Counselling that looks closely at the stories you carry about your life, with you setting the focus and the pace. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). In person in Edmonton and St. Albert, and virtual sessions for people in Alberta, 50-minute sessions.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Narrative Therapy Is Right for You

You may have come across narrative therapy and wondered whether it is real help or just talking about your life story. Maybe you are not sure your situation is serious enough for therapy. Or you worry that a conversation-based approach will feel too soft for what you are carrying.

Perhaps one way of describing yourself has started to feel like the whole truth. "I'm the anxious one." "I always mess up relationships." You might notice that one hard chapter, like a breakup, a loss, or a move, now colours how you see everything else. Or you tell your own story in a way that leaves out the times you coped, cared, or pushed back.

These patterns make sense. When something painful happens, it can end up with the loudest voice in how you see yourself. A story that has become heavy or narrow is not a sign that something is wrong with you. It often reflects what you have lived through, and what other people have told you about who you are.

If you are trying to decide whether this kind of conversation could be useful, the sections below explain what narrative therapy involves, what it does not do, and how to tell whether it might suit you. If you are reading on behalf of a partner, parent, child, or friend, the same information applies.

Who We Help

Narrative therapy may be a good fit if you:

• want to talk through a life transition, a loss, a relationship change, or a question about identity
• feel defined by one problem, label, or mistake and want room to explore other parts of yourself
• prefer a conversational approach where your own words and values guide the focus
• want to reflect on family, cultural, or community stories that have shaped how you see yourself
• are not sure which approach you want and would like to talk it through with a therapist
• are gathering information for someone you care about before they decide whether to reach out

This service may not be the right fit if you:

• are in crisis or in immediate danger right now. Please use the crisis resources below.
• need a legal, forensic, or court-related report. Those needs are outside this therapy service. Psychological assessments are a separate service and are not part of narrative therapy sessions.
• are looking for a program focused on stopping harmful or violent behaviour toward others. The admin team can talk with you about whether the clinic can help or where a referral may be more suitable.
• would prefer a highly structured, skills-based approach. A therapist can talk with you about other options.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling sessions are booked in advance and are not set up to respond to emergencies. If you or someone else is in danger, or you need support right away, please contact one of these services:

• 911 for immediate danger, or go to your nearest emergency department
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)
• Family Violence Info Line (Alberta): 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Narrative Therapy Is (and What It Is Not)

Narrative therapy is a collaborative counselling approach. Conversations may explore the stories you hold about your life, your relationships, and yourself, along with the values, skills, and hopes that matter to you. Your priorities, your language, and your context guide the work.

Some narrative-informed conversations separate a person from the problem they are facing. Instead of "I am an anxious person," you might talk about how anxiety shows up, what it tells you, and the times it has less pull. This is a way of talking about a problem. It is not a promise of a particular result.

Depending on what you want from therapy, conversations may touch on:

• the meaning you have made of important experiences
• how a concern has been affecting daily life and relationships
• values, skills, and supports you already have
• moments that do not fit a difficult or limiting story
• the direction you would like your life or relationships to take

None of these are required steps. There is no single script, and your therapist can adapt the conversation to your goals, culture, relationships, and current circumstances.

Narrative therapy is a counselling service. It is not a legal service, an investigation, or crisis intervention. It does not include a psychological assessment or a diagnosis. Assessments are a separate service with their own process.

You set the pace. You decide what to talk about and when, and you can decline any question. What you share is confidential within limits set by Alberta law and professional standards, which are explained in the Confidentiality and Privacy section below. Each clinician works within their own training and scope of practice, and may suggest a different approach or a referral if your needs fall outside it.

Signs a Difficult Story May Be Affecting You

Narrative therapy is not tied to one diagnosis. People often come to it with a sense that something about how they see themselves, or their life, has become stuck. You might recognize some of these patterns:

• describing yourself mostly through one problem, mistake, or label
• replaying the same explanation of what went wrong, and feeling worse each time
• feeling ashamed, flat, or on edge when a certain part of your past comes up
• brushing off the times you handled something well, as if they do not count
• feeling that other people's views of you, from family, a former partner, or a workplace, carry more weight than your own
• pulling back from people or activities because you expect the old story to repeat
• finding it hard to picture what comes next after a loss, a move, or another big change
• carrying family or cultural expectations that no longer fit the way you want to live
• feeling tense, tired, or unsettled in your body when a certain topic comes up

These are common responses to hard experiences, not fixed traits. Having them does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. Talking them through with a trained clinician, in a structured and respectful way, may help you notice parts of your story that the problem has been crowding out.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. Browse Our Therapists or use the Match with a Therapist tool. Not every clinician uses narrative therapy, so you can also call the admin team at 780-904-4880 to ask about current availability and approach fit.
• Book your first session. You can book online or by phone. In the first session, your therapist explains confidentiality and its limits, goes over consent, and asks what brings you in and what you would like to be different. You can ask questions before you share anything personal.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist talk through goals, approach, and how often to meet. Narrative therapy may be used on its own or alongside other approaches, when that fits your therapist's scope and your shared plan.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are generally 50 minutes. Many people meet weekly or every two weeks, and the schedule can change as your needs and circumstances change.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist checks in with you regularly about what is helping and what is not. The plan can shift, slow down, or wrap up as your needs change.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Therapy here is collaborative, and your voice shapes the work at every stage. For a fuller walkthrough, see Getting Started with Therapy.

