Narrative Therapy: Re-Authoring Your Story
Narrative Therapy (NT) is a respectful, non-blaming approach that views people as separate from their problems. It aligns perfectly with the ethos of “Calm and Moving Forward” by promoting Calm through deeply validating your experiences and enabling Moving Forward by helping you gently re-write a richer, more preferred life story. You are the expert of your own life, and therapy is a collaborative process where we explore how limiting “problem stories” have taken hold and discover the unique strengths, skills, and values (or “sparkling moments”) that were always there.
Telehealth Counseling
Telehealth counseling brings the calm, supportive presence of Whisper Creek directly to your secure space, ensuring you can easily access and maintain the forward momentum of your therapeutic journey.
Individual Counseling
Individual therapy at Whisper Creek is a private space of calm and reflection, guiding you to gain clarity, develop resilience, and confidently move toward your goals.
Couples Counseling
Couples therapy at Whisper Creek offers a calm, neutral ground where you and your partner can safely navigate difficult issues and collaboratively build forward momentum toward a healthier, more connected future.
Gentle Discovery and Re-Creation
Narrative Therapy focuses on creating a calm, curious space where you can gently examine and re-author the stories that define your life.
Externalizing the Problem: Naming It
We work to separate you from the problem (e.g., “The depression has been bossing you around,” instead of “You are depressed”). This technique brings Calm by reducing self-blame and guilt. By naming the problem, you gain distance and perspective, preparing you to take active steps Moving Forward against it.
Listening for glimpses of hope Highlighting Strengths
Therapy involves a gentle, detailed exploration of times when you successfully resisted the problem, no matter how small. These are the “hope-filled moments” that prove the problem is not all-powerful. By focusing on these existing strengths, we build a foundation of Calm confidence that empowers your ability to Move Forward and continue to resist old patterns.
Mapping the Influence: Understanding the Terrain
We explore how the problem story has influenced your life and relationships. This process brings Calm understanding to past choices. By mapping the history and influence of the problem, we reveal new, richer pathways based on your deepest values, giving you a clear direction for Moving Forward.
Re-Authoring and Documentation: Writing the Future
The core of NT is the creation of a new, preferred story. We collaborate to weave your strengths, values, and sparkling moments into a coherent, enabling narrative. This documentation (through letters, certificates, or witnessing) is a firm step Moving Forward, anchoring your new, calmer identity in the world.
FAQs: Your Deliberate Path to Calm and Growth
How does Narrative Therapy create "Calm"?
Calm is created through deep respect and a non-blaming lens. We validate your struggles by separating you from the problem, reducing the internal turmoil of self-criticism, and establishing a stable perspective.
How does Narrative THerapy help me start "Moving Forward"?
It helps you Move Forward by collaboratively re-authoring your identity. By uncovering forgotten strengths and documenting them, we create a new story that is rich with possibilities and action, providing a clear path into the future.
Is this therapy mostly about talking about my past?
We talk about your past, but specifically to find exceptions and strengths that contradict the problem story. The ultimate goal is always to connect those exceptions to your present skills and use them to inform your Moving Forward narrative.
What does it mean to "externalize" the problem?
It means we treat the problem (e.g., Anxiety, Self-Doubt) as a separate entity that has been affecting your life. This shifts the focus from “I am the problem” to “We are fighting the problem,” making it easier to take action and Move Forward.
Is this a long-term or short-term therapy?
Narrative Therapy is highly collaborative and often moves forward quickly. While it depends on your goals, many clients find significant clarity and momentum within a focused, time-limited engagement.