Narrative Therapy is a collaborative and respectful approach to counselling that sees people as the experts in their own lives. Instead of focusing on what’s “wrong,” it explores the stories people tell about themselves—helping them rewrite those stories in a way that reflects their values, strengths, and hopes for the future.
If you’re considering Narrative Therapy training, you might be wondering what skills and insights you’ll gain. This blog outlines what you can expect to learn in a course and how it can enhance your work across a range of professional settings.
Understanding Narrative Therapy
What is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative Therapy separates the person from the problem. It’s grounded in post-structuralist and social constructionist ideas, which suggest that our identities are shaped by the language and stories we use. Rather than viewing people as broken or deficient, this approach seeks to understand how societal, cultural, and relational narratives influence their lives.
Why It Matters in Therapeutic Work
Narrative Therapy offers a deeply respectful and empowering alternative to more pathologising models of care. It is used globally in mental health services, schools, youth support programs, and trauma-informed practice. It is especially useful when working with clients who have been marginalised or who feel defined by their problems.
Core Concepts You’ll Learn
Externalising Conversations
One of the core techniques you’ll learn is how to externalise the problem. Instead of saying, “I am anxious,” the conversation becomes “anxiety is showing up a lot lately.” This shift helps clients gain perspective, reduce self-blame, and explore new ways of responding.
Deconstructing Problem-Saturated Stories
Narrative Therapy invites clients to examine how dominant stories about themselves—often shaped by trauma, culture, or systems—have taken hold. You’ll learn how to gently deconstruct these stories by asking questions that reveal power dynamics, social influences, and overlooked experiences.
Re-authoring Conversations
These conversations focus on helping clients identify preferred stories of who they are. You’ll explore how to highlight moments of strength, resistance, or connection that may have been overshadowed by the problem. Through re-authoring, clients begin to build a richer, more hopeful identity.
You’ll gain hands-on experience with these ideas in narrative therapy training and courses that are designed to help professionals work with story, identity, and meaning in therapeutic and support settings.
Narrative Techniques and Skills
Asking Narrative Questions
You’ll practise using purposeful, curiosity-driven questions that invite clients to reflect on their values, intentions, and choices. These questions open up space for insight and new perspectives, without interpreting or diagnosing.
Using Therapeutic Documents and Letters
Narrative Therapy often incorporates written materials like letters or certificates to affirm progress, mark turning points, or acknowledge preferred identity traits. You’ll learn how to use these creative tools to extend the therapeutic conversation beyond the session.
The Role of Story, Metaphor, and Language
You’ll explore how language shapes a client’s experience—and how it can be gently re-shaped. Working with metaphors and storylines helps clients name and reposition their challenges in ways that feel more manageable and meaningful.
Applying Narrative Therapy in Practice
Working with Individuals, Families, and Groups
Narrative Therapy is highly adaptable. Whether you work one-on-one, with families, or in community programs, the skills you learn can be used to promote agency, improve communication, and support healing.
Adapting Narrative Approaches Across Contexts
These practices are valuable in a variety of settings, including:
- Schools and student wellbeing programs
- Youth services and outreach
- Trauma recovery and crisis support
- Disability, health, and community-based services
- Culturally diverse and First Nations contexts
Narrative Therapy’s flexibility and emphasis on cultural respect make it a useful tool across professional roles.
Course Format and Learning Experience
Narrative Therapy courses are typically hands-on and reflective. You can expect:
- Live demonstrations and video examples
- Small group discussions and role-plays
- Practical tools you can apply immediately in your work
- Opportunities to explore your own relationship with language, identity, and helping
Some courses also offer supervision, ongoing mentoring, or pathways to more advanced study.
Who Should Take a Narrative Therapy Course?
This training is ideal for:
- Counsellors, psychologists, and social workers
- School counsellors, wellbeing coordinators, and teachers
- Mental health and allied health professionals
- Community, youth, and disability support workers
- Anyone interested in using story, identity, and strengths-based practice in their role
Whether you’re new to the field or an experienced practitioner, Narrative Therapy offers powerful tools to reframe your practice and deepen your impact.
Key Takeaways
Narrative Therapy is more than a set of techniques—it’s a way of relating to people with respect, curiosity, and belief in their capacity for change. In a Narrative Therapy course, you’ll learn how to invite powerful conversations that honour clients’ lived experience while supporting them to move toward preferred stories of who they are.
If you’re looking to expand your practice with a collaborative, culturally sensitive approach, Narrative Therapy training could be a transformative next step.