What Is Narrative Therapy?
Rewriting the Stories That Shape Us
We all carry stories about who we are, some spoken, some unspoken, some inherited, and some shaped by experiences we never asked for. Narrative therapy is a gentle, collaborative approach that helps us understand these stories with curiosity rather than judgment. It invites us to step back and consider: “Where did this story come from? And is it the story I want to keep living into?”
Where Narrative Therapy Came From
Narrative therapy was developed in the 1980s by Michael White (Australia) and David Epston (New Zealand). They were social workers who believed deeply in people’s capacity for meaning-making, agency, and resilience, especially those whose voices had been silenced or overshadowed by dominant societal narratives.
Their approach challenged the idea that people are their problems. Instead, they viewed people as:
capable
resourceful
shaped by context
influenced by systems, relationships, and culture
always holding multiple stories within them
White and Epston were influenced by anthropology, family therapy, philosophy, and social justice movements. Their work centred on this core belief:
People make sense of their lives through stories, and stories can be re-authored.
The Theory Behind Narrative Therapy
1. We make meaning through stories.
Humans understand themselves and the world through narrative. The stories we carry shape how we think, feel, and respond.
2. Identity is multi-layered, not fixed.
We all hold many stories — some shaped by pain, others by strength. Narrative therapy helps bring forward the stories that reflect our values, resilience, and preferred ways of being.
3. Context shapes our experiences.
Our stories are influenced by family, culture, systems, trauma, and social messages, not by personal “faults” or flaws. Understanding context reduces shame.
4. Meaning creates possibility.
When we explore the meaning behind a story, we can choose to shift it. Narrative therapy supports people to re-author stories in ways that feel truer, kinder, and more hopeful.
“It is not the person who is the problem, but the problem that is the problem, and it is through stories that people make meaning of their lives.”
— Michael White
A Closing Thought
Narrative therapy doesn’t rush.
It honours your pace, your wisdom, and your lived experience.
It understands that identity is not fixed, it unfolds.
One insight at a time.
One story at a time.
One conversation at a time.