Traumatic experiences and attachment wounds can disrupt the personal narrative, leaving a person stuck in unhealthy patterns of behaviour. Clients often enter therapy with fragmented, overwhelming narratives shaped by traumatic experiences that disrupt their ability to make sense of past events and undermine their sense of self. Effective therapeutic approaches focus on helping clients transform these disorganized, overwhelming memories into coherent, balanced narratives with new meaning.
In this workshop, I present a therapeutic approach guided by the principles of decluttering and organizing, whereby the client “sorts out” their personal story, allowing them to create new meaning and tangible change in their everyday lives. In this process, clients make their thoughts, feelings, memories explicit, and with the support of the therapist determines what to keep, what to reevaluate or change, what to set aside and accept, and how to take action in the desired direction.
The therapist’s role is to provide a safe, consistent relationship that models compassion and curiosity, while collaboratively deconstructing the old narrative, highlighting key patterns, and pivotal “forks in the road” that represent choices or turning points for the client. This process unfolds in small, nonlinear steps and relies on the formation of intentional skills such as reflective functioning and narrative practice.
Workshop: