Narrative Therapy for Self-Esteem: Rewriting the Story You Tell About Yourself
- Elizabeth Hackney
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 21
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “This is just the way I am” or “Things never work out for me”? These kinds of thoughts can become so familiar that they start to feel like unchangeable truths. But what if they’re just one version of a story—and what if you could rewrite it?
Narrative therapy is a powerful, collaborative form of talk therapy that helps you explore your life as a story. Not a fixed story—but one filled with possibility, meaning, and choice.
What Is Narrative Therapy?
Narrative therapy is a therapeutic approach rooted in the idea that we understand ourselves and the world through the stories we tell. These stories shape our identity, relationships, and outlook on life. Sometimes they’re influenced by painful past experiences, trauma, cultural messages, or internalized self-criticism—and they can limit how we see ourselves and what we believe is possible.
Narrative therapy helps you:
Explore and challenge limiting beliefs
Separate yourself from the problem
Reconnect with your strengths, values, and hopes
Re-author a more empowering life narrative
Through conversation, reflection, and curiosity, we explore new ways of seeing your story—and how your lived experience holds evidence of strength, resilience, and agency.
You Are Not the Problem. Narrative Therapy for Self-Esteem.
A key principle in narrative therapy is this: you are not the problem—the problem is the problem. Instead of labeling you as "anxious" or "unmotivated," we look at how these challenges show up in your life, what they’re trying to communicate, and how you’ve already been pushing back against them in subtle, courageous ways.
This externalizing technique allows you to better understand how systems, relationships, and past experiences have shaped your story—while making room for compassion and change.
Who Is Narrative Therapy For?
Narrative therapy is especially helpful for people who:
Experience low self-esteem or negative self-talk
Feel stuck in painful patterns or past experiences
Have difficulty forming a strong sense of identity
Want to better understand their values, goals, and personal meaning
Are navigating major life transitions or trauma recovery
This approach meets you where you are. It’s not about giving advice—it’s about exploring your truth with curiosity, respect, and collaboration.
What Happens in Narrative Therapy?
In our sessions, we’ll look at the dominant narratives that have shaped your identity—where they come from, whose voices are present, and what parts of your story have been ignored or minimized.
We might use:
Journaling or letter-writing
Creative expression
Reflective dialogue
Re-authoring exercises
Together, we’ll trace the threads of resistance, hope, clarity, and connection—even the quiet ones—and explore how they can grow into a fuller, more meaningful story moving forward.
Reclaiming Your Story
Narrative therapy isn’t about pretending your pain didn’t happen. It’s about honoring your experience while giving you the tools to shift the narrative toward something more truthful, empowering, and compassionate.
You are not broken. Your story is not finished.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If this post spoke to you, I'd love to support you in therapy. I'm Elizabeth Hackney, a licensed professional counselor at Cadenza Counseling Colorado offering online telehealth therapy to individuals and couples in the state of Colorado. Reach out today:
