provide you with what you need.
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Choose Appointment
Choose the format – in-person or online – that best suits your comfort level and circumstances. Our virtual sessions are always secure, confidential, and convenient, but if you aren't a fan of online and would prefer face-to-face interactions, we'll warmly welcome you for your appointment!