Narrative exposure–based therapy is a trauma-focused approach that helps people process difficult experiences by placing them within the broader story of their lives. This often involves creating a timeline or narrative of your life that includes significant experiences—both positive and painful, including traumatic events. Together, we'll review and reflect on these experiences to better understand their meaning, how they have shaped you, and how they continue to influence your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and sense of self.

This approach may be especially helpful for individuals who have experienced multiple traumatic or highly stressful events throughout their lives, including repeated childhood or developmental trauma. It can also benefit those who feel that past experiences continue to shape their emotions, relationships, or sense of self.

Together, we'll explore your life story at a pace that feels manageable, identifying both meaningful and difficult experiences. Rather than focusing on isolated events, we'll work to understand how different experiences have influenced one another, how they fit into the larger story of your life, and how they continue to affect you today.

No. Therapy is collaborative and proceeds at a pace that feels safe and appropriate for you. We'll first work to establish trust and ensure you have the emotional resources needed before gradually approaching more distressing memories.

Most trauma-focused therapies involve some degree of gradually revisiting stressful or traumatic memories, as avoidance often plays a central role in maintaining trauma symptoms. Narrative exposure–based therapy also incorporates this process, but it emphasizes understanding these experiences within the context of your entire life story rather than viewing each traumatic event in isolation. This broader perspective can help create a more coherent, integrated understanding of your experiences.

No. My approach is informed by principles of narrative exposure and current trauma research but is not the manualized Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) protocol. Treatment is individualized and may also incorporate psychodynamic psychotherapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), and medication management when appropriate.