Evidence and Approaches

We want to be direct about the research. The sources reviewed for this page did not include outcome studies on narrative therapy. For that reason, this page does not claim that narrative therapy works for any specific concern. What follows describes the approach and is open about that gap.

Narrative Therapy

What it helps with: Narrative therapy offers a way to explore the stories, meanings, values, and relationships that shape how you see yourself and your options.

Evidence summary: Narrative approaches are taught in Canadian professional education for frontline and outreach workers (Canadian Mental Health Association British Columbia [CMHA BC], 2025). That source describes a training event and does not report clinical outcomes. No outcome study specific to narrative therapy was available for this page.

Limitations: Without outcome research in the sources reviewed, it is not possible to say how likely narrative therapy is to help with a particular concern. Your preferences and your fit with a therapist still matter a great deal.

Externalizing Conversations

What it helps with: Externalizing conversations talk about a problem as something separate from you, so its influence can be looked at rather than treated as part of who you are.

Evidence summary: Canadian professional training materials present separating the person from the problem as a core idea in narrative therapy (CMHA BC, 2025). This describes how the technique is taught. It does not show how well it works.

Limitations: The source is an event listing without study methods or outcome data. Some people prefer a more structured or skills-focused approach, and that is a reasonable preference to raise with your therapist.

What Results to Expect

Change in therapy is rarely a straight line. Some weeks may feel clearer than others, and that is part of the process rather than a sign it is not working.

• Some people notice shifts within a few months. Others prefer longer-term work.
• Many things affect how therapy goes, including what you have been through, what is happening in your life now, and the fit between you and your therapist.
• No therapy can guarantee a particular outcome, and that includes narrative therapy.
• If the fit does not feel right, you can change therapist or try a different approach.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in therapy is confidential. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). They follow CAP's Standards of Practice and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

Two Alberta privacy laws are relevant. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally governs how private clinics collect, use, and disclose personal information. The Health Information Act (HIA) applies to health information held by designated health custodians and the people working with them, such as when care is connected to a public health organization. Your therapist can explain how these rules apply to your records.

There are a few situations where a clinician may be required to share information without your consent:

• when there is a risk of serious harm to you or to someone else
• when there is reason to suspect a child is being abused or neglected, which must be reported under Alberta law
• when a court orders records to be released

Your therapist will explain these limits in your first session, before you are asked to share anything personal. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy first, and to decide what you share and when.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe what happened in detail?

No. You decide how much to share and when. Narrative therapy can start with how a problem is affecting your life now and what matters to you, rather than a full retelling of the past. If a topic feels like too much, you can say so, pause, or come back to it later.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within limits. Confidentiality can be broken when there is a risk of serious harm, a suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected, or a court order. Your therapist reviews these limits with you during consent, before you share anything personal. The Confidentiality and Privacy section above has more detail.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no set number. Some people come for a short stretch focused on one question or transition. Others prefer longer-term work. You and your therapist review how things are going regularly and decide together what comes next.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is okay to say a match is not working. You can raise it with your therapist, or call the admin team at 780-904-4880 to talk about seeing a different clinician. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I access narrative therapy online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available for people located in Alberta, though availability varies by clinician. The same confidentiality standards apply online as in person. It can help to find a private, quiet space for your session. Read more about online counselling.

Is narrative therapy just telling my life story?

Not exactly. Personal stories may be part of the conversation, but you choose the focus, and it is guided by what feels relevant now. A therapist may help you look at how certain experiences, relationships, values, and hopes fit into the story you want to understand or build.

Do I need a diagnosis to try narrative therapy?

No. You can begin with the concerns, questions, or changes that matter to you. Narrative therapy sessions do not include a diagnosis. Whether this approach suits you is something to talk about with a therapist at your first appointment.

What if I am still in a situation that does not feel safe?

You can still reach out, and your safety comes first. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The Family Violence Info Line (Alberta) at 310-1818 is available 24/7 for information and support. A therapist can talk with you about safety and about what kind of support makes sense right now.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Training and approaches vary from clinician to clinician, and not every therapist uses narrative therapy. You can read individual profiles on Our Therapists, try the Match with a Therapist tool, or call the admin team at 780-904-4880 to ask who currently offers this approach.

Children and Youth

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people. Therapists who work with younger clients use age-appropriate ways of talking and working. They also work with parents and caregivers to support the young person at home.

Whether a narrative-informed approach suits a particular child or teen is something to discuss with the therapist. You can learn more on our child and youth counselling page.

When You Feel Ready

If you would like to explore whether narrative therapy fits, you can take the next step in whichever way feels easiest:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call: 780-904-4880
• Email: info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy

Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Canadian Mental Health Association British Columbia. (2025). Brief narrative interventions in outreach and crisis settings.