Narrative Therapy
Rewriting the Story You Tell About Yourself
Have you ever noticed the way you talk about yourself – not just to others, but in your own head?
“I always mess things up.”
“ How could anyone put up with me?”
“I’m not the emotional type.”
“If I don’t hold it together, everything falls apart.”
These statements might sound like facts, but they’re actually stories – stories that have been shaped by your experience, culture, family, and pain. Narrative Therapy, developed by Michael White and David Epston, helps us recognize those stories, question where they came from, and understand whether they still serve us (or if they need a little updating).
Everything in life is a story. Human beings are meaning-making machines. We will find a meaning in everything and anything. But no two people will perceive any event in the same way. You will come away with a different meaning than your identical twin for any given event.
Narrative therapy focuses on the unique way that you’ve learned to make meaning out of things – it is not a given that you are aware of this constant process. It hones in on your perception, and helps you build awareness toward the stories you are always telling yourself about the world, other people, and who you are. Life is not something that is happening to you, it’s something you are constantly creating with your thoughts, words, ideas, and perceptions.
Your life is an evolving story- full of twists, turns, heroes, villains, love, heartbreak, victory, defeat, and unrelenting change. So… how do you make sense of all of it?
Why It Matters for Men
From an early age, most men absorb stories about who they should be – stay composed, take care of business, fix what’s broken, and keep moving forward. These lessons aren’t necessarily wrong, but when they become too rigid, something gets lost. You start to feel pressure to hold everything together, even when you’re unsure or exhausted.
Over time, that narrow definition of strength can make it hard to connect – both to yourself and to others. It can leave you focused on performance over presence. Narrative Therapy helps you step back and examine the stories running quietly in the background: the ones that tell you what success, love, or masculinity are supposed to look like.
This work isn’t about tearing those stories down. It’s about widening the lens. You begin to see that your experiences – even the hard ones – are part of a much bigger picture that’s still being written. You get to decide what kind of character you want to be in your own story, rather than living out someone else’s script.
Many men find that when they begin to question these old narratives, a new kind of freedom appears. They start to see that their worth isn’t tied to success or stoicism. That vulnerability isn’t a weakness. That the story of their life doesn’t have to follow the same plot it always has.
Narrative Therapy at Wild North Men’s Therapy
The stories we tell about ourselves shape how we move through the world. Some stories lift us up, while others hold us back. Narrative Therapy at Wild North is about bringing those stories into awareness.
In our sessions, we look at the patterns, language, and beliefs that have woven themselves into your life. You might notice how certain narratives – about success, failure, love, or strength – have guided your choices without you realizing it. Together, we explore where those stories came from, what purpose they once served, and how they might be re-written to align with the man you are today.
This process isn’t about forcing a new story upon yourself – one that’s unrealistically positive or disconnected from reality. It’s about developing awareness, noticing your habits and reactions, and seeing the different ways you can respond. Over time, you begin to relate to yourself with more honesty, compassion, and choice.
At Wild North, Narrative Therapy is approached with curiosity and respect for your lived experience. You are the author, not the subject. My role is to help you step back from the page, notice the structure of your story, and recognize the themes that have shaped you.
Narrative Therapy Can Help With:
Identity and purpose
Self-esteem and confidence
Shame and self-criticism
Relationship struggles and communication
Grief and life transitions
Creativity and self-expression
Inclusive Practice
My practice is LGBTQ+ affirming, sex-positive, and welcoming of women, non-traditional relationships, and gender-diverse identities. I’m also a friend and ally to the BIPOC community, and I have experience working with clients from diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. I strive to create a therapy space where you can explore your culture and experiences without fear of judgment or minimization. If you were born in the Milky Way, you are welcome here.