By Isabel Prystawik – Motionally Counselling and Facilitation
Somatic Counselling in Vernon, British Columbia | Okanagan Valley
Narrative Therapy: Looking at the Problem Differently
What if you sat down with a counsellor who believed your suffering, yet didn't think there was anything wrong with you? Imagine bringing your anxiety, resentment, exhaustion, difficulties in your relationships, or that persistent feeling of never being quite enough into a conversation where you aren't the problem under examination.
Instead, we turn our attention to the problems themselves. We get curious about how they've gained influence in your life, what they've persuaded you to believe about yourself, and how they've interfered with the things that matter to you. Perhaps the problem doesn't tell the whole story. There may be strengths, experiences and possibilities that have been overshadowed by its influence.
Narrative Therapy: A Different Conversation
One of my favourite ideas from Narrative Therapy is that the person is not the problem. The problem is the problem. What has anxiety been telling you about your ability to cope? How has resentment affected your relationships? Who or what has helped that persistent feeling of never being enough gain so much authority?
We can also look for experiences that don't fit the problem's story. When have you challenged it? What does it overlook about you? What might those moments reveal about your values, abilities and hopes? There's something enlivening about this shift. Instead of directing all our energy toward personal improvement, we can become creative in how we challenge the problem's influence and pursue what matters to us.
How Somatic Counselling Deepens the Conversation
Narrative questions and somatic exploration can work hand in hand. Our bodies offer information about our experiences that isn't always available through words alone. As we explore the problem's influence, we can also notice sensations, movements and responses. What happens as you describe the problem? What changes when you recall a time you stood up to it? What do you discover when we gently experiment with movement or attention?
We won't interpret your body's responses or decide what they mean. Instead, we'll bring more information into the conversation, creating opportunities for curiosity, discovery and choice.
Narrative-Informed Somatic Counselling in Vernon, BC
At Motionally Counselling and Facilitation, I offer somatic, trauma-informed counselling for adults in Vernon, BC, the North Okanagan and online throughout British Columbia. My approach brings together embodied exploration and ideas from Narrative Therapy, with a particular emphasis on curiosity, creativity and autonomy.
I draw on narrative-informed questions and more than 20 years of somatic facilitation experience. Together, we can explore the problems you're facing, challenge their influence and discover possibilities that reflect your values and priorities. Perhaps the problem deserves more scrutiny. Perhaps you deserve more care. If you'd like to explore this approach, I invite you to book a complimentary 15-minute consultation.