What is Narrative Exposure Therapy?

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a specific treatment aimed to help individuals who have faced multiple or complex traumas (c-PTSD). 

The main concept of NET is to talk through your traumatic events in chronological order to slowly and methodically process the traumatic experiences and empower you for the future. In turn this will help reduce the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD and c-PTSD). NET is most commonly used to treat refugees and asylum seekers who have lived in war zones. However it is also found to be beneficial for those who feel like an ‘outsider’ and have found other therapies unsuccessful. One of the reasons NET may be used to treat PTSD over CBT is the focus on exploring your entire lived experience and the impact this has had on your identity. 

“For victims, regaining access to their biographies and communicating their history to others can empower them to stand up for their rights as victims of violence and overcome feelings of anger, hopelessness, and powerlessness.” Shaker, Neuner & Elbert (2005), Narrative Exposure Therapy: A Short-Term Treatment for Traumatic Stress Disorders.

What NET treatment looks like: 

The number of sessions offered depends on each individual’s difficulties. On average NET lasts up to 20 sessions on a weekly basis, each of which are 55 minutes. However, if your difficulty is more complex, you may require further sessions.

We begin NET by developing a biography of your life from the very beginning, and in particular, detailed accounts of your traumas. We use symptoms to guide us through a chronological timeline, marking traumas with stones and happy memories with flowers. We will record this journey through your life in a narrative which we will review together each session. This narrative aims to help you develop a stronger sense of self-worth and acknowledge your value.

After you have completed NET, you will be given a copy of your narrative to help you continue to process and contextualise your trauma.