Narrative Therapy — North Austin, TX
You Are Not the Problem. The Story Is.
Narrative therapy is a collaborative, respectful form of talk therapy that helps you examine the stories you have built about yourself, your life, and rewrite the ones that are holding you back.
Rather than viewing the person as the problem, narrative therapy separates you from the problem, allowing you to see yourself as someone with agency, strength, and the ability to change. The stories we tell ourselves shape how we see the world and our place in it. When those stories position us as broken, helpless, or defined by our problems, they become self-reinforcing. Narrative therapy externalizes the problem and opens space for a different story.
At North Austin Neurofeedback, we use narrative therapy for clients in Austin who are ready to examine and rewrite the stories holding them back.
Narrative
externalizing the problem
Trained
licensed clinician
Identity
affirming approach
★ BCIA Board-Certified
✓ Licensed Therapy
↻ Evidence-Based Modalities
⚲ North Austin, TX
How Narrative Therapy Works
The Story You’re Living By Can Change.
Narrative therapy is built on a simple but radical premise: the individual is often not the problem. The problem is the problem. By externalizing what has been experienced as a fixed internal flaw, narrative therapy creates space for a more honest, complex, and empowering account of who you are.
The therapist listens for the story underneath the story — the values, strengths, and moments of resistance that the problem-saturated narrative has obscured. From those “unique outcomes,” an alternative story begins to be authored.
What Narrative Therapy Helps
Concerns Narrative Therapy Addresses
Narrative therapy is particularly powerful wherever identity, meaning, and the stories others have told about you are central to the presenting concern.
Depression & Hopelessness
Grief & Loss
Identity Struggles
Life Transitions
Trauma & Abuse
Relationship Conflict
Chronic Illness Adjustment
Cultural & Systemic Harm
Who Is Narrative Therapy For?
Narrative Therapy Is Especially Effective For These Clients
Narrative therapy is particularly powerful for people whose sense of self has been profoundly shaped by others’ stories about them through trauma, discrimination, diagnosis, or toxic relationships.
✓ People who feel defined by their diagnosis or history
✓ Those navigating major life transitions or loss
✓ Clients recovering from abusive or controlling relationships
✓ People from marginalized communities where systemic harm is part of the story
✓ Clients for whom traditional CBT or insight-based therapy has felt reductive
✓ Those who want depth over symptom management
✓ Identity questions and existential concerns
✓ Anyone who has internalized others’ narratives as their own truth
Research Support
What Research Shows About Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy has growing evidence across depression, trauma, grief, and identity-related concerns with particular strength in cross-cultural and community contexts.
Evidence-Based
Narrative therapy is recognized by the American Psychological Association as an evidence-based treatment for depression and trauma (Lopes et al. 2014).
Depth Over Speed
Narrative therapy works at the level of meaning and identity — producing changes that extend well beyond symptom reduction (Lopes et al. 2014).
Cross-Cultural
Narrative therapy has been adapted and validated across diverse cultural and community contexts — more so than most Western therapy models (American Psychological Association. 2017)..
Lopes, R. T., Gonçalves, M. M., Machado, P. P. P., Sinai, D., Bento, T., & Salgado, J. (2014). Narrative therapy vs. cognitive-behavioral therapy for moderate depression: Empirical evidence from a controlled clinical trial. Psychotherapy Research, 24(6), 662–674. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2013.874052
American Psychological Association. (2017). Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline
Narrative Therapy at North Austin Neurofeedback
Narrative Therapy + Neurofeedback
For clients whose identity has been profoundly shaped by a mental health diagnosis or trauma history, narrative therapy addresses the story while neurofeedback addresses the neurological dimension that amplifies distress.
At North Austin Neurofeedback, our trained team integrates narrative therapy with his clinical understanding of neuroscience helping clients not only reauthor their story, but understand the neurological context in which that story developed.
What to Expect
How Narrative Therapy Sessions Work
A thoughtful, collaborative process that moves at the pace of genuine story work.
Free Consult
A 15-min call to understand your history, symptoms, and goals.
QEEG Brain Map
A painless scan maps your unique brainwave patterns.
Report of Findings
Review the results from your QEEG brain scan and discuss personalized neurofeedback protocols to help you reach your goals.
Neurofeedback Sessions
During each session, sensors monitor your brainwave activity while visual or auditory feedback guides your brain toward healthier patterns.
★ BCIA Board Certified · LCDC · BCN
Why Choose North Austin Neurofeedback for Narrative Therapy?
Gil Garza, brings narrative therapy’s depth of inquiry alongside clinical expertise in trauma, chemical dependency, and neuroscience. A combination that enriches the story work significantly.
At North Austin Neurofeedback, narrative therapy can be offered alongside neurofeedback for clients whose neurological dysregulation makes it difficult to access their own story with clarity. When the brain is calmer, the narrative work deepens.
Narrative Therapy FAQ
Common Questions About Narrative Therapy
Honest answers to the questions we hear most often.
Who is narrative therapy best for?
People who feel defined by their diagnosis, history, or the labels others have applied to them. Also excellent for identity questions, life transitions, grief, and recovering from toxic relationships or systems.
How is narrative therapy different from CBT?
CBT challenges the content of thoughts. Narrative therapy challenges the story that generates those thoughts — working at a deeper level of identity and meaning.
Is narrative therapy evidence-based?
Yes. Narrative therapy is recognized by the APA as an evidence-based treatment, with particular strength in depression, trauma, and cross-cultural contexts.
How long does narrative therapy take?
Length varies significantly by presenting concern and depth of work. Some clients work for 8–12 sessions on a specific concern; others engage in longer-term identity and meaning work.
Can narrative therapy be combined with neurofeedback?
Yes. Neurofeedback stabilizes the neurological dysregulation that can make it hard to access your own narrative. When the brain is calmer, the story work deepens significantly.
